Phase-O: THE R&D
The aim of the R&D is to develop gas detector prototypes for high precision tracking of low energy O(keV) nuclear recoils over large gas volumes (tens of liters). In particular it is focus on a read-out technique based on Micro Pattern Gas Detector (MPGD) amplification of the ionisation and on the visible light collection with a sub-mm position resolution sCMOS (scientific COMS) camera. This type of readout – in conjunction with a fast light detection – allow on one hand to reconstruct 3D direction of the tracks, offering accurate sensitivity to the source directionality and, on the other hand, a high particle identification capability very useful to distinguish nuclear recoils.
The R&D is today carried on with different prototypes:
- ORaNGE: first prototype, one cm drift with the aim to test optical readout performance.
- LEMOn: 3D printed, 7 lites active volume, 25 cm drift to test tracking and drift resolution
- MANGO: 3D Printed, 5 com drift, to test negative Ion and optimize MPGD perfomance
- LIME: 50 cm drift, to test materials, read-out in the same configuration of operation for CYGNO demonstrator.
Cygnus-RD project, has been supported for 2 year by the INFN CNS5, is the merging of the results coming from three R&D activities: DCANT, NITEC and ORANGE. Additional applications of this detector might be in the realm of neutron detection, X-raypolarimetry and particle therapy.