arXiv subjects

L. Orsini

Publications and source records attributed to L. Orsini.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Ionization quenching factors and W-values of low-energy H$_2^+$ and He$^+$ ions in Ar gas at low pressure measured with a bulk resistive MICROMEGAS

The ionization quenching factor, the fraction of an ion's initial kinetic energy lost through ionization in a medium, was measured for H$_2^+$ and He$^+$ ions within the 2.5-5 keV energy range in an Ar/CO$_2$ gas mixture at pressures between 75 and 150 mbar. The mixture was contained in the active volume of a MICROMEGAS type Micro Pattern Gaseous Detector (MPGD), which was connected to an ion source via a high vacuum system. The results showed a significant decrease in ionization as the ion energy decreased, although no dependence on gas pressure was observed within the low pressure range studied. Additionally, significant deviations from the predictions of SRIM (Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter) simulations were found. These measurements also allowed the first determination of $W$ values (the average energy required to create an electron-ion pair in the gas) for H$_2^+$ and He$^+$ ions in Ar at this particular energy range, which had not been previously explored for these projectile-target combinations. These findings are essential for accurate ion energy reconstruction in low-pressure MPGDs, with particular relevance for space-based energetic neutral atom detection, as proposed by the Italian Space Agency's SWEATERS project.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

XPOL-III: a New-Generation VLSI CMOS ASIC for High-Throughput X-ray Polarimetry

While the successful launch and operation in space of the Gas Pixel Detectors onboard the PolarLight cubesat and the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer demonstrate the viability and the technical soundness of this class of detectors for astronomical X-ray polarimetry, it is clear that the current state of the art is not ready to meet the challenges of the next generation of experiments, such as the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission, designed to allow for a significantly larger data throughput. In this paper we describe the design and test of a new custom, self-triggering readout ASIC, dubbed XPOL-III, specifically conceived to address and overcome these limitations. While building upon the overall architecture of the previous generations, the new chip improves over its predecessors in several, different key areas: the sensitivity of the trigger electronics, the flexibility in the definition of the readout window, as well as the maximum speed for the serial event readout. These design improvements, when combined, allow for almost an order of magnitude smaller dead time per event with no measurable degradation of the polarimetric, spectral, imaging or timing capability of the detector, providing a good match for the next generation of X-ray missions.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Design, Construction, and Test of the Gas Pixel Detectors for the IXPE Mission

Due to be launched in late 2021, the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a NASA Small Explorer mission designed to perform polarization measurements in the 2-8 keV band, complemented with imaging, spectroscopy and timing capabilities. At the heart of the focal plane is a set of three polarization-sensitive Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD), each based on a custom ASIC acting as a charge-collecting anode. In this paper we shall review the design, manufacturing, and test of the IXPE focal-plane detectors, with particular emphasis on the connection between the science drivers, the performance metrics and the operational aspects. We shall present a thorough characterization of the GPDs in terms of effective noise, trigger efficiency, dead time, uniformity of response, and spectral and polarimetric performance. In addition, we shall discuss in detail a number of instrumental effects that are relevant for high-level science analysis -- particularly as far as the response to unpolarized radiation and the stability in time are concerned.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2003

The CMS Event Builder

The data acquisition system of the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider will employ an event builder which will combine data from about 500 data sources into full events at an aggregate throughput of 100 GByte/s. Several architectures and switch technologies have been evaluated for the DAQ Technical Design Report by measurements with test benches and by simulation. This paper describes studies of an EVB test-bench based on 64 PCs acting as data sources and data consumers and employing both Gigabit Ethernet and Myrinet technologies as the interconnect. In the case of Ethernet, protocols based on Layer-2 frames and on TCP/IP are evaluated. Results from ongoing studies, including measurements on throughput and scaling are presented. The architecture of the baseline CMS event builder will be outlined. The event builder is organised into two stages with intelligent buffers in between. The first stage contains 64 switches performing a first level of data concentration by building super-fragments from fragments of 8 data sources. The second stage combines the 64 super-fragments into full events. This architecture allows installation of the second stage of the event builder in steps, with the overall throughput scaling linearly with the number of switches in the second stage. Possible implementations of the components of the event builder are discussed and the expected performance of the full event builder is outlined.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2003

Run Control and Monitor System for the CMS Experiment

The Run Control and Monitor System (RCMS) of the CMS experiment is the set of hardware and software components responsible for controlling and monitoring the experiment during data-taking. It provides users with a "virtual counting room", enabling them to operate the experiment and to monitor detector status and data quality from any point in the world. This paper describes the architecture of the RCMS with particular emphasis on its scalability through a distributed collection of nodes arranged in a tree-based hierarchy. The current implementation of the architecture in a prototype RCMS used in test beam setups, detector validations and DAQ demonstrators is documented. A discussion of the key technologies used, including Web Services, and the results of tests performed with a 128-node system are presented.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2003

Using XDAQ in Application Scenarios of the CMS Experiment

XDAQ is a generic data acquisition software environment that emerged from a rich set of of use-cases encountered in the CMS experiment. They cover not the deployment for multiple sub-detectors and the operation of different processing and networking equipment as well as a distributed collaboration of users with different needs. The use of the software in various application scenarios demonstrated the viability of the approach. We discuss two applications, the tracker local DAQ system for front-end commissioning and the muon chamber validation system. The description is completed by a brief overview of XDAQ.

hep-ex↗