Table of contents

Fast simulation of the energy depositions in high-granular detectors is needed for future collider experiments at ever-increasing luminosities. Generative machine learning (ML) models have been shown to speed up and augment the traditional simulation chain in physics analysis. However, the majority of previous efforts were limited to models relying on fixed, regular detector readout geometries. A major advancement is the recently introduced CaloClouds model, a geometry-independent diffusion model, which generates calorimeter showers as point clouds for the electromagnetic calorimeter of the envisioned International Large Detector (ILD). In this work, we introduce CaloClouds II which features a number of key improvements. This includes continuous time score-based modelling, which allows for a 25-step sampling with comparable fidelity to CaloClouds while yielding a 6× speed-up over Geant4 on a single CPU (5× over CaloClouds). We further distill the diffusion model into a consistency model allowing for accurate sampling in a single step and resulting in a 46× speed-up over Geant4(37× over CaloClouds). This constitutes the first application of consistency distillation for the generation of calorimeter showers.

Transverse instability growth rates in the CERN Proton Synchrotron (PS) are studied thanks to the recently updated impedance model of the machine. Using this model, macroparticle tracking simulations were performed with a new method well-suited for the slicing of short wakes, which achieves comparable performance to the originally implemented method while reducing the required number of slices by a factor of 5 to 10. Furthermore, dedicated beam-based measurement campaigns were carried out to benchmark the impedance model. Until now, beam dynamics simulations based on this model underestimated instability growth rates at injection energy. Thanks to a recent addition to the impedance model, namely the kicker magnets' connecting cables and their external circuits, the simulated instability growth rates are now comparable to the measured ones even when neglecting the impact of the space charge force. Finally, the space charge force is included in simulations and its impact on the instability growth rate and intra-bunch motion is studied.

The article discusses some practical aspects of engineering design associated with the use of Stirling cryocoolers in liquefiers of hybrid cooling devices for HPGe detectors. A feature of hybrid cooling devices is the presence of two modes: the recondensation mode when the cryocooler is operating, and the power interruption mode with a non-renewable LN₂ boil-off. Based on the Thermal Networks Method, models for each mode are proposed, for analyzing heat fluxes between standard components forming the liquefier unit. The proposed models were validated by comparing calculated parameters of the transition process between the two above-mentioned operating modes with those obtained experimentally. It is shown that the minimization of heat gain through the liquefier unit into Dewar for both operating modes of the hybrid cooling device leads to contradictory engineering design requirements. Preliminary conclusions based on the thermal network models are confirmed experimentally on a serial hybrid cooling device, produced by the Baltic Scientific Instruments Company. This resulted in practical recommendations on the choice of condenser position, which depended on operating conditions of hybrid cooling device, for example as a laboratory equipment or as a part of remote radiation monitoring stations.

The quasistellar neutron spectrum produced via ⁷Li (p, n)⁷Be reaction at a proton energy of 1.912 MeV has been extensively studied and employed reaction for neutron-induced reaction studies. We are working towards using this reaction at various proton energies from 1.9 MeV to 3.6 MeV to produce a neutron field at a temperature range of ∼ 1.5–3.5 GK to conduct measurements of neutron-induced charge particle reaction cross sections on various unstable nuclei at explosive stellar temperatures. In this paper, we are reporting our design and simulation study with regards to experimental set-up and a gaseous detector with a segmented Micromegas detector for conducting neutron-induced charge particle reactions studies for nuclei of astrophysics importance, for example, ²⁶Al(p, n)²⁶Mg,  ²⁶Al(n, α)²³Na and ⁴⁰K(p, n)⁴⁰Ar,  ⁴⁰K(n, α)³⁷Cl reactions. We plan to perform our experiments with a 10-μA proton beam at the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt facility (PTB, Germany), with a Micromegas-based gaseous detector under construction as discussed in the paper.

This paper describes the experience with the calibration, reconstruction and evaluation of the timing capabilities of the CMS HGCAL prototype in the beam tests in 2018. The calibration procedure includes multiple steps and corrections ranging from tens of nanoseconds to a few hundred picoseconds. The timing performance is studied using signals from positron beam particles with energies between 20 GeV and 300 GeV. The performance is studied as a function of particle energy against an external timing reference as well as standalone by comparing the two different halves of the prototype. The timing resolution is found to be 60 ps for single-channel measurements and better than 20 ps for full showers at the highest energies, setting excellent perspectives for the HGCAL calorimeter performance at the HL-LHC.

Radioactive radon atoms originating from the primordial  ²³⁸U and ²³²Th decay chains are constantly emanated from the surfaces of most materials. The radon atoms and their radioactive daughter isotopes can significantly contribute to the background of low-background experiments. The  ²²²Rn progeny ²¹⁴Pb, for example, dominates the background of current liquid xenon-based direct dark matter detectors. We report on a new detector system to quantify the ²²²Rn surface emanation rate of materials. Using cryogenic physisorption traps, emanated radon atoms are transferred from an independent emanation vessel and concentrated within the dedicated detection vessel. The charged radon daughter isotopes are collected electrostatically on a silicon PIN photodiode to spectrometrically measure the alpha decays of ²¹⁴Po and ²¹⁸Po. The overall detection efficiency is  ∼ 36 % for both polonium channels. The radon emanation activity of the emanation vessel was measured to be (0.16± 0.03) mBq, resulting in a detection sensitivity of ∼ 0.06 mBq at 90 % C.L.

We characterize the performance of two pixelated neutron detectors: a PMT-based array that utilizes Anger logic for pixel identification and a SiPM-based array that employs individual pixel readout. The SiPM-based array offers improved performance over the previously developed PMT-based detector both in terms of uniformity and neutron detection efficiency. Each detector array uses PSD-capable plastic scintillator as a detection medium. We describe the calibration and neutron efficiency measurement of both detectors using a ¹³⁷Cs source for energy calibration and a ²⁵²Cf source for calibration of the neutron response. We find that the intrinsic neutron detection efficiency of the SiPM-based array is (30.2 ± 0.9)%, which is almost twice that of the PMT-based array, which we measure to be (16.9 ± 0.1)%.

The fabrication of stable ¹⁹⁷Au-backed natural Si targets with a thickness ranging from ∼ 400 μg/cm² to  ∼ 1.1 mg/cm² using an electron beam evaporation technique is discussed. In one of the attempts, a graphite sheet was used as an evaporation source, which proves to be an efficient method in terms of minimal wastage of source material. Characterizations of the fabricated targets using various technique revealed that the targets were uniform in thickness and had negligible contamination. The optimization of evaporation parameters in the present work enhances the potential for future fabrication of isotopically enriched Si targets.

