Speaker
Description
The Apparatus for Mesons and Baryon Experimental Research (AMBER, NA66) is a high-energy physics experiment at CERN’s M2 beam line, with a broad physics program extending beyond 2032. Its goals include studies of antiproton production cross-sections on protons, helium, and deuterium; the proton charge radius; and Kaon and Pion PDFs via the Drell–Yan process.
As part of medium- and long-term upgrades, the aging Multi-Wire Proportional Chambers (MWPCs) will be replaced with Micro-Pattern Gaseous Detectors (MPGDs). The chosen technology is the resistive bulk MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure (Micromegas, MM). The MM detector, composed of three independent modules, will cover an acceptance comparable to the present MWPC, with each module featuring an active area of 1 × 0.5 m², making it a large area resistive bulk MM. Each detector includes two readout planes in a face-to-face configuration, enabling XUV coordinate measurements. Cathodes are implemented on a 500 µm-thick central PCB. For the lateral modules, a uniform 10 MΩ/sq Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) resistive layer is used.
The first full-size prototype of the lateral module was produced in October 2024, together with the mechanical structure. Tests comprising in-beam operation are currently ongoing both at CERN and in Torino.
In parallel, a 64-channel mixed-signal front-end ASIC, named ToRA (Torino Readout for AMBER), is being developed at INFN Torino, optimized for AMBER’s large-area Micromegas (LMM) detector while also foreseeing suitability for wire gaseous detectors such as the MWPC trackers. The chip will provide time and energy measurements, building upon results from simulations and earlier Micromegas tests with TIGER ASIC-based electronics. First characterization tests of the ToRA ASIC are expected to start in September 2025. The ASIC characterization will be carried out with a dedicated custom data acquisition system based on the Genesys2 FPGA board. This system will serve as the basis for the development of a stand-alone DAQ architecture for AMBER’s LMM detector. Finally, this DAQ will represent the starting point for the integration of the LMM readout into the global AMBER data acquisition system.
Current efforts focus on characterizing detector performance, noise behavior, and integration with the ToRA ASIC. Both detector and readout system developments will be presented.
| Position | PhD student |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | University and INFN Turin |
| Country | Italy |