High Spatial Resolution Detectors for Nuclear Physics Applications

Every particle collider experiment needs large acceptance and low mass tracking detectors between the interaction point and the calorimetric detectors. The current trend of increasing the luminosity of the next generation of particle colliders will significantly increase the number of possible hit combinations, making it extremely difficult to identify tracks with the current tracking detectors. The challenge in next-generation tracking detectors will be to achieve simultaneously precise timing, high granularity, high-rate readout, and radiation hardness. Under this SBIR program, we will develop a new class of tracking detectors that will match the requirements set forth by the high luminosity experiment requirements and will significantly enhance the detector output. The major accomplishments of Phase I were: (a) successful development of the high spatial resolution scintillator using a scalable methodology, (b) demonstration of particle tracking capabilities, and (c) demonstration of the scintillatorĺs fast timing response. The major tasks of phase II are: (a) scaling up the high spatial resolution scintillator, (b) testing and further enhancing the radiation hardness of the detectors, (c) develop prototypes of high spatial resolution scintillator detectors. economical high spatial resolution detectors developed under this project will not only benefit nuclear physics research but will also pave the pathway for multimodal detectors used for various imaging applications, including medical and homeland security. These detectors can be customized to a particular application and will provide the avenue for the development of the next generation of high spatial resolution detectors.