It is known that scintillators exhibit non-proportional behavior between light output and the energy of gamma photons or beta particles. However, the non-proportionality between light output in scintillators and the energy of alpha particles has not been extensively measured, likely due to the challenges associated with preparing alpha particles with varying energies. To address this issue, we propose a novel method to modulate the energy of alpha particles using an americium-241 (Am-241) source covered with different numbers of Mylar films. By irradiating various scintillators, including GAGG, GGAG, YAP(Ce), and plastic scintillator, with alpha particles of different energies, we measured and evaluated the non-proportional response of these scintillators. We then compared the measured response as a function of incident energy to a simulation, which assumes a proportional response to evaluate the non-proportionality. For all the scintillators tested, non-proportionality was observed; the light output per MeV at 1.8 MeV ranged from 0.60 to 0.81 of the values observed at 5.2 MeV. The non-proportional response was largest for plastic scintillator (0.60) and smallest for GAGG (0.81). We conclude that the proposed method could be an efficient means of measuring the non-proportionality of scintillators between light output and alpha particle energies

For the analysis of data taken by Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), a large number of air shower simulations are needed to derive the instrument response. The simulations are very complex, involving computational and memory-intensive calculations, and are usually performed repeatedly for different observation intervals to take into account the varying optical sensitivity of the instrument. The use of generative models based on deep neural networks offers the prospect for memory-efficient storing of huge simulation libraries and cost-effective generation of a large number of simulations in an extremely short time. In this work, we use Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Networks to generate photon showers for an IACT equipped with the FlashCam design, which has more than 1,500 pixels. Using simulations of the H.E.S.S. experiment, we demonstrate the successful generation of high-quality IACT images. The analysis includes a comprehensive study of the generated image quality based on low-level observables and the well-known Hillas parameters that describe the shower shape. We demonstrate for the first time that the generated images have high fidelity with respect to low-level observables, the Hillas parameters, their physical properties, as well as their correlations. The found increase in generation speed in the order of 10⁵ yields promising prospects for fast and memory-efficient simulations of air showers for IACTs.

The use of photon-counting detectors (PCD) in X-ray computed tomography (CT) allows for obtaining specific spectral information about the materials present in the studied object. This provides the capability to detect contrast agents (CAs) based on elements with high atomic numbers, which opens up significant prospects for diagnostics and preclinical trials. This work presents a criterion for the extraction of a contrast agent and the determination of its concentration based on the K-edge absorption. The criterion is built on the study of the spectral characteristics of CAs. It considers scenarios where more than two contrast agents are simultaneously used in a wide range of concentrations in the study. The experiment was conducted using a laboratory microtomographic system based on the Medipix3RX detector family. The criterion utilizes five energy thresholds for the identification of a single contrast agent. Lanthanides were used as contrast agents.

A novel type of calorimeter based on grains of inorganic scintillating crystal readout by wave length shifting fibers is proposed. The concept and main features as well as the prototype design are introduced and the first results obtained using cosmic rays are presented. The number of photo-electrons generated by cosmic rays muons in the prototype detector is estimated to be of the order of 10000 photo-electrons per GeV, validating the concept of this next-generation shashlik calorimeter.

Hefei Light Source II (HLS-II) is a vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron light source. The HLS-II alarm system is responsible for monitoring the alarms of the process variables and distributing the alarm events in time. Nuisance alarms reduce the functionality, credibility and trustworthiness of the alarm system. This paper proposes a method for design alarm deadband and delay timers to remove the nuisance alarm events to the expected ratio. An optimal deadband width is calculated to reduce the alarm events while balancing the effects of reducing the occurrence number of alarm events and increasing the duration of alarm events. If the expected ratio is not met after using the optimal deadband width, the delay timers are set additionally. The Bayesian estimation approach is used to estimate the probability that the delay timers eliminate the alarm events. This method is based on statistical properties of the process variables and can effectively remove nuisance alarm events. Two examples of the HLS-II alarm system are provided to illustrate the proposed method. In the two examples, the optimal deadband removed 99.27% and 88.92% of nuisance alarms respectively.

The deployment of several large scale arrays is envisioned to study astroparticles at ultra-high energies. In order to circumvent the heavy computational costs of exploring and optimizing their layouts, we have developed a pruning method. It consists in i) running a set of microscopic simulations and interpolate them over a dense, regularly spaced array of detection units, and ii) pruning the unnecessary units out of the layout, in order to obtain the shower footprint on a newly shaped layout. This method offers flexibility to test various layout parameters, instrumental constraints, and physical inputs, with a drastic reduction in the required CPU time. The method can be universally applied to optimize arrays of any size, and using any detection techniques. For demonstration, we apply the pruning tool to radio antenna layouts, which allows us to discuss the interplay between the energy and inclination of air-showers on the size of the radio footprint and the intensity of the signal on the ground. Some rule-of-thumb conclusions that can be drawn for this specific case are: i) a hexagonal geometry is more efficient than a triangular geometry, ii) the detection efficiency of the array is stable to changes in the spacing between radio antennas around 1000 m step size, iii) for a given number of antennas, adding a granular infill on top of a coarse hexagonal array is more efficient than instrumenting the full array with a less dense spacing.

We describe a novel reconstruction algorithm for time-resolved images obtained using a streak camera. This algorithm operates by decomposing a recorded image into a set of individual photoelectron-induced signals, thereby providing a powerful method for streak camera image reconstruction. This deconstruction allows for a standard statistical analysis of the resulting image. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique by analyzing the temporal spacing between the emitted fs-long laser pulse and its succeeding first, second, and third reflections within a thick glass captured by a streak image.

Dynamic aperture is an important concept for the study of non-linear beam dynamics in circular accelerators. It describes the extent of the phase-space region where a particle's motion remains bounded over a given number of turns. Understanding the features of dynamic aperture is crucial for the design and operation of such accelerators, as it provides insights into nonlinear effects and the possibility of optimising beam lifetime. The standard approach to calculate the dynamic aperture requires numerical simulations of several initial conditions densely distributed in phase space for a sufficient number of turns to probe the time scale corresponding to machine operations. This process is very computationally intensive and practically outside the range of today's computers. In our study, we introduced a novel method to estimate dynamic aperture rapidly and accurately by utilising a Deep Neural Network model. This model was trained with simulated tracking data from the CERN Large Hadron Collider and takes into account variations in accelerator parameters such as betatron tune, chromaticity, and the strength of the Landau octupoles. To enhance its performance, we integrate the model into an innovative Active Learning framework. This framework not only enables retraining and updating of the computed model, but also facilitates efficient data generation through smart sampling. Since chaotic motion cannot be predicted, traditional tracking simulations are incorporated into the Active Learning framework to deal with the chaotic nature of some initial conditions. The results demonstrate that the use of the Active Learning framework allows faster scanning of the configuration parameters without compromising the accuracy of the dynamic aperture estimates.

