Calibration Issues for the CALICE 1m3 AHCAL

TL;DR

This paper discusses calibration challenges faced in operating a large-scale scintillator-steel sampling calorimeter with silicon photomultiplier readout, used in high-energy physics experiments at multiple test-beam facilities.

Contribution

It presents the calibration procedures developed for the CALICE 1m3 AHCAL prototype, addressing issues related to equalization and calibration of numerous channels.

Findings

Successful operation during test-beam measurements at DESY, CERN, and Fermilab.

Development of calibration procedures for large-channel calorimeters.

Identification of calibration issues impacting data quality.

Abstract

The CALICE collaboration investigates diferent technology options for highly granular calorimeters for detectors at a future electron-positron collider. One of the devices constructed and tested by this collaboration is a 1m3 prototype of a scintillator-steel sampling calorimeter for hadrons with analogue readout (AHCAL). The light from 7608 small scintillator cells is detected with silicon photomultipliers. The AHCAL has been successfully operated during electron and hadron test-beam measurements at DESY, CERN, and Fermilab since 2005. One of main tasks for the successful data taking is to establish procedures for the equalization of cell responses and calibration of such a large number of channels.