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Muons of cosmic origin have a great capability to penetrate through matter. This property is exploited in muon radiography, also known as muography, a technique which allows to highlight the presence of discontinuities of the mass density in the subsoil such as cavities, tunnels or rock masses. A detector of cylindrical geometry, optimized for borehole studies and with a diameter of 24 cm, was developed and tested. The scintillation light is read out by 384 Silicon Photomultipliers, directly coupled to the bars. The front-end and acquisition electronics, entirely housed inside the detector, are based on the EASIROC chip and are characterized by limited energy consumption (about 30 W for the entire detector). The detector has been designed in such a way as to simplify its construction as much as possible for its eventual mass production. In this article some details concerning the construction and preliminary results of measurements conducted in the Mt Echia (Naples, Italy) underground are presented.

Muon Radiography or muography is based on the measurement of the absorption or scattering of cosmic muons, as they pass through the interior of large scale bodies, In particular, absorption muography has been applied to investigate the presence of hidden cavities inside the pyramids or underground, as well as the interior of volcanoes’ edifices. The MURAVES project has the challenging aim of investigating the density distribution inside the summit of Mt. Vesuvius. The information, together with that coming from gravimetric measurements, is useful as input to models, to predict how an eruption may develop. The MURAVES apparatus is a robust and low power consumption muon telescope consisting of an array of three identical and independent muon trackers, which provide in a modular way a total sensitive area of three square meters. Each tracker consists of four doublets of planes of plastic scintillator bars with orthogonal orientation, optically coupled to Silicon photomultipliers for the readout of the signal. The muon telescope has been installed on the slope of the volcano and has collected a first set of data, which are being analyzed.

The Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) is a medium-sized telescope technology proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. It uses a novel dual-mirror optical design that removes comatic aberrations across its entire field of view. The SCT camera employs high-resolution silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) sensors with a pixel size of 4 arcminutes. A prototype SCT (pSCT) has been constructed at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona, USA. An observing campaign in 2020, with a partial camera of 1600 pixels (2.7 degrees by 2.7 degrees field of view) resulted in detection of the Crab Nebula at 8.6 sigma statistical significance. Work on the pSCT camera and optical system is ongoing to improve performance and prepare for an upcoming camera upgrade. The pSCT camera upgrade will replace the current camera modules with improved SiPMs and readout electronics and will expand the camera to its full design field of view of 8 degrees in diameter (11,328 pixels). The fully upgraded pSCT will enable next-generation very-high-energy gamma-ray astrophysics through excellent background rejection and angular resolution. In this presentation we describe first results from the successful operation of the pSCT and future plans., 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, contribution to ICRC 2021, similar to 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2021.102562 (arXiv:2012.08448)

This contribution describes the Trigger board of the High-Energy Particle Detector, which will be placed onboard the second China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite for CSES-Limadou mission. This mission will monitor variations in ionospheric parameters that are supposed to be related to earthquakes. The first satellite is already in orbit and the second one will be launched in 2023. The HEPD detector will be composed by a tracker made of CMOS sensors (ALPIDE sensors), followed by two segmented planes of plastic scintillators used for trigger signals generation. The actual calorimeter will be composed by twelve planes of plastic scintillator and two segmented planes of an inorganic scintillator called LYSO. The calorimeter is surrounded by five scintillator planes used as a veto system. All the scintillators are coupled with PMTs, whose signals are acquired and digitized by the Trigger board, that also implements the trigger system for the whole apparatus. The ongoing work on the Trigger board consists in the design of both the hardware and the firmware used for the communication with the other boards of the detector, power managing, and the interfacing with the ASIC used for PMTs’ readout. Eventually the Trigger board will be tested to verify its functionalities and its compliance with the HEPD design specifications. Next developments are the integration of the Trigger board with the other systems on the detector and the environmental testing of the whole system.

The Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) is a telescope concept proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. It employs a dual-mirror optical design to remove comatic aberrations over an $8^{\circ}$ field of view, and a high-density silicon photomultiplier camera (with a pixel resolution of 4 arcmin) to record Cherenkov emission from cosmic ray and gamma-ray initiated particle cascades in the atmosphere. The prototype SCT (pSCT), comprising a 9.7 m diameter primary mirror and a partially instrumented camera with 1536 pixels, has been constructed at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. The telescope was inaugurated in January 2019, with commissioning continuing throughout 2019. We describe the first campaign of observations with the pSCT, conducted in January and February of 2020, and demonstrate the detection of gamma-ray emission from the Crab Nebula with a statistical significance of $8.6\sigma$., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables, submitted to Astroparticle Physics

A prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (pSCT) has been constructed at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory as a candidate for the medium-sized telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). CTAO is currently entering early construction phase of the project and once completed it will vastly improve very high energy gamma-ray detection component in multi-wavelength and multi-messenger observations due to significantly improved sensitivity, angular resolution and field of view comparing to the current generation of the ground-based gamma-ray observatories H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS. The pSCT uses a dual aspheric mirror design with a $9.7$ m primary mirror and $5.4$ m secondary mirror, both of which are segmented. The Schwarzschild-Couder (SC) optical system (OS) selected for the prototype telescope achieves wide field of view of $8$ degrees and simultaneously reduces the focal plane plate scale allowing an unprecedented compact ($0.78$m diameter) implementation of the high-resolution camera ($6$mm/ $0.067$deg per imaging pixel with $11,328$ pixels) based on the silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs). The OS of the telescope is designed to eliminate spherical and comatic aberrations and minimize astigmatism to radically improve off-axis imaging and consequently angular resolution across all the field of view with respect to the conventional single-mirror telescopes. Fast and high imaging resolution OS of the pSCT comes with the challenging submillimeter-precision custom alignment system, which was successfully demonstrated with an on-axis point spread function (PSF) of $2.9$ arcmin prior to the first-light detection of the Crab Nebula in 2020. Ongoing and future commissioning activities are reported.

For the first time in the history of ground-based $\gamma$-ray astronomy, the on-axis performance of the dual mirror, aspheric, aplanatic Schwarzschild-Couder optical system has been demonstrated in a $9.7$-m aperture imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope. The novel design of the prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (pSCT) is motivated by the need of the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory to have the ability to perform wide ($\geq 8^{\circ}$) field-of-view observations simultaneously with superior imaging of atmospheric cascades (resolution of $0.067^{\circ}$ per pixel or better). The pSCT design, if implemented in the CTA installation, has the potential to improve significantly both the $\gamma$-ray angular resolution and the off-axis sensitivity of the observatory, reaching nearly the theoretical limit of the technique and thereby making a major impact on the CTA observatory sky survey programs, follow-up observations of multi-messenger transients with poorly known initial localization, as well as on the spatially resolved spectroscopic studies of extended $\gamma$-ray sources. This contribution reports on the initial alignment procedures and point-spread-function results for the challenging segmented aspheric primary and secondary mirrors of the pSCT., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, proceedings for SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2020, Online Only

The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) is involved in the development of a prototype for a SiPM-based camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), a new generation of telescopes for ground - based gamma ray astronomy. In this framework, an R&D program for the development of SiPMs suitable for Cherenkov light detection (Near-Ultraviolet SiPMs) has been carried out. The developed device is a High Density NUV-SiPM based on a micro cell of 30 μ m × 30 μ m and 6 mm × 6 mm area produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). A full characterisation of the single SiPM will be presented and compared with the old technology (NUV-SiPM) and with other SiPMs commercially available. The NUV-HD SiPM will be tested in the pSCT (Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope prototype) for CTA which is leading to a camera concept based on 8 × 8 NUV-HD SiPM module as detection unit. An update on recent tests on the detectors arranged in this matrix configuration and on the front-end electronics will be given.

