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arXiv · 0706.1106

Toward Application of a Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (THGEM) Readout for a Dark Matter Detector

M. Gai·D. N. McKinsey·K. Ni·D. A. R. Rubin·T. Wongjirad·R. Alon·A. Breskin·M. Cortesi·J. Miyamoto
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Abstract

The Yale-Weizmann collaboration aims to develop a low-radioactivity (low-background) cryogenic noble liquid detector for Dark-Matter (DM) search in measurements to be performed deep underground as for example carried out by the XENON collaboration. A major issue is the background induced by natural radioactivity of present-detector components including the Photo Multiplier Tubes (PMT) made from glass with large U-Th content. We propose to use advanced Thick Gaseous Electron Multipliers (THGEM) recently developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS). These "hole-multipliers" will measure in a two-phase (liquid/gas) Xe detector electrons extracted into the gas phase from both ionization in the liquid as well as scintillation-induced photoelectrons from a CsI photocathode immersed in LXe. We report on initial tests (in gas) of THGEM made out of Cirlex (Kapton) which is well known to have low Ra-Th content instead of the usual G10 material with high Ra-Th content.

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M. Gai, D. N. McKinsey, K. Ni, D. A. R. Rubin, T. Wongjirad, R. Alon, A. Breskin, M. Cortesi, J. Miyamoto. 2007-06-08. Toward Application of a Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (THGEM) Readout for a Dark Matter Detector. https://arxiv.org/abs/0706.1106

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