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Describing advanced detectors and their visualization and investigation techniques, this book presents the major applications in nuclear and high-energy physics, astrophysics, medicine and radiation measurements.
List of contents
I. IntroductionI.1. Why is it necessary to detect photons and charged particles?(from the structure of the matter and universe to practical applications)I.2. Principle of radiation interaction with gasesI.3. History of developments and traditional position-sensitive gaseous detectors:a) Spark chambersb) Multi-wire proportional chambers. Why multi-wire proportional chambers revolutionized the detector developments?c) Parallel-plate chambersd) Resistive plate chambers (RPCs)e) Time-projection chambersf) Gas scintillation detectors and light emission chambersII. Operational Physics of Gaseous Detectors1. Townsend avalanches2. Proportional mode of operation3. Physics of photon and ion feedbacks4. Geiger mode of operation5. Streamers and breakdowns6. Maximum achievable gas gains and the Raether limit7. Operation at very high counting rates and the cathode excitement effect8. Optimization of gas mixtures for the needs of particular measurements or requirements. III. Recent DevelopmentsIII.1.Photosensitive gaseous detectors1. Multi-wire chambers filled with photosensitive gases2. Multi-wire and parallel-plate chambers combined with solid photocathodesIII.2. Micropattern gaseous detectors-a new revolution in the detector developments1. Microstrip gas chambers 2. Microdot gas chambers3. Microgap parallel-plate chambers and MICROMEGAS4. Capillary plates, GEMs, GEMs with resistive electrodes5. LEAK detector and other new designs of micropattern gaseous detectors6. Operational physics of micropattern gaseous detectors a) What determines the maximum achievable gain in the micropattern gaseous detectors? b) Raether limit in the case of the micropattern detectors c) Cathode excitement effect 7. New possibilities in measurements offered by micropattern gaseous detectors a) Very high position resolution detectors b) Micropattern photo-detectorsIV. Applications of Position-Sensitive Gaseous Detectors1. High energy physics (latest applications of position gaseous detectors in high energy physics experiments for tracking, muon detection and Cherenkov light detection)2. Astrophysics and search of dark matter (flight and ground experiments)3. Plasma diagnostics4. Medicine and biology (full body x-ray scanners, heart diagnostics, mammographic scanners, portal imaging devices for advanced radiotherapy, biological imaging devices, PETs (RPC and high pressure capillary tubes)5. Industrial and homeland security (crystallographic industrial imaging devices, airport x-ray scanners, muon tomography, UV visualization; recent developments: Rn and Po monitors, detectors of flames and dangerous gases)V. Conclusions The role of gaseous detectors in the greatest scientific discoveries, important applications, their possible future and their place with respect to other position-sensitive detectors (solid state, vacuum, liquid?).
About the author
Prof. E. Nappi studied physics at the University of Bari where he completed his higher education in 1981. In 1983 he became a staff researcher at the INFN (Italian Institute for Research in Nuclear Physics) and since 2002 is Director of Research. Since the beginning of his career, he has had a keen interest in the experimental aspects of CERN's physics program of ultra-relativistic collisions of heavy ions and has been active in the NA35, WA97 and NA57 experiments at the SPS and subsequently, in the conception and development of the ALICE experiment at the LHC. During the sixteen years spent in ALICE, he occupied the highest managerial positions; he is member of the Management Board of ALICE since 1998, the year in which he was the recipient of a two-year scientific associateship at CERN to serve the experiment as deputy-spokesperson. He is the author and co-author of almost 140 papers published in international journals as well as member of the International Scientific Advisory and Organizing Committees in several conferences and workshops on nuclear physics instrumentation.
Prof. Vladimir Peskov is a chief scientist at the Institute for Chemical Physics Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). Having obtained his academic degrees (Ph.D in 1976 and Doctor of Sciences in 1982) from the Institute of Physical Problems RAS in Moscow, he worked in the Physics Laboratory RAS led by P.L. Kapitza where he discovered and studied a new type of plasma instability. In 1986 he obtained an Associate Scientist position at CERN in G. Charpak's group and later spent most of his career working at various Scientific Institutions (CERN, Fermi National Laboratory, NASA and the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden) on the instrumentation for high energy physics, astrophysics and medicine. He is an author and co-author of more than one hundred publications and twelve International Patents, member of the International Scientific Advisory and Organizing Committees in several conferences and workshops on instrumentation for high energy physics.
Summary
Describing advanced detectors and their visualization and investigation techniques, this book presents the major applications in nuclear and high-energy physics, astrophysics, medicine and radiation measurements.
Report
"Each of us will find in this book some corner of our own memory, the significance of our own gaseous detector in recent and current experiments, together with a touch of the new in exploring the many possible applications of gas counters in medicine, biology or homeland security and - when closing the book - the compelling need to stay in the lab. Chapeau! ." ( CERN Courier , 26 April 2013)
