PROGRAM OVERVIEW --
NUCLEAR PHYSICS
http://www.er.doe.gov/production/henp/nucphys.html
Nuclear physics research seeks to understand the
structure and interactions of atomic nuclei and the fundamental forces and
particles of nature as manifested in nuclear matter. Nuclear processes are responsible for the nature and
abundance of all matter, which in turn determine the essential physical
characteristics of the universe. The
primary mission of the Nuclear Physics program is to develop and support the
scientists, techniques, and facilities that are needed for basic nuclear
physics research. Attendant upon
this core mission are responsibilities to enlarge and diversify the nation's
pool of technically trained talent and to facilitate transfer of technology
and knowledge to support the nation's economic base.
Nuclear physics research is carried out at national
accelerator facilities and through university programs.
The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at the Thomas
Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF) and the Bates Linear
Accelerator at MIT allow detailed studies of how quarks and gluons bind
together to make protons and neutrons. CEBAF
is planning a future upgrade in which the electron beam energy is doubled from
6 to 12 GeV. The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), now in operation
at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), will instantaneously form
submicroscopic specimens of quark-gluon plasma by colliding gold nuclei, thus
allowing a study of the primordial soup of quarks and gluons thought to make
up the early universe. RHIC is
planning a beam luminosity upgrade in the future; a new electron-ion collider
is also being discussed. The
nuclear physics program supports research and facility operations that are
directed towards understanding the properties of nuclei at their limits of
stability and of the fundamental properties of nucleons and neutrinos. This research is made possible with the Argonne Tandem Linac
Accelerator System (ATLAS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the Holifield
Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
and the 88-Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL),
which provide complementary facilities for stable and radioactive beams as
well as a variety of species and energies.
In addition, the operations of accelerators for in-house research
programs at four universities (Yale University, Washington University, Texas
A&M University, and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) at
Duke University) provide unique instrumentation with a special emphasis on
training of students. The nuclear
physics program also supports non-accelerator experiments such as the Sudbury
Neutrino Observatory (SNO) facility, constructed by a collaboration of
Canadian, English, and U.S. supported scientists, now taking data on solar
neutrino fluxes and providing the first results on the “appearance” of
oscillations of electron neutrinos into another neutrino type.
A proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) facility is being designed
that would provide a way to explore the limits of nuclear existence.
By producing and studying highly unstable nuclei that are now formed
only in the stars, scientists could better understand stellar evolution and
the origin of the elements.
Our ability to continue making a scientific impact to
the general community relies heavily on the availability of cutting edge
technology and advances in detector instrumentation, electronics, software,
and accelerator design. The
technical topics which follow describe research and development opportunities
in the equipment, techniques, and facilities that are needed to conduct and
advance nuclear physics research at existing and future facilities.
The Nuclear Physics program of the Department of
Energy (DOE) supports a broad range of activities aimed at research and
development related to the science, engineering, and technology of heavy-ion,
electron, and proton accelerators and associated systems.
Research and development is encouraged that will advance fundamental
accelerator technology and its applications, which are tailored to nuclear physics scientific
research. Areas of interest
include the basic technologies of
the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s superconducting Relativistic Heavy Ion
Collider (RHIC) with energies up to 100 GeV/amu per beam, technologies
associated with RHIC beam luminosity upgrades and the development of an
electron-ion machine, superconducting radio frequency (srf)
linear accelerators such as the electron machine at the Thomas Jefferson
National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), and development of devices and/or
methods that would be useful in the generation of intense accelerated beams of
radioactive isotopes related to the construction of a Rare Isotope Accelerator
(RIA) facility. Relevance of
applications to nuclear physics must be explicitly described.
Grant applications that propose using the resources of a third party
(such as a DOE laboratory) must include, in the application, a letter of
certification from an authorized official of that organization. Grant
applications are sought only in the following subtopics:
a.
Materials and Components for Radio Frequency Devices—Grant applications are sought for research and development
leading to improved or advanced superconducting and room temperature materials
or components for radio frequency (rf) devices used in particle accelerators.
Areas of interest include: (1)
peripheral components such as ultra high vacuum seals, terminations, cryogenic
radio frequency windows, and magnetostrictive cavity tuning mechanisms; (2)
termination materials for use at 2 to 4 K, compatible with the ultra high
vacuum and dust-free environment, and capable of absorbing microwaves
efficiently from 2 to 90 Ghz; (3) methods to avoid inclusions in the
superconducting material and contamination on the surface of the
superconductor; (4) innovative
designs for hermetically sealed refrigerators and other cryogenic equipment
that simplify procedures and reduce costs associated with reparability and
modification; (5) development of simple,
low-cost mechanical damping techniques, effective in the 10-300 Hz range at 2
Kelvin, to reduce both construction and operating costs of facilities through
smaller systems; and (6) designs of ultra-high vacuum pumps that can
significantly reduce the partial pressure of helium.
