Speaker
Description
High pressure gaseous Time Projection Chamber (TPC) provides a unique
combination of excellent energy resolution, event tracking for
background discrimination, and scalability, which are ideal for
neutrinoless double-beta decay searches. To harness the power of such
a TPC, a suitable charge readout scheme has to be realized. We are
developing a pixelated charge readout plane filled with an array of
CMOS sensors. Each CMOS sensor has an exposed metal patch for direct
charge collection, and integrates charge sensitive amplifiers as well
as signal processing and digitization/transmission circuitry. The
electronic noise is suppressed to a point that no additional
electron-gas avalanche gain is necessary. It provides competitive
energy resolution while improves on tracking capability, stability,
complexity and scalability compared to alternative readout schemes.
Moreover, ions drifting in the gas can be read directly since the
otherwise prohibitive avalanche gain is unnecessary. It enables the
use of alternative gases and double-beta decay candidate isotopes such
as $^{82}$SeF$_6$ gas, in which only ion drifting is possible.
With moderate modifications, such a readout plane could be used in
liquid noble gas and organic liquid TPCs for a broad range of applications.