Brachytherapy is a treatment method that requires the accurate positioning of a radioactive source to deliver high doses to a tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding tissues. Herein, we propose a compact gamma camera system based on a diverging collimator for real-time source positioning during brachytherapy. In the process of developing and fabricating such a gamma camera system, Monte Carlo simulations for diverging and pinhole collimators are performed under conditions that are similar to the actual detection environment, with the camera-to-source distance set at 50 cm to verify the feasibility of the gamma camera. Full width at half maximum (FWHM) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values are analyzed based on the horizontal and vertical profiles at each location as the source shifts stepwise from the center to the right and diagonal direction. On average, the diverging collimator had FWHM values of 18 and 13 mm and SNR values of 30 and 31, while the pinhole collimator had FWHM values of 26 and 25 mm and SNR values of 47 and 46 when profiled horizontally and vertically. The diverging collimator has a lower SNR than pinhole collimator but performs better in terms of spatial resolution. Additionally, to test the performance of the manufactured gamma camera, the distance between the camera and the source was set to 100 cm and an experiment was conducted. The experimental results exhibit a trend similar to the simulation. Numerically, the average FWHM value were 39 mm in the vertical direction and 71 mm in the horizontal direction. Additionally, the average SNR values were 27 for the vertical direction and 17 for the horizontal direction. Based on these results, we confirm the possibility of Ir-192 source imaging.

The readout electronics of the Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) of the NA61/SHINE experiment at CERN are based on the Domino Ring Sampler v.4 (DRS4) chips. Due to the analyzing complexity of the waveforms produced by the MRPC with DRS4 readout, one needs to develop a reliable algorithm in order to distinguish signal from noise. Two methods are investigated, using the beam test data on MRPC with DRS4 readout held at "PAKHRA" accelerator in LPI RAS, Troitsk. Their results are estimated within the comparative approach, as well as the possibility of their implementation for different purposes.

Gamma spectrometers are used to quantify and identify radioisotopes in the sample under test. There is a recent interest around the world in implementing low-cost gamma spectrometers. One of the main parts of the modern gamma spectrometer is the digital pulse processing unit (DPP). The implementation of this unit using advanced microcontroller chips has appeared in recent years as an attractive approach. This is due to its advanced performance and low cost. In this paper, we present a design flow to implement a DPP unit using an ARM Cortex-M3-based microcontroller chip. The sodium iodide detector is the targeted detector for this design. Our prototype is approved experimentally to construct spectrums comparable to commercial devices. And it can cope with input count rates up to 45 kC/s.

The Phase-2 Upgrade [1] of the CMS Outer Tracker [2] requires the production of 7608 Strip-Strip (2S) and 5592 Pixel-Strip (PS) modules, altogether incorporating 45 192 hybrid circuits of 15 design variants. The module design makes the potential repairs impractical; therefore, performing production-scale testing of the hybrids is essential. Accordingly, a scalable, crate-based test system was designed and manufactured, allowing for parallel, high-throughput testing. To reproduce the operating conditions, the system was integrated within a climate chamber, which required the development of a remote control interface and the calibration of thermal cycles. The results and lessons learned from the test system integration and commissioning will be presented.

This paper describes a silicon pixel sensor for non-interceptive real-time beam monitoring at heavy-ion accelerators. The total size of the sensor is 4 mm × 5 mm. It has 64 (row) × 120 (column) square pixels, each single of which is in the size of 40 μm × 40 μm. With the exposed sensing pad, this sensor can directly collect the charge in the media over the pixels. The in-pixel circuit mainly consists of a low-noise Charge Sensitive Amplifier (CSA) to establish the signal for the energy reconstruction and a discriminator with a Time-to-Amplitude Converter (TAC) for the Time of Arrival (TOA) measurement. The analog signal from each pixel is accessible through time-shared multiplexing over the entire pixel array. This paper will discuss the design of this IMPix-S1 sensor.

The design of HVCMOS detectors for measuring Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEP) is presented, with the goal of covering a very wide dynamic range (from ∼0.5 fC to pC). Two different pixel designs are shown, one with low gain tailored to high energy depositions and one with high gain for low energy depositions. Both designs utilize a sensing diode consisting of a fully-depleted, high resistivity substrate and a segmented deep n-well on top. LFoundry 0.15 μm technology is used. The design choices are backed by simulation results and preliminary measurements.

The description of the superposition field of a system of point sources with a random and, on average, periodic structure is considered. The description is given in the far field and the point sources are considered as centers of secondary sphere waves generated by an external plane wave. In contrast to the traditional approach, where description of the diffraction pattern is given on the base of wave field averaging, here the intensity is averaged. In the framework of the suggested approach the analytic formula of dependence of the average intensity on the direction observation is found. The influence of disorder on the values of intensity of main maximums of a periodic structure is investigated. It is shown that this influence depends on the ordinal numbers of the maximum and in the case of central main maximum this influence vanishes. The question of applicability of the Debye-Weller factor for describing of the statistic of diffracted field is discussed.

Data bandwidth, timing resolution and resource utilization in readouts of radiation detectors are a constant challenge. Event driven solutions are pushing against well-trenched framed solutions. The idea for an asynchronous readout architecture called EDWARD (Event-Driven With Access and Reset Decoder) was presented at the TWEPP 2021 conference. Here we show the progress of our work which resulted in two chip prototypes. The first one, named 3FI65P1, is a full device with the analog pixel circuitry suited for full-field fluorescence imaging. It is already manufactured, and preliminary results are presented. The second chip, named EDWARD65P1, contains digital pulse generators with Poisson-exponential distribution in each pixel for extraction of the performance matrix of the EDWARD architecture alone.

A very low power discriminator circuit for pixelized detectors, called the Pseudo-Thyristor is described in this document. It is a positive feedback topology using regular PMOS and NMOS field-effect transistors (FET's) with zero static current. When a small charge is injected into the circuit, it flips rapidly due to the positive feedback and outputs a logic transition for further digitization. Simulation shows that in a 65 nm process, it is possible to achieve a detecting threshold below 5 fC while maintain the average power consumption below 10 micro-Watts when the hit occupancy is <10% for 40 MHz operation.

NAPA-p1 is a prototype Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor 'MAPS' developed as a first iteration towards meeting the detectors general requirements for future e⁺e^- colliders. Long-term objective is to develop a wafer-scale sensor in MAPS with an area ∼ 10 cm × 10 cm. This article presents the motivations for the design choices of NAPA-p1, translating the physics requirement into circuit specifications. Simulations show a pixel jitter of < 400 ps-rms and an equivalent noise charge of 13 e^-rms with an average power consumption of 1.15 mW/cm² assuming a 1% duty cycle, meeting the target specifications. The prototype is designed in 65 nm CMOS imaging technology, with dimensions of 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm and a pixel pitch of 25 μm. The prototype chip has been fabricated and characterization results will be available soon.