The first prototype of the Schwarzschild Couder Medium Size Telescope (pSCT) proposed for the CTA observatory has been installed in 2018 at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. The pSCT camera is composed of 25 modules with 64 channels each, covering only a small portion of the full focal plane of the telescope. The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) has developed and characterized in collaboration with Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) a new generation of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) sensitive to the Near Ultraviolet wavelengths, based on the High Density technology (NUV-HD devices). The latest generation of 6×6 mm2 SiPMs (called NUV-HD3) have been used to equip a subsection of 9 out of 25 modules of the pSCT camera. An upgrade of this camera is foreseen between 2019 and 2020 using the same sensors, aiming to equip the full focal plane with 177 modules, for a total of more than 11000 pixels. We will present a full characterization of the performance of these devices, highlighting why they are suitable for Cherenkov light detection. An overview on the overall behavior of the installed sensors will be also given, providing information on the uniformity of the sensors and of the performance of the camera.

The third generation of Near Ultraviolet High Density (NUV-HD3) Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler in collaboration with Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) have been tested and characterized in INFN laboratories. Arrays of 16 pixels have been assembled to equip the focal plane of the prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Medium Size Telescope (pSCT) proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory. Each camera module is composed by 4 matrices of 16-pixel optical units coupled with TARGET-7 ASIC front-end electronics for signal amplification and digitization. A total of 9 modules have been successfully integrated on the pSCT camera and are currently taking data. In this contribution we provide a summary of the performances of the HD3 technology as measured in the INFN laboratories. We also report on the laboratory tests performed on the assembled optical units, showing their performances and homogeneity in terms of gain, signal-to-noise ratio and dark count rate.

International audience; Directional sensitivity to nuclear recoils could provide a smoking gun for a possible discovery of dark matter in the form of WIMPs. A hint of directional dependence of the response of a dual-phase liquid argon Time Projection Chamber was found in the SCENE experiment. Given the potential importance of such a capability in the frame work of dark matter searches, a new dedicated experiment, ReD (Recoil Directionality), was designed in the framework of the DarkSide Collaboration, in order to scrutinize this hint. This contribution will describe the performance of the detectors achieved during the first test-beam, the current status of ReD and the perspectives for physics measurements during the forthcoming beam-time.

Recent developments on Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) have shown that they are particularly adequate to detect fast signal due to low-intensity light. Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) has optimized these sensors for the Near-Ultraviolet Cherenkov light emitted by high energy gamma-ray showers in the atmosphere. The FBK high density SiPMs (NUV-HD) have been extensively characterized in the laboratories of the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) in view of equipping the focal plane camera of the Schwarzschild–Couder Telescope prototype (pSCT) in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Here we report the performances of the 6 × 6 mm 2 SiPMs based on 40 × 40 μm 2 cells, in terms of gain and signal-to-noise ratio. We compare the results obtained on devices from the latest generation and grown on different substrates in order to choose the most suitable sensor for the pSCT camera.

The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) is currently involved in the R&D for the integration of Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) in the focal plane camera for the prototype of the Schwarzschild–Couder Telescope (pSCT) proposed to integrate the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory . High density FBK SiPMs optimized for the detection of Near Ultraviolet Cherenkov light (NUV-HD) will be used to equip the camera, coupled to the TARGET-7 readout electronics. A first production of 9 INFN modules is being tested and will be installed on the focal plane of the pSCT camera. Each module consists of 64 6 mm × 6 mm pixels, based on 40 μ m × 40 μ m microcells, arranged in 16-pixel matrices. The front-end electronics is based on the TARGET-7 ASIC, a 16-channel chip for sampling and digitization of the signal. Here we report measurements of the performances of the complete readout chain, including results regarding homogeneity in terms of gain and signal-to-noise ratio .

Silicon Photomultipliers are particularly suitable as optical units of Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes to detect the fast and low-intensity Cherenkov signal emitted by high energy atmospheric showers. The third generation of high density NUV SiPMs (NUV-HD3) produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in collaboration with INFN have been used to equip optical modules intended to be integrated on a possible upgrade of the focal plane camera of the Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope prototype (pSCT) in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) project. NUV-HD3 SiPMs are 6 × 6 mm2 devices based on 40 × 40 μm2 microcells with excellent photo detection efficiency for the NUV wavelengths. Optical modules, each composed of a matrix of 4 × 4 SiPMs, have been assembled and tested in the laboratories of INFN to be integrated on the pSCT camera. In this contribution we report on the development and on the assembly of the optical modules, on their validation and on their integration on the pSCT camera.

