Welcome to the Exciting World of High-Pressure Gas TPC Research!

We are embarking on an ambitious journey to establish a cutting-edge High-Pressure gas Time Projection Chamber (HPgTPC) R&D platform for gas studies, readout technology development, and practical solutions to gas quality control. This Warwick TPC Platform (WarTPC), is set to transform the landscape of accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments and offer robust local support to the UK community engaged in gas TPC R&D. It was seeded by the UK STFC Early Technology Development Capital Funding (2022).

Academics: Prof Gary Barker, Dr Xianguo Lu

Technician: Dr Alan Burton

Students: Mr Matthew Snape

Visitors:

• Dr Alexander Deisting, University of Mainz, Germany (2022, 2023)

• Dr Philip Hamacher-Baumann, RWTH Aachen University, Germany (2022)

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Connection to DUNE-UK Project

WarTPC is designed to uniquely serve the UK accelerator-neutrino community, making a significant contribution to the DUNE-UK project. Specifically, we aim to provide critical technical design for the HPgTPC of the DUNE Near Detectors, define the limits of the Near Detector physics programme, and expand the UK scientific landscape in DUNE.

Platform Components

WarTPC comprises three prototype equipment items:

1. High Pressure gas TPC (HPgTPC)
2. High-performance Optical Readout System
3. Laser-Radioactive Gas-Calibration System

and will drive innovative research with the following objectives:

1. Innovative Gas Mixtures: Identify and develop novel gas mixtures to enhance the capabilities of a HPgTPC for measuring neutrino interactions.

2. Granular TPC Readout: Develop a highly granular TPC readout system using optical readout, enabling excellent single-point resolution at the diffusion limit of the employed gas mixture.

3. Calibration System: Characterise readout structures and electronics for HPgTPCs, and prototype a calibration system and strategy based on laser beams and radioactive sources.

Core Component: HPgTPC

The heart of WarTPC is the HPgTPC, featuring a 200-liter pressure vessel, a gas circulating and monitoring system, and a TPC. This component operates with various gas mixtures, providing baseline measurements of gas properties for different argon-rich gas mixtures at 10 bar pressure.

Optical Readout Technology

With the state-of-the-art TimePix3 camera, we achieve an effective pad size of less than 1 mm, enabling high-resolution imaging for optical readout of TPCs. The camera's capabilities in 3D readout position resolution set the stage for advancements in the DUNE HPgTPC.

Join Us in the Exploration

To discuss potential collaborations and exciting research possibilities, please feel free to contact Dr Xianguo Lu at xianguo dot lu at warwick dot ac dot uk .

Development

The Touchdown, 8/2022

Matt, Philip, and the Giant Torque Wrench, 8/2022