Simulation Based Characterization of Deconvolution-Based PMT Waveform Reconstruction Under Large Charge Dynamic Range and Varying Scintillation Time Profiles

Abstract

Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are widely used as photon sensors for neutrino and dark matter detection. Accurate charge and time information extracted from PMT waveforms is crucial for event reconstruction. An algorithm based on deconvolution technology was proposed and applied to the reconstruction of PMT waveforms. This study further investigated the reliability of the deconvolution algorithm when handling a large charge dynamic range (0-200 photoelectrons), varying scintillation time profiles, and muon-induced large signals. Monte Carlo data confirmed that the deconvolution algorithm exhibits relatively stable reconstruction performance: under the simulation conditions described in this paper (including a noise level of 0.1 PE, single photoelectron charge resolution of 30%, 1 GHz sampling rate, 1000 ns window, three undershoot configurations, and eight scintillation time profiles), the residual non-linearity of charge reconstruction is controlled to approximately 1% over the range of 0 to 200 photoelectrons, and the algorithm is capable of handling muon-induced large signals. The reconstruction performance depends on adequate baseline recovery; a waveform window that is too short relative to the undershoot tail leads to degraded reconstruction quality, which can be mitigated by extending the sampling window.