We report about a study of the light response of a solid polystyrene-based scintillator with an arch shaped geometry, directly coupled to Silicon Photo Multiplier sensors for the light readout. This geometry is relevant for the design of a novel borehole detector for "muography" applications in Civil Engineering, Geology or Archaeology. The scintillator response has been investigated using a dedicated experimental set-up based on the detection of cosmic ray muons. Configurations that use reflecting and diffusive materials have been tested, as well as configurations with a cover specifically designed to enclose and protect the scintillator. The results found a good compromise between the light response and an easy solution for the detector assembly.

Near UltraViolet High Density (NUV-HD) SiPMs produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler in collaboration with INFN have been tested and characterized in INFN laboratories. The third generation of these devices (HD3) has proven to be suitable to equip the focal plane of the prototype Schwarzschild–Couder Medium Size Telescope (pSCT) proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory. Photosensors have been assembled in 4 16-pixel optical units coupled with TARGET–7 ASIC front-end electronics for amplification and digitization of the signal. At present, 9 modules have been successfully integrated on the pSCT camera and are currently taking data. In this contribution we report on the performances of the HD3 technology as single sensor and as assembled optical units, showing their performance and homogeneity in terms of gain and dark count rate.

Muon radiography is a technique based on the measurement of absorption profiles of muons as they pass through matter. This measurement allows to obtain an image of the inner structure of large volume objects and is suitable to be applied in several fields, such as volcanology, archaeology and civil engeneering. One of the main applications concerns the study of volcanic structures; indeed it is possible to use this technique to measure the mass distribution inside the edifice of a volcano providing useful information to better understand the possible eruption mechanisms. The MURAVES (MUon RAdiography of VESuvius) project aims to the study of the summital cone of Mt. Vesuvius near Naples in Italy, one of the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world. The MURAVES apparatus is a modular, robust muon hodoscope system with a low power consumption, optimized to be used in inhospitable environments like the surroundings of volcanoes. The complete detection system is an array of identical tracking modules, each with an area of 1 m2, based on the use of plasic scintillators. The technologies, the status and the data analysis strategy of the experiment will be presented in this paper.

Cosmic-ray muon radiography (muography), an imaging technique that can provide measurements of rock densities within the top few 100 m of a volcanic cone, has now achieved a spatial resolution of the order of 10 m in optimal detection conditions. Muography provides images of the top region of a volcano edifice with a resolution that is considerably better than that typically achieved with other conventional methods (i.e. gravimetric). We expect such precise measurements, to provide us with information on anomalies in the rock density distribution, which can be affected by dense lava conduits, low-density magma supply paths or the compression with the depth of the overlying soil. The MUon RAdiography of VESuvius (MURAVES) project is now in its final phase of construction and deployment. Up to four muon hodoscopes, each with a surface of roughly 1 m 2 , will be installed on the slope of Vesuvius and take data for at least 12 months. We will use the muographic profiles, combined with data from gravimetric and seismic measurement campaigns, to determine the stratigraphy of the lava plug at the bottom of the Vesuvius crater, in order to infer potential eruption pathways. While the MURAVES project unfolds, others are using emulsion detectors on Stromboli to study the lava conduits at the top of the volcano. These measurements are ongoing: they have completed two measurement campaigns and are now performing the first data analysis. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Cosmic-ray muography’.

The Schwarzschild Couder Medium Size Telescope prototype (pSCT) is going to test the Schwarzschild Couder solution proposed for Medium Size telescopes for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The camera consists of 177 photodetection modules grouped into sectors of maximum 25 modules each. The sensitive elements of the modules, located in the focal plane of the telescope, are matrices of 64 6 mm × 6 mm pixels of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). The front-end electronics is designed for signal sampling technique using the TARGET-7 ASIC. The prototype under construction and test at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory site will be equipped with the inner central sector fully operational. Sensors from Fondazione Bruno Kessler will be used for 9 of the 25 modules. A complete characterization of these very recent, highly sensitive Near UV sensors, the assembly procedure and metrology results on several focal plane elements has been conducted. Performances of the 16-sensors matrices and measurements with the TARGET-7 ASIC front-end coupled to FBK sensors will be shown and deeply discussed.

