Noise and MIP detection efficiencies in the LDMX HCAL prototype
(2024) PHYL01 20242Particle and nuclear physics
Department of Physics
- Abstract
- Dark matter is the problem of apparent missing mass in the universe, a discrepancy between observations of large-scale astronomical dynamics, and the observed matter density in large scale structures. The Light Dark Matter eXperiment (LDMX) is a proposed experiment to probe the realm of “light dark matter" in the mass range MeV to GeV. Light dark matter refers to a class of models where a new “dark sector" of particles is introduced with a mediator particle in the mass range of sub-GeV. In one example, the new mediator is called a dark photon which mixes with the Standard Model forces. This mixing lets LDMX produce dark photons in a fixed-target electron scattering experiment. The signal in the detector would be missing energy and momentum... (More)
- Dark matter is the problem of apparent missing mass in the universe, a discrepancy between observations of large-scale astronomical dynamics, and the observed matter density in large scale structures. The Light Dark Matter eXperiment (LDMX) is a proposed experiment to probe the realm of “light dark matter" in the mass range MeV to GeV. Light dark matter refers to a class of models where a new “dark sector" of particles is introduced with a mediator particle in the mass range of sub-GeV. In one example, the new mediator is called a dark photon which mixes with the Standard Model forces. This mixing lets LDMX produce dark photons in a fixed-target electron scattering experiment. The signal in the detector would be missing energy and momentum as the produced dark photon (or its dark-sector decay products) escapes the detector. This process has many Standard Model background processes that must be vetoed out, some resulting in neutrally-charged hadrons. This necessitates that LDMX has a hadronic calorimeter (HCAL). A prototype of this detector was built and tested at CERN in 2022. This thesis analyses the data from the test beam, using 4 GeV muons, to determine the prototype’s electronic noise characteristics and its detection efficiency of minimally ionising particles (MIPs). The electronic noise is characterised and found to not limit the veto power of the HCAL. The testbeam data indicates some potential issues with the prototype’s readout, which must be addressed in the next iteration of the design. In this work, aberrations in pulse data are categorised and effectively filtered. A MIP classification algorithm is implemented and MIP detection efficiencies subsequently calculated. High MIP efficiencies are observed in the majority of channels. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9178824
- author
- Helgstrand, Axel LU
- supervisor
-
- Erik Wallin LU
- Hannah Herde LU
- organization
- course
- PHYL01 20242
- year
- 2024
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Dark matter, LDMX, Hadronic calorimeter, light dark matter, detection efficiency
- language
- English
- id
- 9178824
- date added to LUP
- 2024-12-19 13:02:32
- date last changed
- 2024-12-19 13:02:32
@misc{9178824,
abstract = {{Dark matter is the problem of apparent missing mass in the universe, a discrepancy between observations of large-scale astronomical dynamics, and the observed matter density in large scale structures. The Light Dark Matter eXperiment (LDMX) is a proposed experiment to probe the realm of “light dark matter" in the mass range MeV to GeV. Light dark matter refers to a class of models where a new “dark sector" of particles is introduced with a mediator particle in the mass range of sub-GeV. In one example, the new mediator is called a dark photon which mixes with the Standard Model forces. This mixing lets LDMX produce dark photons in a fixed-target electron scattering experiment. The signal in the detector would be missing energy and momentum as the produced dark photon (or its dark-sector decay products) escapes the detector. This process has many Standard Model background processes that must be vetoed out, some resulting in neutrally-charged hadrons. This necessitates that LDMX has a hadronic calorimeter (HCAL). A prototype of this detector was built and tested at CERN in 2022. This thesis analyses the data from the test beam, using 4 GeV muons, to determine the prototype’s electronic noise characteristics and its detection efficiency of minimally ionising particles (MIPs). The electronic noise is characterised and found to not limit the veto power of the HCAL. The testbeam data indicates some potential issues with the prototype’s readout, which must be addressed in the next iteration of the design. In this work, aberrations in pulse data are categorised and effectively filtered. A MIP classification algorithm is implemented and MIP detection efficiencies subsequently calculated. High MIP efficiencies are observed in the majority of channels.}},
author = {{Helgstrand, Axel}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Noise and MIP detection efficiencies in the LDMX HCAL prototype}},
year = {{2024}},
}