The ECAL Barrel and MTD Barrel Timing Layer subdetectors of CMS are approaching series production of electronic boards, including voltage conditioning PCBs: LVRs and PCCs respectively. 2448 LVRs and 864 PCCs will be installed during LS3 of the LHC. These boards are hosting radiation-tolerant bPOL12V ASICs which convert a broad input voltage range into required voltage levels for microelectronics between 1.2–2.5 V. Each card must be tested multiple times at various production stages to ensure its conformity. This contribution describes a methodology of testing bPOL12V conversion quality including the detection of instability regions at certain load levels.

In order to extract intense ion beams with good beam optics from hydrogen negative ion sources, it is important to control the shape of the plasma meniscus (i.e. beam emission surface). Recently, it is suggested experimentally that the degradation of beam optics in the RF negative ion sources may be due to the fluctuation of the distance d_eff between the meniscus and the extraction grid caused by the fluctuation of the plasma density n_p. The purpose of this study is to make clear the dependence of d_eff on n_p in the presence of a large amount of surface produced H^- ions in order to understand such fluctuation of beam optics in RF sources For the purpose, 3D electrostatic PIC simulation was conducted taking the bulk plasma density as a parameter, investigating the extraction region of a H^- ion source. A large amount of the surface H^- production on the PG has been taken into account under the assumption that the H^- production rate is proportional to the bulk plasma density. The result shows that the effective distance d_eff is proportional to n_p^-1/2 even for a large amount of surface H^- production. This dependence suggests that the bulk plasma density  n_p is the key parameters to control d_eff and the resultant beam optics extracted from the negative ion source.

This work presents the analog circuitry of the FastRICH ASIC, a 16-channel ASIC, developed in a 65 nm CMOS technology specifically designed for the RICH detector at LHCb to readout detectors like Photomultiplier Tubes to be used at the LHC Run 4 and Silicon Photomultipliers candidates for Run 5. The front-end (FE) stage has an input impedance below 50 Ω and an input dynamic range from 5 μA to 5 mA with a power consumption of ∼5 mW/channel. The chip includes a Leading Edge Comparator (LED) and a Constant Fraction Discriminator (CFD) for time pick-off and a Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) for digitization.

Future experiments at high energy e⁺e^- colliders will focus on extremely precise Standard Model measurements. Among the most important physics benchmarks, there is the capability to resolve the Higgs decays into W or Z pairs, in their completely hadronic decay modes (4 jets in the final state), only based on the invariant mass of the jet pair coming from decay of the on-shell boson. This translates into a relative energy resolution target of 30%/√E, well beyond current detector performances. Dual-readout calorimetry is a technique which aims to improve the energy resolution, for single hadrons and hadronic jets, exploiting the information produced by two different physical processes, namely scintillation and Čerenkov light emission. The IDEA detector, whose concept has been included in both the FCC and CEPC Conceptual Design Reports, is based on a dual-readout fibre calorimeter with independent fibre readout exploiting Silicon PhotoMultipliers (SiPMs). The individual SiPM information will be beneficial for a highly granular calorimeter design, opening up to advanced reconstruction techniques such as Particle Flow and a variety of neural network algorithms. In this paper the status of calorimeter prototypes that have been developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the dual-readout method in association with the high granularity feature is illustrated. The specific choice for the design of each prototype is presented, together with the performances achieved at high-energy test beams or through simulations.

Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance (PET/MR) imaging, is a novel imaging modality that combines the capabilities of two powerful imaging techniques in a single acquisition. This unique integration allows for simultaneous acquisition of both metabolic and structural data within a single imaging session. In this sense, PET/MR offers a comprehensive and innovative approach to medical imaging, but accompanied by its intrinsic physics and engineering complexity, involving intricate synchronization of high-performance detectors, electromagnetic shielding, and sophisticated correction algorithms, among others. In this hands-on session performed during the 6th INFIERI summer school (Madrid, Spain), we described an introduction to simultaneous PET/MR image acquisition and quantification in a real clinical to students from diverse backgrounds in physics and engineering. We first presented the fundamental aspects of PET/MR image acquisition, including the main theoretical characteristics of PET/MR physics and electronics, visiting the PET/MR facilities at Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur (HM Hospitales, Móstoles, Madrid), and discussing the main PET/MR clinical and research applications. Then, we followed with a practical session on PET/MR image quantification, preparing the students to understand and solve examples on image reconstruction, multimodal data visualization, inhomogeneity correction, image registration, and attenuation correction exploiting the simplicity and usefulness of 3D Slicer.

This paper reports the latest developmental efforts for a position-sensitive glass-based Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) and a multi-channel Data AcQuisition (DAQ) system tailored for muon tracking in muography applications. The designed setup prioritizes portability, aiming for field applications where both the detector and the DAQ operate effectively in external environmental conditions. Comprehensive discussions on hardware development activities and signal processing techniques are included, incorporating noise filtering to enhance the accurate detection of real muons. A muon absorption measurement has also been carried out to understand the behavior of these detectors from an application perspective.

Hybrid semiconductor pixelated detectors from the Timepix family are advanced detectors for online particle tracking, offering energy measurement and precise time stamping capabilities for particles of various types and energies. This inherent capability makes them highly suitable for various applications, including imaging, medical fields such as radiotherapy and particle therapy, space-based applications aboard satellites and the International Space Station, and industrial applications. The data generated by these detectors is complex, necessitating the development and deployment of various analytical techniques to extract essential information. For this purpose, and to aid the Timepix user community, it was designed and developed the "Data Processing Engine" (DPE) as an advanced tool for data processing designed explicitly for Timepix detectors. The functionality of the DPE is structured into three distinct processing levels: i) Pre-processing: this phase involves clusterization and the application of necessary calibrations and corrections. ii) Processing: this stage includes particle classification, employing machine learning algorithms, and the recognition of radiation fields. iii) Post-processing: involves various analyses, such as directional analysis, coincidence analysis, frame analysis, Compton directional analysis, and the generation of physics products, are performed. The core of the DPE is supported by an extensive experimental database containing calibrations and referential radiation fields of typical environments, including protons, ions, electrons, gamma rays and X rays, as well as thermal and fast neutrons. To enhance accessibility, the DPE is implemented into various user interface platforms such as a command-line tool, an application programming interface, and as a graphical user interface in the form of a web portal. The DPE's broad utility is exemplified through its integration into various applications and developments.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is a material with a very good radiation hardness and with the possibility of deposition on flexible substrates like Polyimide (PI). Exploiting these properties, the HASPIDE (Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon PIxels DEtectors) project has the goal of developing a-Si:H detectors on flexible substrates for beam dosimetry and profile monitoring, neutron detection and space experiments. The detectors for this experiment will be developed in two different structures: the n-i-p diode structure, which has been used up to now for the construction of the planar a-Si:H detectors, and the recently developed charge selective contact structure. In the latter the doped layers (n or p) are replaced with charge selective materials namely electron-selective conductive metal-oxides (TiO₂ or Al:ZnO) and hole-selective conductive metal oxides (MoO_x). In this paper preliminary data on the capabilities of these detectors to measure X-ray and electron fluxes will be presented. In particular, the linearity, the sensitivity, the stability and dark current in various conditions will be discussed.