The purpose of the MU-RAY project is to develop an innovative approach to the study of volcanoes and their monitoring based on a particle physics approach.The test site is Vesuvio: one of the higher risk volcanoes in the world. In this context, muon radiography is an innovative method of enormous impact. This is an imaging technique which relies on the measurement, by means of a cosmic ray telescope, of the absorption in the volcano of muons with near-horizontal trajectories, produced by the interactions of cosmic rays with the atmosphere. Since 2003 this technique has been successfully used on volcanoes in Japan, providing pictures of their vertices with resolutions much better than those obtained with the traditional techniques based on gravimeters. Researchers from Naples and Florence are currently involved in the construction and testing of a prototype telescope based on the use of bars of plastic scintillator with a triangular section whose scintillation light is collected by special fibres (wavelength shifters) and transported to SiPM (Silicon photomultipliers). A complete prototype telescope, consisting of three xy scintillation planes and 1 m2 active area has been assembled and is now under test. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The muographic imaging of volcanoes relies on the measured transmittance of the atmospheric muon flux through the target. An important bias affecting the result comes from background contamination mimicking a higher transmittance. The MU-RAY and TOMUVOL collaborations measured independently in 2013 the atmospheric muon flux transmitted through the Puy de Dome volcano using their early prototype detectors, based on plastic scintillators and on Glass Resistive Plate Chambers, respectively. These detectors had three (MU-RAY) or four (TOMUVOL) detection layers of 1 m2 each, tens (MU-RAY) or hundreds (TOMUVOL) of nanosecond time resolution, a few millimeter position resolution, an energy threshold of few hundreds MeV, and no particle identification capabilities. The prototypes were deployed about 1.3 km away from the summit, where they measured, behind rock depths larger than 1000 m, remnant fluxes of 1.83±0.50(syst)±0.07(stat) m−2 d−1 deg−2 (MU-RAY) and 1.95±0.16(syst)±0.05(stat) m−2 d−1 deg−2 (TOMUVOL), that roughly correspond to the expected flux of high-energy atmospheric muons crossing 600 meters water equivalent (mwe) at 18° elevation. This implies that imaging depths larger than 500 mwe from 1 km away using such prototype detectors suffer from an overwhelming background. These measurements confirm that a new generation of detectors with higher momentum threshold, time-of-flight measurement, and/or particle identification is needed. The MU-RAY and TOMUVOL collaborations expect shortly to operate improved detectors, suitable for a robust muographic imaging of kilometer-scale volcanoes.

The goal of the FAZIA Collaboration is the design of a new-generation 4π detector array for heavy-ion collisions with radioactive beams. This article summarizes the main results of the R&D phase, devoted to the search for significant improvements of the techniques for charge and mass identification of reaction products. This was obtained by means of a systematic study of the basic detection module, consisting of two transmission-mounted silicon detectors followed by a CsI(Tl) scintillator. Significant improvements in ΔE-E and pulse-shape techniques were obtained by controlling the doping homogeneity and the cutting angles of silicon and by putting severe constraints on thickness uniformity. Purposely designed digital electronics contributed to identification quality. The issue of possible degradation related to radiation damage of silicon was also addressed. The experimental activity was accompanied by studies on the physics governing signal evolution in silicon. The good identification quality obtained with the prototypes during the R&D phase, allowed us to investigate also some aspects of isospin physics, namely isospin transport and odd-even staggering. Now, after the conclusion of the R&D period, the FAZIA Collaboration has entered the demonstrator phase, with the aim of verifying the applicability of the devised solutions for the realization of a larger-scale experimental set-up.

Recen% developed near W-photosensors are currently adopted in those applications where high sensitivity and good imaging capabilities are required, especially in fields such as astroparticle physics and medical imaging. An example of such applications is the camera of the Schwarzschild Couder Medium Size Telescope prototype (pSCT) which is in construction within the Cherenkov Telescope Array experiment. The camera consists of 177 photo-detection modules grouped into sectors of 25 modules, each based on matrixes of 64 6mm × 6mm pixels of SiUcon PhotomultipUers (SiPMs). Sensors produced by the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in Italy are currently under investigation. Here we present a complete characterization of these highly sensitive near UV sensors, the assembly procedure and metrology results on several focal plane elements.