Grant applications are also sought for the initial
design, modeling, and development of a new 13 kW continuous wave klystron
power source at 1497 MHz to drive accelerator superconducting cavities.
The klystrons should be able to operate at a variety of power levels
depending on the parameters of each superconducting cavity and on the energy
delivered to the electron beams. Because
each superconducting cavity may require a different power level of operation,
the klystron should contain a perveance-determining electrode in the klystron
gun to limit beam power dissipation when operating at less than full power. Also, because the klystrons will be part of an energy
feedback system, they should operate about 10% below their saturated power
levels to allow headroom for control by the feedback system; this situation
requires good stability in the linear gain region of the klystron. Klystron power efficiency is of major importance in all these
modes of operation. Permanent
magnet focusing of this new klystron design is desirable, but electro-magnet
focusing would also be acceptable if better rf stability and operating
efficiency obtains. Efficiencies
greater than 55% are desirable for rf to beam power.
b.
Design and Operation of Radio Frequency Beam Acceleration Systems—Grant applications are sought for the design, fabrication,
and operation of radio frequency accelerating structures and systems for
heavy-ion accelerators. Areas of
interest include: (1)
superconducting and conventional continuous wave structures for the
pre-acceleration of radioactive beams, which can operate in the velocity
regime between 0.001 and 0.01 times the velocity of light, for ions with
charge-to-mass ratios between 1/30 and 1/240; (2) superconducting rf
accelerating structures appropriate for RIA drivers that can operate in
segments of the range from approximately 0.1 to 0.8 the velocity of light; (3)
the economical fabrication of many-celled rf cavities that still provide
moderate damping of all higher-order modes; (4) improved techniques for
phase stabilization of low velocity ion acceleration structures; (5)
improvements to accelerating gradients and quality factor (Q) in cavities for
both continuous wave (cw) and pulsed operation; (6) high duty factor, high
power rf systems for radio frequency quadrupoles and linacs; and (7)
techniques for coupling rf power into superconducting cavities operating at 2
K.
Grant applications are also sought to develop concepts and
designs to improve the stability and performance of high efficiency, high
brightness, electron linear accelerator systems. Areas of interest include energy recovery systems that
preserve beam quality by thoroughly treating higher order modes and beam
break-up phenomena, electron cooling and optical-stochastic cooling for
high-energy ion beams (e.g., RHIC luminosity upgrade) and electron-ion
collisions (e.g. proposed electron collider with RHIC (eRHIC) or dedicated
Electron Light Ion Collider at TJNAF), and increasing the threshold of
multi-bunch, multi-pass beam breakup in energy-recovering electron linear
accelerators. Grant applications
must address not only beam dynamics but also the engineering issues of such
systems by developing system and component level engineering requirements
(particularly methods of handling the high power higher order nodes) and
associated conceptual designs.
The dynamic control of the RF systems for high-gradient
superconducting cavities is increasingly complex because detuning from the high electric
fields can exceed the cavity bandwidth. The controls also must address microphonic vibrations, either
by controlling the cavity frequency using active elements or by using a smart
control algorithm. Therefore,
grant applications are sought for concept development, system design, and
prototype component development for the control of microphonic vibrations.
Lastly, power requirements could be significantly reduced if the 5 kW,
1500 MHz cw klystrons, currently available for use at nuclear physics
accelerator facilities, could be replaced by alternative technology.
Grant applications are therefore sought for the design and development
of high power solid state devices or other techniques, which would allow for
significant reductions in accelerator power usage.
