Modern Physics Letters A

The upgrade of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN calls for a new generation of muon detectors capable of operating in a flux of collision and background particles approximately ten times larger compared to today's conditions. We report here on the Muon ATLAS MicroMegas Activity (MAMMA) R&D project aimed at the construction of large-area spark-resistant muon chambers using the micromegas technology.

In 2000, the requirements for a large TPC for experiments at a new linear collider were formulated. Both the GEM and Micromegas gas amplification systems had matured, such that they could be practically applied. With the Medipix chip, a pixel-segmented anode readout became possible, offering an unprecedented level of granularity and sensitivity. The single electron sensitive device is a digital detector capable to record and transfer all information of the primary ionization, provided that it can be made discharge proof.

Discoveries in particle physics vitally depend on parallel advances in radiation-detector technologies. A true innovation in detector instrumentation concepts came in 1968, with the development of a fully parallel readout for a large array of sensing elements — the Multi-Wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC), which earned Georges Charpak a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1992. This invention revolutionized particle detection which moved from optical-readout devices (cloud chamber, emulsion or bubble chambers) to the electronics era. Over the past two decades advances in photo-lithography, microelectronics and printed-circuit board (PCB) techniques triggered a major transition in the field of gas detectors from wire structures to the Micro-Pattern Gas Detector (MPGD) concepts. The excellent spatial and time resolution, high rate capability, low mass, large active areas, and radiation hardness make them an invaluable tool to confront future detector challenges at the frontiers of research. The design of the new micro-pattern devices appears suitable for industrial production. Novel devices where MPGDs are directly coupled to the CMOS pixel readout serve as an "electronic bubble chamber" allowing to record space points and tracks in 3D. In 2008, the RD51 collaboration at CERN has been established to further advance technological developments of MPGDs and associated electronic-readout systems, for applications in basic and applied research. This review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art of the MPGD technologies and summarizes ongoing activities within the framework of the RD51 collaboration.

Micromegas-based detectors are used in a wide variety of neutron experiments. Their fast response meets the needs of time-of-flight facilities in terms of time resolution. The possibility of constructing low mass Micromegas detectors makes them appropriate for beam imaging and monitoring without affecting the beam quality or inducing background in parallel measurements. The good particle discrimination capability allows using Micromegas for neutron induced fission and (n, α) cross-section measurements. Their high radiation resistance make them suitable for working as flux monitors in the core of fission nuclear reactors as well as in the proximity of fusion chambers. New studies underlined the possibility of performing neutron computed tomography (CT) with Micromegas as neutron detectors, but also of exploiting its performances in experiments of fundamental nuclear physics.

Modern experiments in hadronic physics require excellent detection and tracking capabilities in very high flux environment. Probing the quark and gluon content of the nucleon indeed necessitates semi-inclusive or exclusive reactions with very small cross-sections. Micromegas detectors have therefore been rapidly identified as natural candidates to equip the hottest region of the COMPASS spectrometer at CERN. Benefitting from several years of smooth operation at COMPASS, the Micromegas have been proposed to equip the future central tracker of the CLAS12 experiment at the Jefferson Laboratory. This project triggered an important R&D on the bulk and resistive technologies and inspired several projects involving cylindrical trackers. This paper focuses on the design and performance of the COMPASS and CLAS12 Micromegas, and reviews the R&D made on the discharge reduction in large hadron fluxes.

From its invention in 1997, the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) has been applied in nuclear and high energy physics experiments. Over time however, other applications have also exploited the favorable properties of GEMs. The use of GEMs in these applications will be explained in principle and practice.

This paper reviews applications in research, beam instrumentation and homeland security. The detectors described measure neutral radiations such as photons, x-rays, gamma rays and neutrons, as well as all kinds of charged radiation. This paper provides an overview of the still expanding range of possibilities of this versatile detector concept.

The Micromegas detectors have been gaining importance as reliable options in their implementation to Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) in experiments searching for Rare Events mainly due to their demonstrated good performance regarding low background levels, energy and time resolution, gain and stability of operation. In the present paper, we will briefly review the latest developments carried out within the T-REX project of detector R&D, and the performance achieved in the context of several experiments: the CAST solar axion search experiment, the NEXT experiment of double beta decay and the MIMAC dark matter directional search.