High-Speed, Multi-Channel Detector Readout Electronics for Fast Radiation Detectors

Studies of exotic nuclei, performed at DOE accelerator facilities, use a variety of radiation detectors to measure the properties of these nuclei. Some of these accelerators are being upgraded to reach higher energies and generate better yields of highly unstable nuclei with shorter lifetimes. At the same time, detectors are being improved to generate faster signals that can provide higher count rates and better position, time, and/or energy resolution. To match these improvements, high-speed digital detector readout electronics will be needed. This project will involve the redesign of digital readout electronics, developed previously for radiation detectors, to achieve digitization of a detector signal up to 500 MHz and 12 bit precision, while still providing full spectrometer functions. In Phase I, field programmable gate arrays were evaluated for the feasibility of fast data capture; an existing electronics module was updated with a 500MHz, 12 bit analog-to-digital converter; and firmware for fast waveform capture was developed. The preliminary evaluation demonstrated that capture and on-board processing of fast waveforms at 500 MHz is feasible. In Phase II, the test hardware will be upgraded to a commercial prototype, a faster readout will be added, and throughput will be increased with a fast-floating-point digital signal processor. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: When applied to the studies of exotic nuclei, the proposed instrument will help in the attempt to answer important questions related to the fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model of Weak Interactions. In other scientific applications, the instrument could improve the quality and amount of data obtained from fast detectors. Practical applications include gamma/neutron pulse-shape discrimination in the signals of fast liquid scintillators, which is increasingly used in cargo imaging applications for homeland security