The gain should exceed 30 dB and devices should exhibit long life, cost
effectiveness, reliability, and high electrical efficiency.
c. Particle
Beam Sources and Techniques—Grant applications
are sought to develop: (1)
particle beam ion sources with improved intensity, emittance, and range of
species (areas of interest include high-charge-state sources for heavy ions,
sources for negative and light ions, and polarized sources for hydrogen ions
and electrons); (2) ion sources for radioactive beams (emphasizing high
efficiency, high-charge-state ions, high temperature operation for coupling to
high temperature production targets, and element selectivity; e.g., through
the use of laser ionization); (3) high brightness electron beam sources
utilizing continuous wave superconducting rf cavities with integral
photocathodes operating at high acceleration gradients; (4) high brightness
electron beam sources utilizing continuous wave normal-conducting rf cavities
with interchangeable photocathodes operating at high acceleration gradients;
(5) power supplies to drive these sources;
(6) techniques for secondary radioactive beam collection, charge
equilibration, and cooling; (7) methods to increase the charge state of ion
beams (e.g., by the use of special electron-cyclotron-resonance ionizers or
special stripping techniques); (8) high quantum efficiency, long life
photocathodes for use with the high brightness electron sources; and (9)
methods to improve high voltage stand-off and reduce field emission from high
voltage electrodes in the presence of work function lowering material (i.e.,
cesium) in order to enhance the performance of photoemission electron sources.
Grant applications are also sought to develop target
materials for radioactive beam production. These targets must be capable of
use with beams of protons, neutrons, or heavy ions; and with beam power of
10-100 kW. Also, the targets must
be configured for rapid release of isotopes and permit close coupling to an
ion source to generate high intensity radioactive beams.
d. Accelerator
Control and Diagnostics—Grant applications are sought for:
(1) “intelligent” software and hardware to facilitate the improved
control and optimization of charged particle accelerators and associated
components for nuclear physics research (developments that offer generic
solutions to problems in the initial choice of operation parameters and the
optimization of selected beam parameters with automatic tuning are especially
encouraged); (2) advanced beam diagnostics concepts and devices that provide
high speed computer-compatible measurement and monitoring of particle beam
intensity, position, emittance, polarization, luminosity, momentum profile,
time of arrival, energy, and helicity-correlated effects
(including such advanced methods as neural networks or expert systems
and techniques that are nondestructive to the beams being monitored) – these
diagnostics should be able to handle the full range of beam power needed, from
watts to megawatts; (3) beam diagnostic devices with increased sensitivities
through the use of superconducting components, such as filters based on high Tc
superconducting technology or Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices;
(4) measurements of direct current, charged particle, average beam currents in
the range 0.1 to 100 µA with very high precision (<10-4); (5) low current beam
diagnostics for radioactive ion beams (for exotic nuclei that will only be
available as beams with intensities less than 107 nuclei/second
(with such low beam intensities, it is very difficult to use standard beam
diagnostic methods); and (6) high current, non-destructive beam diagnostics
for high current electron beams, usable with 100 mA class electron beams such
as may be available in energy recovery electron linacs used for electron
cooling of ion beams or for electron-ion colliders.
1.
Bromley, D. A., ed., “Introduction: Evolution and Use of Nuclear
Detectors and Systems,” Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, 162(1-3, pt.1): 1-8, June 1,
1979. (ISSN: 0029-554X) (This is
a special issue entitled Detectors in
Nuclear Science.)
2.
Duggan, J. L. and Morgan, I. L., eds., Application
of Accelerators in Research and Industry, Proceedings of the Fourteenth
International Conference Denton, TX, November 6-9, 1996, New York:
American Institute of Physics, 1997. (ISBN:
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Duggan, J. L. and Morgan, I. L., eds., Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B, Beam Interactions
with Materials and Atoms, 99(1-4), May 1995.
(ISSN: 0168-583X)
4.
eRHIC,
An electron beam for eA and polarized ep physics at RHIC
5.
Facco, A., et al., “Mechanical Stabilization of Superconducting
Quarter Wave Resonators,” Proceedings
of the 1997 17th Particle Accelerator Conference, PAC-97 Vancouver, BC,
Canada, May 12-16, 1997, 3:3084-3086, IEEE, 1998. (ISBN: 0-7803-4376-X)
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1-5, 1995, New York: IEEE, 1995. (ISBN:
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Harrison, M., “The RHIC Project - Status and Plans,” Proceedings
of the 1995 Particle Accelerator Conference, Dallas, TX, May 1-5, 1995,
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of the 18th International Linac Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, August 26-30,
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Kraimer, M., et al., “Experience with EPICS in a Wide Variety of
Applications,” Proceedings of the 1997
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of the 1999 Particle Accelerator Conference, New York, New York, Mar.
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of Scientific Instruments, 71(2): 603-1239 February 2000.
