Design and operation of ARGONTUBE: a 5 m long drift liquid argon TPC

TL;DR

This paper details the design, operation, and experimental results of ARGONTUBE, a 5-meter-long liquid argon TPC demonstrating charge drift over unprecedented distances for neutrino detection and particle physics research.

Contribution

It introduces the first successful observation of tracks at 5m drift distance in a liquid argon TPC, proving long-distance charge drift feasibility and exploring new technological aspects.

Findings

Successful charge drift over 5 meters in liquid argon

Observation of cosmic muon and UV laser induced tracks at long distances

Validation of high voltage and purification systems for large-scale detectors

Abstract

The Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) is a prime type of detector for future large-mass neutrino observatories and proton decay searches. In this paper we present the design and operation, as well as experimental results from ARGONTUBE, a LArTPC being operated at the AEC-LHEP, University of Bern. The main goal of this detector is to prove the feasibility of charge drift over very long distances in liquid argon. Many other aspects of the LArTPC technology are also investigated, such as a voltage multiplier to generate high voltage in liquid argon (Greinacher circuit), a cryogenic purification system and the application of multi-photon ionization of liquid argon by a UV laser. For the first time, tracks induced by cosmic muons and UV laser beam pulses have been observed and studied at drift distances of up to 5m, the longest reached to date.