Gastrointestinal foreign bodies (GI-FBs) occur when pets consume non-digestible items that do not readily pass through the stomach or intestines. While some GI-FBs pass through, many become lodged along the gastrointestinal tract and cause discomfort, often leading to sickness. Conventional absorption-based radiography is widely used to detect GI-FBs in pets. However, detecting low-density FBs, such as wood, plastic, clothing, and sticks, is typically difficult using conventional radiography. This study presents a novel approach for detecting low-density GI-FBs in pets by using single-grid-based dark-field X-ray imaging (SG-DFXI). It obtains microstructural information from small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of the sample using a conventional X-ray source and grid. SG-DFXI requires minimal exposure and system setup and is specifically utilized to detect low-density materials that are invisible when using conventional radiography. To validate the efficacy of the proposed method, an experiment was conducted on a mouse phantom attached to a wooden chopstick as a low-density GI-FB. Quantitative evaluation was performed using image quality metrics of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and relative contrast gain (RCG). The CNR value measured in the dark-field image obtained with an autocorrelation length of ξ_G = 294 nm was 4.59, approximately 5.4 times larger than that of the absorption image obtained in the same imaging setup. In addition, the RCG characteristics improved as the autocorrelation length of the system increased; the RCG value for ξ_G = 294 nm was 5.4, approximately 3.2 times larger than that for ξ_G = 194 nm. Thus, increasing the autocorrelation length of the system is critical to improve its ability to detect low-density FBs. Consequently, SG-DFXI appears to be a promising method that can be used effectively and easily to detect GI-FBs in pets, which are barely visible in absorption images.

Multiple energy bin spectral micro-CT (SμCT) is an advanced imaging technique that allows multi-material decomposition according to their specific absorption patterns at a sub-100 μm scale. Typically, iodine is the preferred CT contrast agent for cardiovascular imaging, while gold nanoparticles have gained attention in recent years owing to their high absorption properties, biocompatibility and ability to target tumors. In this work, we demonstrate the potential for multi-material decomposition through SμCT imaging of a test sample at the PEPI lab of INFN Trieste. The sample, consisting of gold, iodine, calcium, and water, was imaged using a Pixirad1/PixieIII chromatic detector with multiple energy thresholds and a wide spectrum (100 kV) produced by a micro-focus X-ray tube. The results demonstrate the simultaneous detection and separation of the four materials at a spatial scale of 35 μm, suggesting the potential of this technique in improving material detectability and quantification in a range of pre-clinical applications, including cardiovascular and oncologic imaging.

EXFLU1 is a new batch of radiation-resistant silicon sensors manufactured at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK, Italy). The EXFLU1 sensors utilize thin substrates that remain operable even after extensive irradiation. They incorporate Low-Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD) technology, enabling internal multiplication of charge carriers to boost the small signal produced by a particle crossing their thin active thicknesses, ranging from 15 to 45 μ m. To address current challenges related to acceptor removal, the EXFLU1 production incorporates improved defect engineering techniques. This includes the so called carbonated LGADs, where carbon doping is implanted alongside boron in the gain layer. This contribution focuses on evaluating the performances of thin sensors with carbonated gain layer from the EXFLU1 production, before and after irradiation up to 2.5· 10¹⁵ n_{1 Mev eq.}/cm². The conducted tests involve static and transient characterizations, including I-V and C-V measurements, as well as laser and β-source tests. This work aims to present the state of the art in LGAD sensor technology with a carbonated gain layer and shows the characterization of the most radiation-resistant LGAD sensors produced to date.

A CO₂ Dispersion Interferometer (DI) system on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) was successfully operated, providing plasma electron density measurements. The DI system utilizes a continuous-wave 9.3 μm CO₂ laser source to measure line-averaged electron densities. This offers significant advantages, including the ability to minimize fringe jumps and insensitivity to mechanical vibrations. These characteristics are well-suited for future high-density, long-pulse plasma discharges. The DI system provides a real-time density feedback signal to the plasma control system for routine density control during long-pulse operation. Experiments with EAST demonstrated good agreement between the density obtained by the DI system and the preset densities. The DI system also exhibited stability during long-pulse discharge. Moreover, the DI system was stable during rapid density changes and high-density pellet injections. In shot No. 120594, the DI system exhibited stable density feedback during continuous projectile injection lasting over 50 seconds; the line-averaged electron density is approximately 4×10¹⁹ m^-3. In contrast to the long-wavelength source interferometer, which may deflect light from the detector owing to excessive refraction angles in larger density-gradient discharges, the DI ensured accurate density measurements. The DI system on EAST is dependable for accurately measuring the electron density.

The Belle II collaboration has initiated a program to upgrade its detector in order to address the challenges set by the increase of the SuperKEKB collider luminosity, targeting 6×10³⁵ cm² s^-1. A monolithic CMOS pixel sensor named OBELIX (Optimized BELle II pIXel) is proposed to equip 5 detection layers upgrading the current vertex detector. Based on the existing TJ-Monopix2, OBELIX is currently designed in 180 nm CMOS process.

ALFE2 is an ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter (LAr) Front-End ASIC designed for the HL-LHC upgrade. ALFE2 comprises four channels of pre-amplifiers and CR-(RC)² shapers with adjustable input impedance. ALFE2 features two separate gain outputs to provide 16-bit dynamic-range coverage and an optimum resolution. ALFE2 is characterized using a Front-End Test Board (FETB) based on a Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC and two octal-channel 16-bit high-speed ADCs. The test results indicate that ALFE2 fulfills or greatly exceeds all specifications on gain, noise, linearity, uniformity, and radiation tolerance.

The synthesis, IR spectroscopy, thermal and UV-Vis transmittance of the new lithium iodate crystal: (H₃O)Li₂(IO₃)₃, were studied. The crystal structure of (H₃O)⁺·2(Li)⁺· 3(IO₃)^- was determined by single-crystal X-Ray diffraction analysis at 100(2) K. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system (P2₁/n) with the parameters: a = 8.3266(12) Å, b = 10.9893(17) Å, c = 11.2472(17) Å, α = γ = 90°, β = 111.360(4)° and Z(Z') = 4(1). The structure contains a hydronium cation (H₃O)⁺, three crystallographic independent trigonal pyramidal IO₃ anions, and two independent cations (Li)⁺ coordinated each by four oxygen atoms 3(IO₃)^- at the apices of strongly deformed tetrahedrons. The research results have revealed the mechanisms of crystal formation and the characteristic absorption bands of functional groups, which are of scientific importance. The possibility of the existence of certain properties is also discussed.

Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors are crucial for enabling high-resolution X-ray polarization of astrophysical sources when coupled to custom pixel readout ASIC in Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD), as in the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), the Polarlight cubesat pathfinder and the PFA telescope onboard the future large enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) Chinese mission. The R&D efforts of the IXPE collaboration have resulted in mature GPD technology. However, limitations in the classical wet-etch or laser-drilled fabrication process of GEMs motivated our exploration of alternative methods. This work focuses on investigating a plasma-based etching approach for fabricating GEM patterns at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). The objective is to improve the aspect ratio of the GEM holes, to mitigate the charging of the GEM dielectric which generates rate-dependent gain changes. Unlike the traditional wet-etch process, Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) enables more vertical etching profiles and thus better aspect ratios. Moreover, the RIE process promises to overcome non-uniformities in the GEM hole patterns which are believed to cause systemic effects in the azimuthal response of GPDs equipped with either laser-drilled or wet-etch GEMs. We present a GEM geometry with 20 μm in diameter and 50 μm pitch, accompanied by extensive characterization (SEM and PFIB) of the structural features and aspect ratios. The collaboration with INFN Pisa and Turin enabled us to compare the electrical properties of these detectors and test their performance in their use as electron multipliers in GPDs. Although this R&D work is in its initial stages, it holds promise for enhancing the sensitivity of the IXPE mission in X-ray polarimetry measurements through GEM pattern with more vertical hole profiles. The outcomes of this study have the potential to advance the current technological platforms and improve the capabilities of future space-based X-ray polarimetry missions.

The aim of the LHCb Upgrade II is to be able to operate at a luminosity of 1.5×10³⁴ cm^-2 s^-1 to collect a data set of 300 fb^-1. The required substantial modifications of the current LHCb electromagnetic calorimeter due to high radiation doses in the central region and increased particle densities are referred to as LHCb ECAL Upgrade II. A consolidation of the ECAL already during the long shutdown 3 will reduce the occupancy and mitigate the effects of substantial ageing in the central region after Run 3. Several scintillating sampling ECAL technologies are being investigated in an ongoing R&D campaign: Spaghetti Calorimeter (SpaCal) with garnet scintillating crystals and tungsten absorber, SpaCal with scintillating plastic fibres and tungsten or lead absorber, and Shashlik with polystyrene tiles, lead absorber and fast WLS fibres. Timing capabilities with tens of picoseconds precision for neutral electromagnetic particles and increased granularity with a denser absorber in the central region are needed for pile-up mitigation. Time resolutions of better than 20 ps at high energy were observed in test beam measurements of prototype SpaCal and Shashlik modules. Energy resolutions with sampling contributions of about 10%/√E, in line with the requirements, were observed.

After Run III the ATLAS detector will undergo a series of upgrades to cope with the harsher radiation environment and increased number of proton interactions in the High Luminosity-LHC. One of the key projects in this suite of upgrades is the ATLAS Inner Tracker (ITk). The pixel detector of the ITk must be read out accurately and with extremely high rate. The Optosystem performs electro-optical conversion of signals from the pixel modules. This paper presents recent results related to the performance of the data transmission chain with a focus on the Optoboards and to the design, testing and production of the Optopanels.

We report the characterization of the Single Effect Transient (SET) sensitivity of an analogue Phase Locked Loop (PLL) based on a Voltage Controlled Ring Oscillator (VCRO) under a proton beam. The clock generator is embedded in a front-end ASIC, namely ALTIROC designed in CMOS 130 nm, reading out Low-Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD) matrices for the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). We detail the methodology developed to study such events that could degrade the targeted time resolution of 35 ps per hit. Observed SET-induced phase jumps allow the estimation of the total cross-section of the PLL. The results are extrapolated to the HL-LHC radiation conditions.

ITER diagnostics include an extensive set of laser and microwave diagnostics to give access to a wealth of information on the core and edge plasma and to support high performance operation of ITER. For example, Core and Edge Thomson scattering systems build detailed density and temperature profiles on time scales much faster than τ_E to follow transient events; ECE and reflectometry add time resolution to follow MHD events. Implementing these diagnostics is challenging, needing a panoply of technologies to keep them functioning reliably for thousands of hours despite extreme events such as disruptions and wall conditioning cycles. Shielding, shutters and cleaning systems protect the forward elements of most optical systems from the build-up of deposits and damage. Still, plasma-facing mirrors must survive laser loads and endure erosion, deposition and in-situ RF cleaning. Calibration and monitoring systems ensure accurate and drift-free operation. These support systems are also not straightforward and required specific R&amp;D. Access also drives the design: to deal with the neutron and gamma sources yet allow maintenance of activated components, ITER uses large, multi-purpose ports that couple otherwise distinct systems into modules for maintenance. Machine movement requires provisions to maintain alignment and calibration, from these port plugs, shown in figure 1, to the accessible areas 10–50 m away. A final complication comes from the difficulty of employing electronics near the plugs. Extensive qualification for radiation resistance is needed. This paper examines design adaptations that ITER adopted for its near-reactor environment, consider the lessons learnt from the ITER design activity specifically for laser and microwave systems and lays out some possible evolution paths for the reactor diagnostician that must follow a more industrial approach.

An X-ray monolithic 4-block interference system has been developed and manufactured, in which the first 3 blocks are thin and form a 3- block Laue interferometer with disrupted geometry, and the 4^th additional block is thick and is in the reflection position. It is shown that fine structures of interference patterns registered from 3-block interferometers with thin blocks and distorted geometry are observed in cases where an additional 4^th thick block is used. The calculations show that when the ideal geometry of a 3-block interferometer is violated, an interference pattern is formed in the form of families of parallel stripes (lines) on the recording plate lying perpendicular to the incident beam. The coordinates of the interference stripes maxima, their periods, as well as the coefficient of a linear enlargement in the presence and absence of the 4^th thick block, are calculated. It has been experimentally proven that a thick block does not introduce new information into the interference pattern, but will only enlarge its dimensions in the scattering plane. The limits for reducing the period of interference stripes and their complete disappearance are determined depending on the size of violations from the ideal geometry of a 3-block interferometer.

We have developed signal processing routines for the Thomson Scattering measurement, which is planned for use in the next campaign of the JT-60SA large-scale tokamak experiment. This paper provides the data analysis system and its performance evaluated in terms of computation time and error. The sequential routine of determining the scattered light intensity from a simulated signal, including noise data from a 1 Gs/s high-speed sampling digitizer, and determining the electron temperature and density was tested for the first time on an actual machine. The data analysis system ensures that electron temperature and density can be calculated with reasonable relative errors and within a realistic time frame for operations on JT-60SA.

