Optical Readout of the ARIADNE LArTPC Using a Timepix3-Based Camera

• Main Authors: Adam Lowe, Krishanu Majumdar, Konstantinos Mavrokoridis, Barney Philippou, Adam Roberts, Christos Touramanis, Jared Vann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Instruments
• Subjects: time projection chambers (TPC); noble liquid detectors; micropattern gaseous detectors; photon detectors for UV; visible and IR photons (solid-state)
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2410-390X/4/4/35

The ARIADNE Experiment, utilising a 1-ton dual-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC), aims to develop and mature optical readout technology for large scale LAr detectors. This paper describes the characterisation, using cosmic muons, of a Timepix3-based camera mounted on the ARIADNE detector. The raw data from the camera are natively 3D and zero suppressed, allowing for straightforward event reconstruction, and a gallery of reconstructed LAr interaction events is presented. Taking advantage of the 1.6 ns time resolution of the readout, the drift velocity of the ionised electrons in LAr was determined to be 1.608 ± 0.005 mm/<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>s at 0.54 kV/cm. Energy calibration and resolution were determined using through-going muons. The energy resolution was found to be approximately 11% for the presented dataset. A preliminary study of the energy deposition (<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mfrac><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>E</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>X</mi></mrow></mfrac></semantics></math></inline-formula>) as a function of distance has also been performed for two stopping muon events, and comparison to GEANT4 simulation shows good agreement. The results presented demonstrate the capabilities of this technology, and its application is discussed in the context of the future kiloton-scale dual-phase LAr detectors that will be used in the DUNE programme.