(ISSN: 0034-6748)
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Scientific Opportunities with an Advanced ISOL
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Scroll down right-hand side of page, and select title to access 86-page
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(ISBN: 1563964821) (AIP Conference Proceedings No. 339) (ISSN:
0094-243X)*
________________________
*
Available from Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
Telephone: 800-777-4643. Website:
http://www.springer-ny.com/
The Department of Energy (DOE) is interested in
supporting projects that may lead to advances in target and detection systems
for nuclear physics experiments. Opportunities
exist for developing equipment beyond the present state-of-the-art and outside
the usual scope of research and development activities at the nuclear physics
national accelerator facilities and university programs.
In addition, a new suite of next-generation detectors will be needed
for the proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator, the energy upgrade at TJNAF, the
luminosity upgrade at RHIC, and the electron-ion accelerator.
All grant applications must explicitly show relevance to the nuclear
physics program. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:
a.
Advances in Detector Technology—Nuclear
physics
research has a need for devices for detecting, analyzing or tracking charged
particles, neutrons, photons, and single atoms. These devices include: solid-state devices such as highly
segmented coaxial and planar germanium detectors, silicon strip and silicon
drift detectors; photosensitive devices such as avalanche photodiodes, hybrid
photomultiplier devices, single and multi anode photomultiplier tubes, and
other novel photon detectors; detectors utilizing photocathodes for Cherenkov
and UV light detection, and the development of new types of large area
photoemissive materials such as solid, liquid, or gas photocathodes;
micro-channel plates; gas-filled detectors such as proportional, drift,
streamer, Cherenkov, micro-strip, gas electron multiplier detectors, resistive
plate chambers, and straw drift tube chambers; liquid argon and xenon
ionization chambers; single-atom detectors using laser techniques and
electromagnetic traps; particle polarization detectors; bolometers which can
detect particles with high resolution; and electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters.
Grant applications are sought to develop advancements in
detector technology for all of the above mentioned detectors.
With respect to solid
state tracking devices, particularly segmented germanium and silicon drift,
strip, and pixel detectors, grant applications are sought for: (1)
manufacturing techniques, including interconnection technologies,
for high granularity, high resolution, light-weight, and radiation-hard solid
state devices; (2) highly arrayed solid state detectors for neutron detection,
with integrated electronics to read-out pulse height. (for example, silicon
strip or pixel arrays with integrated electronics and coating could be
developed so that an alpha-particle is produced when hit with a thermal or
cold neutron – the alpha-particle would recoil into the silicon for
measurement resulting in an inexpensive, large acceptance, high rate device);
(3) thicker (more than 1.5 mm) segmented silicon charged particle and
x-ray detectors and associated high density, high resolution electronics; and
(4) cost-effective production of n-type and p-type silicon drift chambers with
active areas greater than 16 cm2.
With respect to position
sensitive charged particle and photon tracking devices, grant applications are
sought to develop: (1) highly
efficient, position sensitive, high resolution, germanium gamma-ray detectors
utilizing efficient pulse shape analysis schemes (capable of determining the
exact position to within a few millimeters as well as the energy of individual
interactions of gamma-rays with energies up to several MeV in germanium
detectors, hence allowing for the reconstruction of the energy and path of
individual gamma-rays using tracking techniques); (2) hardware and software
needed for digital signal processing in general, and for gamma-ray tracking in
particular; (3) alternative materials, with the same or comparable resolution
as germanium, but with significantly higher efficiency and relatively higher
temperature operation (in order to overcome the costly and bulky requirement
to cool germanium detectors to liquid nitrogen temperatures – this would
allow for new detector applications in nuclear physics, medical imaging,
etc.); (4) new contact technologies for germanium detectors, specifically to
remove lithium contacts, which would allow enhanced segmentation and
stability; (5) advances in more conventional charged particle tracking
detector systems, such as drift chambers, pad chambers, time expansion
chambers, and time proportional chambers (areas of interest include improved
gases or gas additives – that resist aging, improve detector resolution,
decrease flammability, and offer larger/more uniform drift velocity – for
these chambers, and the
development of innovative trackers for RHIC and CEBAF physics such as a fiber
optic tracking devices).
With respect to particle
identification detectors, grant applications are sought for:
(1) inexpensive, large-area, high-quality Cherenkov materials; (2)
inexpensive, position sensitive large-sized photon detection devices for
Cherenkov counters; (3) affordable methods for the large volume production of
xenon and krypton gas (which would contribute to the development of transition
radiation detectors and would also have many applications in X-ray detectors);
and (4) very high resolution particle detectors or bolometers
based on semiconductor materials and cryogenic techniques.
