Characteristics and performance of the Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers of the EEE experiment

TL;DR

The paper evaluates the robustness, efficiency, and long-term performance of Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers used in the EEE cosmic ray experiment, highlighting their suitability for diverse and unconventional environments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of MRPC performance in real-world, heterogeneous conditions, demonstrating their durability and effectiveness in a large-scale, outreach-oriented cosmic ray detection network.

Findings

High efficiency and good angular resolution in cosmic muon detection.

Stable performance of MRPCs over extended periods.

Effective operation in non-controlled, school-based environments.

Abstract

The Extreme Energy Events (EEE) experiment, dedicated to the study of secondary cosmic rays, is arguably the largest detector system in the world implemented by Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers. The EEE network consists of 60 telescopes distributed over all the Italian territory; each telescope is made of three MRPCs and allows to reconstruct the trajectory of cosmic muons with high efficiency and optimal angular resolution. A distinctive feature of the EEE network is that almost all telescopes are housed in High Schools and managed by groups of students and teachers, who previously took care of their construction at CERN. This peculiarity is a big plus for the experiment, which combines the scientific relevance of its objectives with effective outreach activities. The unconventional location of the detectors, mainly in standard classrooms of school buildings, with heterogeneous maintenance conditions and without controlled temperature and dedicated power lines, is a unique test field to verify the robustness, the low aging characteristics and the long-lasting performance of MRPC technology for particle monitoring and timing. Finally, it is reported how the spatial resolution, efficiency, tracking capability and stability of these chambers behave in time.