What detectors look like

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

What do detectors look like

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

The Bethe-Bloch formula

Describes the mean energy loss of a charged particle
per unit distance travelled (dE/dx). In natural units:

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

Tracks in typical detector - solenoid

Measurements
along track

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

Proportional chamber
Charged track

Tube filed with gas

Outer surface conducting and grounded
Wire at centre held at positive potential

Electrons liberated by ionisation drift toward anode

Sauli
PH5211 - High Energy Physics
Unit 4 - Part 1

CDF: Central Outer Tracker

3m long with radius from 0.4m to 1.4m

Wires are both anodes for signal and cathode
field shaping wires
96 concentric layers of wire

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

CDF: COT cont

Each wire has

can measure to
140 microns
With timing
information

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

DELPHI-Time Projection Chamber

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

Unit 4 - Part 1

Critical energy, Ec
EC

600 MeV
Z

Material

X0 (cm)

Air (STP)

30.42102

(for Z 6)

EC (MeV)

18.8

103

Al

8.9

47

Fe

1.8

24

Pb

0.6

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

10

Photons interaction with materials

Different
processes at
different
energies

Pair production

Pair
production
dominates at
high
energies

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

11

Simplified electromagnetic shower

model t distance in X
0

t=0

t=1

t=2

t=3

t=4

e
e
e

e
E0

e+

e+

e+

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

12

Photomultipliers used to detect

single photons

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

13

Sampling calorimeters

PH5211 - High Energy Physics

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