Of particular interest are detector
technologies capable of measuring energies of alpha particles and protons with
less than 5 keV resolution. This
would allow spectroscopy experiments using light charged particles to be
performed in the same way as gamma spectroscopy, enabling a deeper
understanding of nuclear excitations not currently possible with gamma-ray
spectroscopy.
b.
Scintillators and Associated Materials—Grant applications
are sought to develop new materials or advancements for: (1) scintillator
materials for high resolution X-ray
detectors (CdZeTe, HgI2, AlSb, etc.); (2) plastic
scintillators, fibers, and wavelength shifters; (3) cryogenic
liquid scintillation gamma ray detectors (LXe); (4) Cherenkov radiator
materials with indices of refraction up to 1.10 or greater with good optical
transparency; and (5) stable calorimeter materials in single block lengths (up
to 20 radiation lengths) which could be produced in large quantities and at
low cost; and (6) composite materials with high radiation resistance.
Grant applications are also sought for new
scintillation materials for use in large intermediate-energy photon detector
arrays, such as CsF arrays. These
materials must exhibit a light output comparable or greater than bismuth
germinate, have a fast decay time (from less than one nanosecond to a few tens
of nanoseconds) with no slow component, be useful for high rate and/or time of
flight applications, have their density and mean nuclear charge be such that
the radiation length is less than 2 cm, and be capable of fabrication in large
pieces (up to 20 radiation lengths) at reasonable costs.
c. Nuclear
Targets—Grant applications are sought for the development of
special nuclear targets, which specifically and explicitly address nuclear
physics research needs. These special targets include: polarized (with nuclear
spins aligned) high-density gas or solid targets; frozen-gas targets; active
targets; windowless gas targets and supersonic jet targets, for use with very
low energy charged particle beams; and liquid, gaseous, and solid targets
capable of high power dissipation when high intensity, low emittance charged
particle beams are used. Development
of high-power targets with fast release capabilities for the production of
rare isotopes is encouraged. There is also interest in new technology for the
production of ultra-thin films for targets, strippers, and detector windows.
1.
Almeida, J., “Review of the Development of Cesium Iodide
Photocathodes for Application to Large RICH Detectors”, Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A:
Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
367(1-3): 332-336, December 11, 1995. (ISSN:
0168-9002)*
2.
Bauer, C., et al., “Recent Results from Diamond Microstrip
Detectors,” Nuclear Instruments and
Methods in Physics Research, Section
A, 367(1-3): 202-206. December 11, 1995.
(ISSN: 0167-0587)*
3.
Bellwied, R., et al., “Development of Large Linear Silicon Drift
Detectors for the STAR Experiment at RHIC,” Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research,
Section A, 377 (2-3):
387-392, August 1,1996. (ISSN:
0167-0587)*
4.
Bromley, D. A., “Evolution and Use of Nuclear Detectors and
Systems,” Nuclear Instruments and
Methods in Physics Research, Section
A, 162(1-3, pt. I): 1-8, June 1-15, 1979.
(ISSN: 0029-554X)*
5.
Conceptual
Design Report for the Solenoidal Tracker at the Relativistic Heavy Ion
Collider (RHIC),
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, June 15, 1992.
(Report No. LBL-PUB-5347) (NTIS Order No. DE92041174)
6.
Contin, A., et al., “New Results in Optical Fiber Cherenkov
Calorimetry,” Nuclear Instruments and
Methods in Physics Research, Section A, 367(1-3): 271-275, December
11, 1995. (ISSN: 0168-9002)*
7.
Davinson, T., et al., “Development of a Silicon Strip Detector Array
for Nuclear Structure Physics,” Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research,
Section A, 288(1):
245-249, March 1, 1990. (ISSN:
0168-9002)*
8.
Deleplanque, M. A., et al., “GRETA [Gamma Ray Energy Tracking Array]:
Utilizing New Concepts in Gamma Ray Detection,” Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A, 430(2-3): 292-310, July 1999.
(ISSN: 0167-0587) {Also available on web under “Documents” at http://greta.lbl.gov/
*
9.
Eisen, Y., et al., “CdTe and CdZnTe Gamma Ray Detectors for Medical
and Industrial Imaging Systems,” Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section
A, 428(1): 158-176, June 1999.
(ISSN: 0168-9002)*
10.
Gatti, E., et al., “Silicon Drift Chambers - First Results and
Optimum Processing of Signals,”
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in
Physics research, Section A, 226 (1): 129-141, September 15, 1984.
