arXiv subjects

R. Preghenella

Publications and source records attributed to R. Preghenella.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Radiation tolerance tests on key components of the ePIC-dRICH readout card

The dual-radiator RICH (dRICH) detector of the ePIC experiment will employ over 300000 SiPM pixels as photosensors, organized into more than 1000 Photon Detection Units. Each PDU is a compact module, approximately 5x5x12 cm^3 in size, including four custom ASICs connected to 256 SiPMs and an FPGA-based readout card (RDO) responsible for data acquisition and control. Considering the moderately harsh radiation environment expected in the dRICH detector, this study reports on proton irradiation tests performed on key components of the RDO card to assess their tolerance to cumulative Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and Single Event Effects (SEE). All tested components demonstrated radiation tolerance beyond the TID levels expected for the dRICH environment, with the exception of the ATtiny817 microcontroller, which showed destructive failure. Furthermore, as expected, the observed Single Event Upset (SEU) rates call for appropriate mitigation strategies in the final system design.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2026

Electron identification and hadron discrimination using Cherenkov radiation in air and SiPMs

This paper presents a method to identify electrons using the Cherenkov light emitted when a charged particle travels in air and photons are detected with a Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM). The analysis is based on a photon-counting approach using SPAD cells and uses data collected during a test beam at CERN PS. The results are well described by a simple Monte Carlo simulation, which further demonstrates that a very good electron identification and a strong pion/hadron rejection could be obtained over a wide momentum range.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Measurements of efficiency, timing and response to irradiation for direct detection of charged particles with SiPMs

In this paper the efficiency of direct charged particle detection with different Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) sensors has been measured to be close to 100%. Time resolution of about 20 ps has also been confirmed for sensors with an active area of around 3x3 mm$^\text{2}$ and a single-cell area of 40 $\mu$m$^\text{2}$. In addition, the SiPM performance after irradiation, in terms of timing response and dark count rate, has been evaluated for sensors with a 1x1 mm$^\text{2}$ area, demonstrating that SiPMs can maintain excellent timing capabilities and a low dark count rate when an appropriate threshold is applied to the signal.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Simulation studies related to the particle identification by the forward and backward RICH detectors at Electron Ion Collider

The Electron-Ion collider (EIC) will be the ultimate facility to study the dynamics played by the colored quarks and gluons to the emergence of the global phenomenology of the nucleons and nuclei as described by Quantum Chromodynamics. The physics programs will greatly rely on efficient particle identification (PID) in both the forward and the backward regions. The forward and the backward RICHes of the EIC have to be able to cover wide acceptance and momentum ranges; in the forward region a dual radiator RICH (dRICH) is foreseen and in the backward region a proximity-focusing RICH can be foreseen to be employed. The geometry and the performance studies of the dRICH have been performed as prescribed in the EIC Yellow Report using the ATHENA software framework. This part of our work reports the effort following the call for EIC detector proposal the studies related to the forward and the backward RICHes performance. In the forward region, dRICH performance showed a pion-kaon separation from around 1 GeV/c to 50 GeV/c at a three sigma level; the proximity focusing RICH (pfRICH) foreseen for the backward region can reach three sigma separation up to 3 GeV/c for e/$π$ and up to 10 GeV/c for $π$/K mass hypothesis.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Measurements of the Cherenkov effect in direct detection of charged particles with SiPMs

In this paper, different Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) sensors have been tested with charged particles to characterize the Cherenkov light produced in the sensor protection layer. A careful position scan of the SiPM response has been performed with different prototypes, confirming the large number of firing cells and proving almost full efficiency, with the SiPM filling factor essentially negligible. This study also allowed us to study the time resolution of such devices as a function of the number of firing cells, reaching values below 20 ps. These measurements provide significant insight into the capabilities of SiPM sensors in direct detection of charged particles and their potential for several applications.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Understanding the direct detection of charged particles with SiPMs

In this paper evidence that the increased response of SiPM sensors to the passage of charged particles is related mainly to Cherenkov light produced in the protection layer is reported. The response and timing properties of sensors with different protection layers have been studied.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Direct detection of charged particles with SiPMs

The direct response of Silicon PhotoMultipliers being traversed by a MIP charged particle have been studied in a systematic way for the first time. Using beam test data, time resolution and the crosstalk probability have been measured. A characterization of the SiPM by means of a laser beam is also reported. The results obtained for different sensors indicate a measured time resolution around 40-70 ps. Although particles are expected to traverse only one SPAD per event, crosstalk measurements on different sensors indicate an unexpected higher value with respect to the one related to the sensor noise.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

QCD Challenges from pp to A-A Collisions

This paper is a write-up of the ideas that were presented, developed and discussed at the third International Workshop on QCD Challenges from pp to A-A, which took place in August 2019 in Lund, Sweden. The goal of the workshop was to focus on some of the open questions in the field and try to come up with concrete suggestions for how to make progress on both the experimental and theoretical sides. The paper gives a brief introduction to each topic and then summarizes the primary results.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Multiplicity Studies and Effective Energy in ALICE at the LHC

In this work we explore the possibility to perform ``effective energy'' studies in very high energy collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In particular, we focus on the possibility to measure in $pp$ collisions the average charged multiplicity as a function of the effective energy with the ALICE experiment, using its capability to measure the energy of the leading baryons with the Zero Degree Calorimeters. Analyses of this kind have been done at lower centre--of--mass energies and have shown that, once the appropriate kinematic variables are chosen, particle production is characterized by universal properties: no matter the nature of the interacting particles, the final states have identical features. Assuming that this universality picture can be extended to {\it ion--ion} collisions, as suggested by recent results from RHIC experiments, a novel approach based on the scaling hypothesis for limiting fragmentation has been used to derive the expected charged event multiplicity in $AA$ interactions at LHC. This leads to scenarios where the multiplicity is significantly lower compared to most of the predictions from the models currently used to describe high energy $AA$ collisions. A mean charged multiplicity of about 1000-2000 per rapidity unit (at $η\sim 0$) is expected for the most central $Pb-Pb$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.5 TeV$.

hep-ph↗