For the proposed space based gamma-ray observatory All-sky Medium-Energy Gamma-ray Observatory eXplorer (AMEGO-X), a silicon tracker based on a novel High Voltage-CMOS (HV-CMOS) sensor called AstroPix, is currently being developed. Preliminary measurements with the first full reticle prototype AstroPix3 show that the power target of 1.5 mW/cm² can currently not be reached due to the digital consumption of 3.08 mW/cm², while the analog power consumption of 1.04 mW/cm² and a break down voltage of over 350 V look promising. Based on these results, the design changes in AstroPix4, submitted in May 2023, are presented, containing changes to the time stamp generation and readout architecture. A digital power consumption below 0.25 mW/cm² is expected by removing the fast 200 MHz clock used to measure the time-over-threshold (ToT) and an LVDS receiver. A maximum resolution of 3.125 ns for time-of-arrival (ToA) and ToT is reached by adding per-pixel Flash-Time-to-Digital Converter (TDCs) controlled by a global delay-locked loop (DLL).

This article offers an overview of the JUNO experiment, highlighting the specific requirements and challenges associated with the utilization of liquid scintillators. The paper concentrates on the development process of those ultra-pure liquid scintillators, as well as on the construction and commissioning status of the production plant. Preliminary results are presented, along with the future plans for the project. Furthermore, the potential applications of ultra-pure liquid scintillators are discussed.

The increase of the particle flux (pile-up) at the high-luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with an instantaneous luminosity up to L ≈ 7.5 × 10³⁴ cm^-2 s^-1 will have a severe impact on the ATLAS detector reconstruction and trigger performance. A High Granularity Timing Detector (HGTD) will be installed in the forward region for pile-up mitigation and luminosity measurement. This detector, based on Low Gain Avalanche Detectors and custom ASICs, will provide a time resolution of 30 ps per track at the beginning of HL-LHC and 50 ps at the end. This proceeding paper will summarise the overall specifications of the HGTD as well as the project status.

The control and data acquisition systems for high energy physics (HEP) applications require a suitable hardware platform to ensure system availability and reliability, so the micro telecommunications computing architecture (MicroTCA) standard is widely utilized in the field of HEP. As a fundamental component of the MicroTCA system, the advanced mezzanine card (AMC) requires efficient module management controller (MMC) to perform board monitoring and management. Therefore, the real-time responsiveness of the module management controller is crucial. Presently, most existing MMC solutions implemented on microcontroller chips with commercial architecture cores such as AVR and ARM. The open-source and customizable RISC-V instruction set architecture has gained widespread attention and adoption due to its advantages such as simplicity, modularity, scalability, low power consumption, and efficiency. In this study, we successfully implemented a MMC solution based on the RISC-V core microcontroller GD32VF103, and evaluated the real-time performance of MMC on both the GD32VF103 and the ARM-based STM32F100 through hot swap response time testing. The results reveal real-time performance of the firmware on the GD32VF103 chip compared to the STM32F100 chip, exhibiting a notable speed improvement of approximately 61.4%. Thus, RISC-V architecture chips exhibit significant potential as MMC solutions within MicroTCA systems.

FOOT (FragmentatiOn Of Target) is an applied nuclear physics experiment with the aim of performing high precision cross section measurements for fragmentation reactions of interest in hadrontherapy and radiation protection in space. The physics program of the experiment foresees a set of measurements with light ion beams, such as C and O, in the energy range of 100–800 MeV/u interacting with tissue-like and shielding material targets. The setup was initially conceived for the detection of charged fragments and, in 2021, the Collaboration started the study of possible solutions for neutron detection. Two detection systems have been proposed: one based on BC-501A liquid scintillators with neutron/γ discrimination capabilities and a system based on BGO crystals operated in phoswich mode. In 2022, a dedicated data acquisition campaign was carried out at the n_TOF facility at CERN to evaluate the capabilities of the two systems. First, the neutron/γ discrimination efficiency of the BC-501A system was studied using radioactive sources. Then, the two systems were placed in the n_TOF experimental area to study their neutron detection efficiency under a well characterized neutron beam. In this work, the first preliminary results concerning the characterization of the two possible neutron detectors of FOOT are presented.

H2GCROC is a 130 nm CMOS ASIC designed to read out the SiPMs coupled to the scintillating tiles of the back hadronic sections of CMS HGCAL. Each of its 72 channels comprises a current conveyor, a high-gain preamplifier, a shaper, an ADC for energy measurement, and two discriminators linked to TDCs for capturing time-of-arrival and time-over-threshold information, respectively. This work presents the ASIC architecture and its characterization in the laboratory and test beam environments. The results demonstrate its adaptability in calibration, proving its capability to measure the SiPM single-photon spectrum and MIP's energy with high resolution under the expected radiation conditions during the entire operation of HGCAL.

Within the project of building a time projection chamber using 100 kg of high-pressure  ⁸⁶SeF₆ gas to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay in the NvDEx collaboration, we are developing a CMOS charge sensor, named Topmetal-S, which is tailored for the experiment to detect the ions without gas amplification. In this work, the performance of the sensor is presented. The equivalent noise charge of the sensor is measured to be about 120 to 140 e^- depending on the operating point, with the charge injection capacitance calibrated against external capacitors. The signal waveforms are investigated with various chip parameters and experimental settings. In addition to electrons, both negatively and positively charged ions could be detected, and their waveforms are studied using air and SF₆  gases. Using the sensor, the mobility of negative ions in ambient air in the atmospheric pressure is measured to be 1.555 ± 0.038 cm² · V^-1 · s^-1. Our study demonstrates that the Topmetal-S chip could be used as the ion detection charge sensor for the experiment. Further work is ongoing to reduce the noise of the sensor and to develop a small readout plane with tens of the sensors.

HYLITE (High dYnamic range free electron Laser Imaging deTEctor) is a charge-integration pixel readout chip designed for SHINE (Shanghai HIgh repetition rate XFEL aNd Extreme light facility). The target specifications for the full-size HYLITE chip include a pixel matrix of 128 × 128 pixels and a frame rate of 10 kHz. In order to meet these specifications, two small-scale chips, designated HYLITE0.1 and HYLITE0.2, were fabricated and underwent comprehensive testing. Some issues were discovered during tests including the noise performance and the error of output ADU (Analog Digital Units) codes. The HYLITE200S represents the third prototype chip developed to address the above issues. The CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) circuits and glitch-clear clock structures are integrated in pixels. Furthermore, to meet the data output rate requirements of the full-size chip, a high-speed data interface has been designed. Test results show that the signal-to-noise ratio is improved to 9.31 for a 12 keV single photon, and the ADU error is fixed. By integrating a phase-locked loop and a balanced encoding logic, the data interface can work steadily at a speed of 3.125 Gbps.