(ISSN: 0167-0587)*
11.
Grupen, C., Particle Detectors,
New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
(ISBN: 0-521-55216-8)
12.
Hershcovitch, A., “A Plasma Window for Vacuum-Atmosphere Interface
and Focusing Lens of Sources for Nonvacuum Ion Material Modification,” from
a paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Ion Sources,
Taormina, Italy, September 7-13, 1997, Review
of Scientific Instruments, 69(2): 868-873, February1998.
(ISSN: 0034-6748)
13.
Knowles, P. E., “A Windowless Frozen Hydrogen Target System,” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A,
368(3): 604-610, January 11, 1996. (ISSN:
0168-9002)*
14.
Libby, B., et al., “Particle Identification in TEC/TRD Prototypes for
the PHENIX Detector at RHIC.” Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A, 367(1-3):
244-247, December 11, 1995. (ISSN:
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15.
Meier, J., et al., “Energy Sensitive Detection of Heavy Ions with
Transition Edge Calorimeters,” Journal
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(ISSN: 0022-2291)
16.
PHENIX
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17.
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(ISSN: 0168-9002)*
19. Vetter, K., et al., “Three-Dimensional Position Sensitivity in Two-Dimensionally Segmented HP-Ge Detectors,” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A, 452(1-2): 223-238, September 21, 2000. (ISSN: 0167-0587)*
_________________________
*
Full text available on the Web from ScienceDirect at:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/publications/
journal/physics
The DOE seeks developments in detector
instrumentation electronics with improved energy, position, and timing
resolution; sensitivity; rate capability; stability; dynamic range;
durability; and background suppression. Of
particular interest is innovative readout electronics for use with the nuclear
physics detectors described in Topic 37.
All grant applications must explicitly show relevance to the nuclear
physics program. Grant applications are
sought only in the following subtopics:
a. Advances in Digital Electronics—Digital signal
processing electronics is needed to replace analog signal processing in
nuclear physics applications. Grant
applications are sought to develop: (1)
digital processors that include the features of current main amplifiers, such
as pile-up rejection and ballistic deficit correction; (2) digital pulse
processing electronics for solid state detectors, in particular for position
sensitive detectors; and (3) fast digital processing electronics in order to
determine the position of interaction points (of particle collisions) to an
accuracy smaller than the size of the detector segments (note that it will be
important to analyze the pulse shape of the preamplifier pulses).
b. Integrated
Circuits—Grant applications are sought for special purpose, custom
designed integrated circuits and for circuits and systems for rapidly
processing data from highly segmented, position-sensitive germanium detectors
(pixel sizes of approximately 1 cm2) and from particle detectors
(e.g., gas detectors, scintillation counters, silicon drift chambers, silicon
strip detectors, particle calorimeters, and Cherenkov counters) used in
nuclear physics experiments. Areas
of specific interest include (1) representative circuits such as low noise
preamplifiers, amplifiers, analog storage devices, analog-to-digital and
time-to-digital converters, transient digitizers, and time-to-amplitude
converters; (2) readout electronics for solid-state pixilated detectors,
including interconnection technologies and amplifier/sample-and-hold
integrated circuits; and (3) a constant
fraction discriminator that has uniform response for low and high energy
gamma-rays, as well as a discriminator that can separate neutrons and gamma
rays. These circuits
should be fast, low-cost, high-density, and configurable
in software for thresholds, gains, etc.
Compatibility with one of the widely used module interconnection
standards (FASTBUS, VMEbus, etc.) also would be highly desirable, as would low
power consumption, advanced packaging, adaptability to a large number of
multiple channels, and commercial
digitizing circuits (ICs, ADCs, FADCs, and TDCs) made available as
multi-channel chips (4X, 8X, 16X...).
In addition,
planned luminosity upgrades at RHIC and experiments at the Large Hadron
Collider will require fine-grained vertex and tracking detectors (both silicon
and gas) for high particle multiplicity environments.
Therefore, grant applications are sought for advances in
microelectronics that are specifically designed for low noise amplification
and processing of detector signals, and that are suitable for these next
generation detectors. The
microelectronics and associated interconnections will need to be lightweight
and have low power dissipation. Designs
that minimize higher gate leakage currents due to tunneling and maintain
dynamic range would be of particular interest.
c. Advanced
Devices and Systems—Grant applications are sought for improved or advanced
devices and systems used in conjunction with the electronic circuits and
systems described in subtopics a and b. Areas
of interest include bus systems, data links, event handlers, multiple
processors, and fast buffered time and analog digitizers.
