Studies with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber

1. Front Matter

   Pages 1-14

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2. The liquid argon time projection chamber

   • Michael Schenk

   Pages 5-28

3. The ARGONTUBE detector

   • Michael Schenk

   Pages 29-49

4. Regeneration system for argon purifiers

   • Michael Schenk

   Pages 51-65

5. The Greinacher high-voltage generator

   • Michael Schenk

   Pages 67-84

6. Realization of a GPU-based track finder

   • Michael Schenk

   Pages 85-103

7. Study of cosmic muon events

   • Michael Schenk

   Pages 105-119

8. UV laser methods and measurements

   • Michael Schenk

   Pages 121-136

9. Back Matter

   Pages 137-152

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Michael Schenk evaluates new technologies and methods, such as cryogenic read-out electronics and a UV laser system, developed to optimise the performance of large liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPC). Amongst others, the author studies the uniformity of the electric field produced by a Greinacher high-voltage generator operating at cryogenic temperatures, measures the linear energy transfer (LET) of muons and the longitudinal diffusion coefficient of electrons in liquid argon. The results are obtained by analysing events induced by cosmic-ray muons and UV laser beams. The studies are carried out with ARGONTUBE, a prototype LArTPC in operation at the University of Bern, Switzerland, designed to investigate the feasibility of drift distances of up to five metres for electrons in liquid argon.

• Cryogenic read out electronics
• Electron diffusion coefficient in liquid argon
• Greinacher high-voltage generator
• Liquid argon purification
• Liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC)
• Pattern recognition algorithm on a GPU

• Laboratory for High Energy Physics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

  Michael Schenk

Michael Schenk obtained his master’s degree in Applied / Experimental Physics from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and is currently doing an internship at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland in the fields of collective effects and beam instabilities in particle accelerators.

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