The MURAVES detector is a 4 m2 muon tracker equipped with a low power consumption electronic and designed to work in volcanic areas. Due to the great amount of channels (~1500) the detector is equipped with a multilayer electronic for data acquisition. It consists of 12 slave boards and 1 master board per square meter of detector and a single Rasp- berry Pi board that rules the whole set of one-square-meter detectors. Be- cause of this modularity, we can enlarge in principle the detector surface by adding more one-square-meter elements. In the present work, we re- sume the main features of the MURAVES detector designed for the muog- raphy of volcanoes and, more generally, for the imaging of the underground. We focus on the capability to fine tune every single channel of the detector and the precise measure of the time of flight of the muons. The latter uses a time expansion technique and it should allow us to make a background rejection never obtained until now.

Muon radiography is an imaging technique that relies on the transmis- sion of cosmic muons through matter. It allows the measurement of den- sity maps of large structures such as volcanoes. During the second half of 2013 the MURAY detector prototype carried out a data taking at the Puy de Dôme in the framework of the scientific collaboration with the experiment TOMUVOL in order to compare the results and performance of the two different detectors. Both experimental apparatuses measure a muon transmission of some orders of magnitude higher than that ex- pected highlighting a background that perturbs these measures.

Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) are standard sensors widely employed for applications in which high sensitivities and fast responses in the detection of low fluxes of visible and UV photons are required. The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), in collaboration with Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), is involved in a R&D project for SiPM sensors sensitive to near UV wavelengths. The performances of the latest technology of NUV-High-Density SiPM have confirmed that the quality of the current production technology opens the possibility to employ these devices for many applications. In this contribution, we review the performances of the latest technology of NUV-High-Density SiPM and the prospects for their use in one of the designs of the camera focal planes of Schwarschild-Couder Telescope prototype, including the development of packaging procedures of single sensors into high-density multi-SiPM modules and the development of a custom front-end ASIC for a high rate waveform sampling of the SiPM signals.

The MURAVES project aims to study the inner structure of the upper part of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano by muon radiography (muography) technique. Very high energy muons, produced by cosmic rays in the at- mosphere, can penetrate large thickness of rocks. By measuring the at- tenuation of the muons flux trough the volcano cone is possible to obtain a 2D image of the density structure. Internal discontinuities, with a spa- tial resolution of about 10 m, can be, in principle, resolved. An absolute average density measurement can be provided too. The project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University, Research and Education (MIUR), is led by INGV and INFN. In this article the mechanical structure of the de- tectors and background suppression techniques are reported.

The development of a new camera based on the use of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), which represents a new generation of ground based very high energy gamma ray observatory, is one of the main items of the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN). In the R&D framework a single channel electronic charge preamplifier has been developed to improve the performance of photon cameras equipped with High Density NUV – HD SiPM produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) with a micro cell of 30 μm x 30 μm and 6 mm x 6 mm total area. The single channel preamplifier will be used as basic component for a 16-channel electronic board prototype to test the 8 x 8 NUV – HD SiPM modules proposed to equip a pSCT (Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope prototype) camera. In this work the results of tests on the single channel preamplifier prototype to optimize the SiPM performances will be presented.

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be the next generation of ground-based observatory of very high energy gamma ray sources. The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) is involved in the R&D effort for the development of a possible solution for one of the Cherenkov photon camera designs, working on replacing the Hamamatsu MPPC S12642-0404PA-50 with more UV sensitive ones from Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). INFN is currently developing the preamplifiers and the carrier boards for the SiPM chips that interface with the mechanics of the camera. To test the feasibility and the performance of SiPM cameras, a focal plane camera prototype module, upgraded with High Density NUV - SiPMs, produced by FBK, with a micro cell of 30 μm x 30 μm and 6 mm x 6 mm area, is being assembled. In this work, we describe the SiPM carrier boards, the assembly process and the qualification tests performed, before and after assembly, on the focal plane modules to qualify the procedures.

Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) are excellent devices to detect the faint and short Cherenkov light emitted in high energy atmospheric showers, and therefore suitable for use in imaging air Cherenkov Telescopes. The high density Near Ultraviolet Violet SiPMs (NUV-HD3) produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in collaboration with INFN were used to equip optical modules for a possible upgrade of the Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope camera prototype, in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array project. SiPMs are 6×6 mm2 devices based on 40×40 μm2 microcells optimized for photo-detection at the NUV wavelengths. More than 40 optical modules, each composed by a 4×4 array of SiPMs, were assembled. In this contribution we report on the development and on the assembly of the optical modules, their validation and integration in the camera.

International audience; The MU-RAY detector has been designed to perform muon radiography of volcanoes. The possible use on the field introduces several constraints. First the electric power consumption must be reduced to the minimum, so that the detector can be solar-powered. Moreover it must be robust and transportable, for what concerns the front-end electronics and data acquisition. A 1 m2 prototype has been constructed and is taking data at Mt. Vesuvius. The detector consists of modules of 32 scintillator bars with wave length shifting fibers and silicon photomultiplier read-out. A dedicated front-end electronics has been developed, based on the SPIROC ASIC. An introduction to muon radiography principles, the MU-RAY detector description and results obtained in laboratory will be presented.

The document describes the front-end electronics that instrument the spectrometer of the OPERA experiment. The spectrometer is made of two separate modules. Each module consists of 22 RPC planes equipped with horizontal and vertical strips readout for a total amount of about 25,000 digital channels. The front end electronics is self-triggered and has single plane readout capability. It is made of three different stages: the Front End Boards (FEBs) system, the Controller Boards (CBs) system and the Timing Boards (TBs) system. The FEB system provides discrimination of the strip incoming signals; a FAST OR output of the input signals is also available for trigger plane signal generation. FEBs discriminated signals are acquired by the CBs system that manages also the communication to the experiment DAQ and Slow Control interface. A Trigger Board allows to operate in both self-trigger (the FEB FAST OR signal starts the plane acquisition) or external-trigger (different conditions can be set on the OR signals generated from different planes) modes. © 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

The low intensity of the RIBS presently available at the first generation production facilities (10(5)-10(6) pps) and the necessity to reconstruct the event kinematics in RIB measurements require detection systems having both a large solid-angle coverage and a high granularity. The EXODET (EXOtic DETector) apparatus has been accomplished to respond to these requirements and the first experiment has been successfully performed studying the F-17 scattering on Pb-208 at 90.4 MeV.

The low intensity (about 105-106 pps) of the presently available RNBs (Radioactive Nuclear Beams) requires detection apparatuses with large solid angle coverage and high granularity. Moreover, the utilization of highly segmented detectors needs unconventional read-out systems appositely designed and the development of electronic boards making use of highly miniaturized and integrated circuitry (ASIC chip). The EXODET (EXOtic DETector) apparatus has been designed and constructed following these guide lines. It consists of large-area silicon detectors segmented in 100 strips on a single side. The particle energy loss information is obtained from the unsegmented side using standard electronic chains, while for the read-out of the incident position information we found suitable a chip already developed for high-energy particle physics experiments. EXODET has been already successfully used in exotic nuclei experiments devoted to the study of the scattering of 17F on a 208Pb target and of 11Be on a 209Bi target at energies around the Coulomb barrier, performed at the Argonne National Laboratory (USA) and at the RIKEN Laboratory (Japan), respectively. The development of these modern and compact detection systems opens new and interesting perspectives for experimentation with RNBs.

A new detector apparatus has been designed and developed to be used in experiments performed with radioactive ion beams. It consists of 16 highly segmented silicon strip detectors arranged in two‐layer telescopes and subtending a large solid angle (about 70% of 4π sr). An innovative readout system for the position information that uses highly integrated electronics (ASIC chips) has been implemented. A first successful experiment has been performed at the Argonne National Laboratory (USA) to study the 17F scattering by a 208Pb target at 90.4 MeV of incident energy. The 17F angular distribution has been analyzed and the optical model potential best‐fit parameters determined. The same analysis performed on 17F data taken at higher incident energy, in completely different experimental conditions, gives consistent results. The comparison with experiments performed with stable beams (19F, 16O, 17O) indicates a behavior for the 17F more similar to that of the Oxygen isotopes than to the 19F one. Despite of the short data collection time, also the cross section for the 17F →16O + p break‐up process has been estimated.

