Experimental Techniques of Particle Physics

Objectives

The main purpose of this course is to give an overview of the experimental technique used in particle physics. It covers from the basic principles used to the integration of a full complete detector.

Skills

• Formulate and tackle problems, both open and more defined, identifying the most relevant principles and using approaches where necessary to reach a solution, which should be presented with an explanation of the suppositions and approaches.
• Understand the bases of advanced topics selected at the frontier of high energy physics, astrophysics and cosmology and apply them consistently.

Learning outcomes

1. Design a detector for a specific problem of physics.
2. Understand the different techniques for particle detection (scintillation, ionisation, Cherenkov light, etc.)
3. Understand the fundamentals of interaction of radiation with matter.

Content

Particle Interactions with matter

• General Considerations
• Atomic ionization and excitation
• Small angle multiple difusion
• Photon interactions with matter
• Electromagnetic Cascades
• Interactions of high-energy muons
• Cherenkov radiation and transition radiation

Review of electronic circuits and other technical aspects

• Circuits with reactive elements
• Propagation of electrical signals in cables

Detection Techniques

• Overview
• Photon detectors
• Scintillators
• Cherenkov radiation detectors
• Transition radiation detectors
• Thread cameras
• Gas Microdetectors
• Resistive plate chambers
• Time projection chambers
• Semiconductor detectors

Experimental Design Equipment

• Context: fixed target experiments, in the center of mass, or without beaming • Measures of position, time, quadrumoments; particle identification
• Trace and vertex detectors
• Calorimeters
• Muon spectrometers
• Fixed target Beams: Experiment design
• Colliding beams: Experiment design
• Experiments with neutrinos
• Searching for the proton decay
• Other searches: dark matter, double beta decay

Prerequisites

No specific prerequisites are set for this course.