Advances in timing detector technology require new specialized readout electronics. Applications demand below 10 ps time of arrival resolution and low power for a low repetition rate. A possible path to achieve O(10 ps) time resolution is an integrated chip using Silicon Germanium (SiGe) technology. Using DoE SBIR funding, Anadyne, Inc., in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, has developed a prototype SiGe front-end readout chip optimized for low power and timing resolution. Two versions of the chip were produced with performance in simulation: a more power version with 10 ps resolution at 5 fC with 1.1 mW/channel, and a less power version with 10 ps resolution at 8 fC with 0.6 mW/channel. The chip was produced at Tower Semiconductor with 350 nm technology. The ASIC from the prototype run shows good performance: a rise time of 0.7–1 ns and 25 mV per fC response with RMS noise <1 mV. Simulation and results from the prototype will be reported in this paper.

This work is concerned with the design and the characterization of front-end channels, developed in a 28 nm CMOS technology, conceived for the readout of pixel sensors in future, high-rate applications at the next generation facilities. Two front-end architectures are discussed. In the first one, an in-pixel flash ADC is exploited for the digitization of the signal, whereas the second one features a Time-over-Threshold (ToT) approach. A prototype including the ADC-based front-end has been submitted and the characterization of the chip is discussed in the paper. Simulation results relevant to the ToT-based architecture are reported.

The ALICE collaboration is proposing a completely new detector, ALICE 3, for operation during the LHC Runs 5 and 6. One of the ALICE 3 subsystems is the Muon IDentifier detector (MID), which has to be optimised to be efficient for the reconstruction of  J/ψ at rest (muons down to p_T ≈ 1.5 GeV/c) for |η| < 1.3. Given the modest particle flux expected in the MID of a few Hz/cm², technologies like plastic scintillator bars (≈ 1 m length) equipped with wavelength-shifting fibers and silicon photomultiplier readout, and lightweight Multi-Wire Proportional Chambers (MWPCs) are under investigation. To this end, different plastic scintillator paddles and MWPCs were studied at the CERN T10 test beam facility. This paper reports on the performance of the scintillator prototypes tested at different beam momenta (from 0.5 GeV/c up to 6 GeV/c) and positions (horizontal, vertical, and angular scans). The MWPCs were tested at different momenta (from 0.5 GeV/c to 10 GeV/c) and beam intensities, their efficiency and position resolutions were verified beyond the particle rates expected with the MID in ALICE 3.

At injection into the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the radio frequency (RF) system is perturbed by beam-induced voltage resulting in strong RF power transients and the instant detuning of the cavities. The automatic tuning system, however, needs time for the mechanical compensation of the resonance frequency to take place. Acting back on the beam, the transients in RF power are expected to limit the maximum injected intensity by generating unacceptable beam loss. Reducing them is therefore essential to reach the target intensity during the High Luminosity (HL) LHC era. At LHC flat bottom, the cavities are operated using the half-detuning beam-loading compensation scheme. As implemented today, the tuner control algorithm starts acting only after the injection of the first longer bunch train which causes the bunches for this injection to experience the largest power spikes. This contribution presents an adapted detuning scheme for the RF cavities before injection. It was proposed as a path to decrease the transients, hence increasing the available intensity margin for the available RF power. The expected gain is evaluated in particle tracking simulations and measurements acquired during operation.

The RAON accelerator has been constructed for various science programs with stable ions and rare isotopes since 2011. After the installation of the injector section was completed in 2020, the low-energy superconducting accelerator (SCL3) section was also installed consecutively until 2022, and the beam commissioning using an argon beam is in progress from the injector section to the SCL3 section. For successful beam commissioning, various beam dynamics studies have been carried out, and the research of the orbit correction has been also conducted to determine the location and the number of steering magnets and BPMs for safe and efficient beam operation. In the SCL3 section, the orbit correction simulation was carried out as varying the number of steering magnets for the consideration of the correction of distorted beam orbit and the economic benefits, and then the beam test was carried out based on the simulation results during the beam commissioning. Here we will present the results of simulations and experiments for the orbit correction at the SCL3 section in the RAON accelerator.

The design betatron tune of the Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is (4.86, 4.80), which allows for incoherent tune shifts to avoid serious systematic betatron resonances. When the operational bare tune was set at the design value, serious beam instability in the horizontal plane and beam loss induced by half-integer resonance in the vertical plane under space charge detuning were observed. Simulations and experiments have shown that space charge-induced beam loss reduces as the tunes move up and away from half-integer resonance lines. However, experimental observations have shown that instability growth rates increase rapidly as the tune approaches integer from below. The tune requirements for reducing the beam loss caused by space charge effects and suppressing beam instability are different at the RCS of CSNS. The tunes over the whole acceleration process are optimized based on space charge effects and beam instability. The optimized tune pattern was able to well control the beam loss induced by space charge and beam instability. The beam power of CSNS achieved the design value of 100 kW with small beam loss.

In plant research, positron emission tomography (PET) is occasionally employed for physiological studies, offering valuable insights. However, the generally high cost of PET systems and their suboptimal design for plant research pose challenges to their application in this field. To address these issues, we have developed a new PET system optimized specifically for plant research. The PET detector ring was positioned vertically to enable measurements of plants in their normal upright position. The developed plant PET system features a transaxial field of view (FOV) of approximately 12 cm and an axial FOV slightly larger than 9 cm, allowing for the imaging of relatively small-sized plants. To facilitate imaging of taller plants, the PET system can expand the axial FOV by changing the subject height using a lab jack, enabling the imaging of taller plant species. The measured spatial resolution at the central FOV was 3.3 mm FWHM, and the sensitivity was 3.7%. The timing resolution was 6.78 ns FWHM with a lower energy threshold set to 350 keV. Phantom images simulating plants were successfully measured using the developed plant PET system. We conclude that the developed plant PET system holds promise for effective plant imaging.

Radon (Rn-222) is the main source of radiation exposure to human beings from natural radiation; it is of great significance to study the measuring methods and measuring instruments of radon for natural radiation protection. In recent years, the application of pixel detectors in radiation detection has attracted attention. In this paper, a Commercial Off-the-Shelf Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (COTS CMOS) image sensor which replaces the glass for protection covering in front of the sensors was used to perform a series of measurements to identify alpha particles. During the experiment, the CMOS image sensor was used to record a video during the sampling period, and then use the FFmpeg software to take screenshots of the video by frame. MATLAB was used to count bright spots from the image frames. A measurement chamber was designed to measure radon concentrations, and when the relative humidity was constant, the count of alpha particles by the CMOS image sensor increased along with the increase of the concentration. The experiments verified the feasibility of the low-cost COTS CMOS image sensors to monitor radon.