Data Acquisition and Signal Processing for the Gamma Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA)

TL;DR

This paper details the design and performance of the data acquisition and signal processing system for GRETA, a gamma-ray detector array capable of precise energy, timing, and tracking of gamma-ray interactions.

Contribution

It introduces the real-time digital signal processing architecture and hardware implementation for GRETA's data acquisition system.

Findings

System meets performance requirements for high-rate gamma-ray detection

Real-time digital processing effectively determines gamma-ray energy and timing

Hardware and firmware are optimized for accurate and efficient data collection

Abstract

The Gamma Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA) is a 4-{\pi} detector system, currently under development, capable of determining energy, timing and tracking of multiple gamma-ray interactions inside germanium crystals as demonstrated in the Gamma Ray Energy Tracking In-Beam Array (GRETINA). Charge sensitive amplifiers instrument the crystals and their outputs are converted using analog to digital converters for real-time digital processing. In this paper, we will present the design of the detector system and data acquisition. We will describe the real time components of the digital signal-processing path used to find the energy and timing of the gamma rays at low and high rates. We will describe the performance of the data acquisition system hardware and firmware and compare with the requirements.