Micromegas for imaging hadronic calorimetry

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advancements in Micromegas detectors for hadronic calorimetry, highlighting new engineering solutions, electronics, and simulation studies, including prototype testing and plans for a large-scale digital calorimeter.

Contribution

It introduces new engineering and digital readout solutions for Micromegas calorimeters, demonstrating improved linearity and performance through prototype testing and simulation.

Findings

Prototype measurements show high detection efficiency and accurate shower profiles.

Digital readout improves calorimeter linearity and resolution.

Progress towards constructing a large 1 m³ digital calorimeter is reported.

Abstract

The recent progress in R&D of the Micromegas detectors for hadronic calorimetry including new engineering-technical solutions, electronics development, and accompanying simulation studies with emphasis on the comparison of the physics performance of the analog and digital readout is described. The developed prototypes are with 2 bit digital readout to exploit the Micromegas proportional mode and thus improve the calorimeter linearity. In addition, measurements of detection efficiency, hit multiplicity, and energy shower profiles obtained during the exposure of small size prototypes to radioactive source quanta, cosmic particles and accelerator beams are reported. Eventually, the status of a large scale chamber (1{\times}1 m2) are also presented with prospective towards the construction of a 1 m3 digital calorimeter consisting of 40 such chambers.