Generalized software and hardware packages, with improved graphic and
visualization capabilities, for the acquisition and analysis of nuclear
physics research data are also of interest.
d. Manufacturing and Assembly Techniques—Grant
applications are sought to develop: (1) manufacturing techniques for large,
thin, multiple-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs) with plated-through holes
with dimensions from 2m x 2m to 5m x 5m and 100-200 micron thick (these PCBs
would have use in cathode pad chambers, cathode strip chambers, time
projection chamber cathode boards, etc); (2) techniques to add plated-through
holes in a reliable, robust way to large rolls of metallized mylar or kapton
(with application to such detectors as time expansion chambers or large
cathode strip chambers); and (3) miniaturization techniques for connectors and
cables with 5 times to 10 times the density of standard interdensity
connectors.
Lastly, many
next generation detectors will have highly segmented electrode geometries with
5-5000 channels per square centimeter, covering areas up to several square
meters. Because conventional
packaging and assembly technology cannot be used at these high densities,
grant applications are sought for: (1) advanced interconnect technologies that
address the issues of high density, area-array connections including
modularity, reliability, repair/rework, and electrical parasites; (2)
technology for aggregating and transporting the signals (analog and digital)
generated by the front-end electronics, and for distributing and conditioning
power and common signals (clock, reset, etc.); (3) advanced high-bandwidth
data links for detectors that generate extremely high data volumes (e.g.
>500Gb/s); and (4) new low-cost methods for efficient cooling of
on-detector electronics.
1.
1999 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference,
Seattle, WA, October 24-30, 1999, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science. 47 (3
pt.2): 729-1257, June 2000. (ISSN:
0018-9499)
2.
Conceptual
Design Report for the Solenoidal Tracker at RHIC, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, June 15, 1992.
(Report No. LBL-PUB-5347) (NTIS Order No. DE92041174)*
3.
Kroeger, R. A., et al., “Charge Sensitive Preamplifier and Pulse
Shaper Using CMOS Process for Germanium Spectroscopy,” IEEE
Transactions on Nuclear Science, 42(4, pt.1): 921-924, August 1995.
(ISSN: 0018-9499)
4.
PHENIX
Conceptual Design Report An Experiment to be Performed at the Brookhaven
National Laboratory Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, Brookhaven National Laboratory, January 29, 1993.
(Report No. BNL-48922) (NTIS Order No. DE93015759)*
5.
Proceedings
of the International Symposium on Solid State Detectors for the 21st Century,
Osaka, Japan, December 4-6, Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A, 436(1-2), October
21, 1999. (ISSN: 0168-9002)**
6.
Makdisi, Y. and Stevens, A. J., Proceedings
of the Symposium on Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider Detector R& D, Upton,
NY, October 10-11, 1991, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 1991.
(Report No. BNL-52321) (NTIS Order No. DE93010855/HDM)*
7.
Lee, I-Y., ed., Proceedings of
the Workshop on the Experimental Equipment for an Advanced ISOL Facility,
Berkeley, CA, July 22-25, 1998, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL),
August 15, 1998. (Report No. LBNL-42138)
(OSTI Document No. DE00760328) (Available via interlibrary loan only.
Cannot be loaned to individuals. Contact
LBNL Library at:
Library@lbl.gov)
(1999 summary of proceedings, including recommendations, available on the Web
at:
8.
Simpson, M. L., et al., “An Integrated, CMOS, Constant-Fraction
Timing Discriminator for Multichannel Detector Systems,” IEEE
Transactions on Nuclear Science, 42(4, pt. 1): 762-766, August 1995.
(ISSN: 0018-9499)
9.
Thomas, S. L., et al., “A Modular Amplifier System for the Readout of
Silicon Strip Detectors,” Nuclear
Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A, 288(1): 212-218,
March 1, 1990. (ISSN:
0168-9002)**
________________________
* Available from National Technical Information
Service (NTIS). Telephone: 1-800-553-6847.
Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/
(Please note: Items that appear to be unavailable via the Web site might be
obtained by phoning NTIS. See
Solicitation Information and Guidelines, section 7.1.)
** Available
from ScienceDirect at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/publications/
journal/physics.
Large scale data storage and processing systems are
needed to store, retrieve, and process data from experiments conducted at
large facilities, such as Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Relativistic
Heavy Ion Collider and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.
These data, produced at rates of 100 MB/sec or more, result in the
annual production of data sets on the order of several hundred Terabytes (TB).
