Experimental Techniques
The activities of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Experimental Particle and Nuclear Physics involve:
The development of technologically advanced detector systems for particle detection and the required instrumentation for their operation including the data acquisition and monitoring.
The conduction of experiments to find a solution to a theoretical problem or for the exploration of the validity of theories, but also for the calibration and testing of detector systems.
The development of the data analysis methodology for detector systems and experiments
At the same time, the techniques being developed can find useful applications and solve technological problems in other scientific fields but also in societyCMS Preshower
The CMS preshower detector is specifically designed to distinguish neutral pions (decaying in two photons) from Higgs photons. The main components of the detector are two active layers of silicon detectors in xy geometry in combination with two layers of Pb which forces photons in early conversion. The detectors is implemented in the form of circular annulus (two at each end cap of the experiment), covers a total area of 16m2 and comprises 5000 silicon sensors with dimensions 6.3cm x 6.3cm segmented in 32 strips. Demokritos is responsible for the construction and installation of 500 micromodules and is involved in physics studies concerning neutral pions reconstruction. Multivariable analysis methods (neural net, likelihood) are being used for pattern recognition. In parallel contributes to the development of other data reduction techniques within the trends of the CMS physics analysis program
Micromodule with a silicon sensor and the associated read out electronics
More information in : http://www.dil.demokritos.gr/
Data acquisition for X-ray imaging
The system comprises a linear array of CdTe sensors, a custom-made PCI card and two application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a front-end readout chip and a digital counting chip. The dynamic range of the system is extended from 30keV up to 250keV. As the readout chip includes also a polarity select circuit, the system is suitable for applications with both types of detectors, that are electrons or holes collecting devices. Due to the adopted readout architecture the counting rate achieved is extremely high up to 3MHz. In the expense of that, the measured noise was around 1200 electrons for the 2pF detector capacitance.
Microanalysis Laboratory
Since the installation of the Tandem accelerator (early 1970’s), the Institute of Nuclear Physics started an applied research program for the development of microanalytical nuclear and atomic methods with application in the interdisciplinary field. After 1990, the laboratory was equipped with a scattering chamber for various applications of particle spectroscopy (backscattering, channeling), as well as with different X-ray fluorescence arrangements. The main objectives of the microanalysis laboratory are: a) the analysis and characterization of materials with interest in technology, environment, public health, biomedicine and cultural heritage, b) the development of new analytical nuclear and atomic methods, c) the development of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers for in-situ non-destructive analyses and d) education.
ΕΛΕΑ Data Acquisition, Monitoring and Analysis (DAMA) Laboratory
The laboratory for Data Acquisition, Monitoring and Analysis (DAMA) was established in 1999 to support the needs of the Elementary Particle Physics groups of the Institute of Nuclear Physics on the methods and technology of Data Acquisition, Monitoring and Triggering systems as well as on the Statistical Data Analysis methodologies. Additionally DAMA specializes on the design and construction of detectors based on novel detector techniques. These detectors can be used in Elementary Particle experiments and in other applied fields as well as in Industry and Medical Physics.
Τthe Data Acquisition System for the Micromegas detector in the DAMA laboratory of the Institute of Nuclear Physics.
The DAMA lab also contributes to the formal education by introducing novel methods for the teaching of science (see Eudoxos) as well as novel teaching instrumentation.
Grid
The ever increasing needs of the scientific community for more computing power necessitates the use of a new computing model. The Grid comes to meet this challenge. The Institute of Nuclear Physics has been one of the pioneers of this paradigm in Greece, through the participation to the European program Crossgrid and the HellasGrid committee. The Institute administers and runs a local Grid cluster within the CMS experiment, and helps the administration of local Grid clusters in UoA and NTUA.