Muon Radiography allows to map the density of a volcanic cone. It is based on the measurement of the attenuation of the flux of muons present in the cosmic radiation on the ground. The MU-RAY project has developed an innovative detector designed for the muon radiography. The main features are the low electric power consumption, robustness and transportability, good spatial resolution and muon time of flight measurement. A 1 m2 detector prototype has been constructed. and collected data at Mt. Vesuvius for approximately 1 month in spring 2013. A second campaign of measurement has been performed at the Puy de Dome, France, in the last four months of 2013. In this article the principles of muon radiography, the MU-RAY detector and the first results from the collected data will be described.

The OPERA muon magnetic spectrometer has been designed for muon detection, tracking and timing. The 44 bakelite Resistive Chambers (RPC) planes, imbibed inside the magnet iron slabs, must provide the tracking of the muon curved in the magnetic field to ease the momentum and charge measurement provided by the HPT. Furthermore, it provides the momentum for muons stopping in the iron. RPC signals will be also used as start of drift tube acquisition thanks to the very good time resolution of RPC detectors. Due to the required performances the tracking detector must be fully efficient and stable. In this conditions an online monitor is mandatory to continuously control stability of run conditions. We report the main characteristics and performances of the monitor system for the OPERA spectrometer and capabilities of the software developed for settings and data acquisition.

A new detection apparatus, named EXPADES (EXotic PArticle DEtection System), has been expressly designed to be used in nuclear physics experiments involving exotic beams and devoted to the study of nuclear reactions (scattering, direct reactions, breakup…) at energies around the Coulomb barrier. It consists of double-side segmented silicon detectors arranged in a compact configuration around the target. A very large solid angle, a wide angular range, high granularity and a highly miniaturized readout electronics, based on a new production commercial ASIC chipset, are the main features of the system.

Questa nota descrive una possibile applicazione del modulo EM202 della Tibbo Technology come analizzatore di rete. Tramite la scheda E-Tibbo, che alloggia in un crate VME, é possibile spedire e ricevere dati sulla rete Ethernet 100 BaseT

The ARGO-YBJ experiment has been designed in order to study the cosmic rays, mainly cosmic gamma-radiation, at an energy threshold of ~100 GeV, by means of the detection of small size air showers. This goal will be achieved by operating a full coverage array detector in the Yangbajing Laboratory (Tibet, China) at 4300 m a. s. l.

This note describes the ARGO Memory Board module designed to be used within the Data Acquisition (DAQ) system of the ARGO detector at Yanbajng (Lhasa, Tibet)

A new experimental apparatus for charged particle detection, named EXODET (EXOtic DETector) has been designed to be used in nuclear physics experiments involving radioactive ion beams (RIBs). A typical feature of RIBs presently available at the first-generation production facilities is the low beam intensity (10/sup 5/--10/sup 6/ pps); therefore, a large solid angle coverage and a high granularity are required to allow the reconstruction of the complete event kinematics. In this paper, we present the main features of the EXODET apparatus, fulfilling the previous requirements, and the first experimental results.

The Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) is a candidate technology for a medium-sized telescope within the Cherenkov Telescope Array, the next generation ground based observatory for very high energy gamma ray astronomy. The SCT uses a novel two-mirror design and is expected to yield improvements in field of view and image resolution compared to traditional Cherenkov telescopes based on single-mirror-dish optics. To match the improved optical resolution, challenging requirements of high channel count and density at low power consumption must be overcome by the camera. The prototype camera, currently commissioned and tested on the prototype SCT, has been developed based on millimeter scale SiPM pixels and a custom high density digitizer ASIC, TARGET, to provide 1600 pixels spanning a 2.7 degree field of view while being able to sample nanosecond photon pulses. It is mechanically designed to allow for an upgrade to 11,328 pixels covering a field of view of 8 degrees and demonstrating the full potential of the technology. The camera was installed on the telescope in 2018. We will present its design and performance including first light data., Comment: ICRC 2019 Proceeding