Similar data management systems are required to support the needs for
non-accelerator nuclear physics experiments.
The investigation and intelligent storage of these large amounts of
data represents the largest computational challenge in experimental nuclear
physics. Grant applications are sought
only in the following subtopics:
a. Data Handling and
Distribution—Large scale
data storage and access, as well as processing and distribution systems are
required for the scientific programs being carried out at Nuclear Physics
facilities across the nation. These
facilities produce 100s of TB of data per year. Many 10s of TB of data per year are distributed to many
institutions around the U.S. and other countries for analysis by the
scientific collaborators. Grant
applications are sought for (1) hardware and software techniques to improve
the effectiveness and reduce the costs of handling such large data volumes,
(2) hardware and software techniques to
improve the effectiveness of the computational and data grids (see reference
[3] for these uses); and (3) novel approaches to data mining, automatic
structuring of data and information, and facilitated information retrieval –
in particular, methods for improving the storage and retrieval of data from
array-type detector systems (like the Gammasphere), which consist of a large
number of nearly identical detectors.
Projections of the cost of data
storage media show that magnetic disk media will soon be competitive with
magnetic tape for storing large volumes of data. However, because most of the data in nuclear physics datasets
is accessed infrequently, the infrastructure costs of operating a petabyte
disk storage system could be prohibitive compared to magnetic tape systems
that keep all disk drives powered and spinning.
Therefore, grant applications are sought for new techniques leading to
petabyte-scale magnetic disk systems, with low cost and low power usage, that
scale linearly with the amount of data accessed rather than with the total
storage capacity.
b.
Novel and Improved Methods for Using Scientific Databases—In general, data produced by nuclear physics experiments consist of two
types, event data and auxiliary data. Although
auxiliary data (which describe the state of the detector, accelerator, and
other environmental aspects) are usually stored in databases, this has not
been traditionally been the case for event data.
However, over the last decade, there has been interest in using
databases to store all, or at least selected parts, of the event data in
databases. Therefore, grant
applications are sought for: (1) novel methods for using databases to store
and access all aspects of nuclear experimental data; (2) software that would
make nuclear physics databases easier to use; and (3) methods for using
databases that would allow nuclear physics data to be available to a wider
audience, i.e., beyond the researchers that initially obtained the data.
c.
Distributed Collaborative Infrastructure—Over the last couple of
decades the typical experimental nuclear physics collaboration has grown from
a handful of physicists to hundreds of physicists and engineers.
Many collaborators are not permanently stationed at the location where
the experiment is taking place, and therefore it is often difficult for them
to fully contribute to the experiment and the analysis of the experimental
results. Also, the shear size of
the collaboration makes it difficult, even for collaborators at the
experimental site, to effectively interact and disseminate information.
The World Wide Web (WWW) was initially created to address these issues,
but today the problem has grown to a magnitude, where just using the WWW is
not enough. Therefore, grant
applications are sought for: (1)
client-server frameworks and Web tools for creating collaborative
environments, facilitating the remote participation of detector experts at the
data collection stage, and allowing collaborators to remotely monitor
experiments, while still preserving the highest degree of safety and security;
(2) computer system components and supporting software incorporating the use
of Quality-of-Service features generally available in wide area networks; (3)
software to support data systems distributed over a wide area network; and (4)
framework, interconnects, and other peripherals to allow the use and orderly
aggregation of commodity computers and computer peripherals at larger than
normal scales, or at higher performance levels than usual.
1.
Firestone, R. B., “Nuclear Structure and Decay Data in the Electronic
Age,” Journal of Radioanalytical and
Nuclear Chemistry, 243(1): 77-86, January, 2000.
(ISSN: 0236-5731).
2.
Foster, I. and Kesselman, C., The
Grid: Blueprint for a New
Computing Infrastructure, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 1998.
(ISBN 1558604758)
3.
Maurer, S. M., et al., “Science’s Neglected Legacy,” Nature, 405(6783): 117-120, May 11, 2000. (ISSN: 0028-0836)
4.
Off-Line
Computing for RHIC,
Brookhaven National Laboratory, July 20, 1997.
(Available on the Web at: http://www.rarf.riken.go.jp/rarf/rhic/rhic-cc-j/.
To view, select ps or pdf to right of title.)
5.
Proceedings
of the International Conference on Computing in High Energy Physics, Berlin,
Germany, April 7-11, 1997. (Proceedings available on Web at http://www.ifh.de/CHEP97/chep97.htm)