Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1107.0220

Measurement of the gas-flow reduction factor of the KATRIN DPS2-F differential pumping section

Abstract

The gas-flow reduction factor of the second forward Differential Pumping Section (DPS2-F) for the KATRIN experiment was determined using a dedicated vacuum-measurement setup and by detailed molecular-flow simulation of the DPS2-F beam tube and of the measurement apparatus. In the measurement, non-radioactive test gases deuterium, helium, neon, argon and krypton were used, the input gas flow was provided by a commercial mass-flow controller, and the output flow was measured using a residual gas analyzer, in order to distinguish it from the outgassing background. The measured reduction factor with the empty beam tube at room temperature for gases with mass 4 is 1.8(4)E4, which is in excellent agreement with the simulated value of 1.6E4. The simulated reduction factor for tritium, based on the interpolated value for the capture factor at the turbo-molecular pump inlet flange is 2.5E4. The difference with respect to the design value of 1E5 is due to the modifications in the beam tube geometry since the initial design, and can be partly recovered by reduction of the effective beam tube diameter.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

S. Lukic, B. Bornschein, L. Bornschein, G. Drexlin, A. Kosmider, K. Schloesser, A. Windberger. 2011-10-31. Measurement of the gas-flow reduction factor of the KATRIN DPS2-F differential pumping section. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2011.10.017

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Mortality of ultra-thin LGADs and PiN diodes from high energy deposition

Low Gain Avalanche Diodes are prime candidates for high-resolution timing applications in High Energy Physics, Nuclear science, and several other fields. Operating these devices in high-radiation environments presents various hazards, including the risk of their permanent degradation or destruction caused by effects such as Single Event Burnout. Studies using minimum ionizing particles found a greatly reduced Single Event Burnout risk by operating below a bias voltage corresponding to an average electric field of 12 V/$μ$m - however, as high energy particle colliders produce a wide energy spectrum of radiation, it is crucial to understand this phenomenon and other possible damage mechanisms at energy deposition levels greater than those of minimum ionizing particles. This was achieved by pre-irradiating LGADs and PiN diodes with active thicknesses of 20, 30, and 50 $μ$m up to 1.5 $\times$ 10$^{15}$ $\mathrm{n_{eq}/cm^2}$, and exposing them to beams of protons and heavy ions (C, O, Fe, Au) at the BNL Tandem van de Graaff accelerator. Several mortality categories were observed, defined by different electrical and mechanical damage signatures. This furthers our understanding of permanent radiation damage of silicon devices, crucial towards mitigating Single Event Burnout and other damage mechanisms to safely operate future detectors.

physics.ins-det

Small but Tubby: A Magnetic Loop Antenna Made from 100 mm Copper Tubing

This paper presents the electrical model, key equations, and practical construction of a small transmitting magnetic loop antenna built from unusually large 100 mm diameter copper tubing. The large conductor surface area and wide-area transitions to the vacuum capacitors were designed to minimize resistive losses. The frequency range from 1.8 MHz to 31 MHz is unusually wide. Frequency, impedance matching, and azimuth are all adjusted automatically by servo motors. Indoor losses originate predominantly from near-field coupling to the environment rather than from the antenna itself. Temperature-rise measurements confirm that the bulk of the dissipated power is absorbed by the environment, not by the antenna components. The conducted H-field measurements demonstrate good agreement between the measured H-field and the theoretical free-space H-field calculated from the antenna geometry and an estimated loop current. The loop current was estimated from the measured antenna bandwidth and the applied transmit power. The antenna was developed for indoor operation where outdoor installation is not possible.

physics.ins-det

Construction and characterisation of the DarkSide-20k veto silicon photo-multiplier tiles

Silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs) are state-of-the-art sensors capable of detecting a single photoelectron under cryogenic conditions, with potentially lower radioactivity than widely used photomultiplier tubes. The DarkSide-20k experiment, designed to perform direct dark matter searches using liquid argon as the target material, employs SiPM technology to detect interactions in the active detector volumes, including the central dual-phase Time Projection Chamber and the Inner and Outer Veto volumes. The vetoes are designed to discriminate against radiogenic neutron and cosmic muon backgrounds associated with the dark matter search. This paper describes the completed production and test protocols for the "Veto Tiles" (called vTiles, arrays of 24 SiPMs integrated on a printed circuit board providing the power distribution and signal amplification); 16 vTiles are grouped into "Veto Photo-Detector Units" to instrument the Inner Veto volume. Each vTile underwent detailed testing at room and cryogenic temperatures, confirming stable operation, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low radioactive contamination, demonstrating the robustness of the proposed design for cryogenic conditions. The final production yield exceeded 87%, surpassing the 80% requirement and corresponding to 1920 Veto Tiles to populate 120 Veto Photo-Detector Units, plus an additional 6% as spares.

physics.ins-det