Improving Photoelectron Counting and Particle Identification in Scintillation Detectors with Bayesian Techniques

Published

December 19, 2014

Author(s)

Kevin J. Coakley, M. Akashi-Ronquest, P.-A. Amaudruz, B. Beltran, M. Bodmer, M.G. Boulay, R. Bourque, B. Buck, A. Butcher, B. Cai, T. Caldwell, M. Chen, Y. Chen, B. Cleveland, F. A. Duncan, E. O'Dwyer, E. Flores, J. A. Formaggio, D. Gastler, F. Giuliani, M. Gold, V. V. Golovko, P. Gore, K. Graham, E. Grace, J. Griego, N. Guerrero, V. Guiseppe, A. L. Hallin, P. Harvey, R. Henning, A, Hime, J. Hofgartner, S. Jaditz, C. J. Jillings, C. Kachulis, E. Kearns, J. Kelsey, J. R. Klein, M. Ku'zniak, A. Latorre, L. Lawson, O. Li, J. J. Lidgard, P. Liimatainen, S. Linden, W. H. Lippincott, F. Lopez, K. McFarlane, R. Mathew, A. B. McDonald, D.-M Mei, J. Monroe, A. Muir, C. Nantais, J. A. Nikkel, J. Oertel, K. Olsen, G. D. Orebi Gann, C. Oullet, K. Palladino, P. Pasuthip, G. Perumpilly, T. Pollmann, W. Rau, F. Reti'ere, L. Rodriguez, R. Schnee, S. Seibert, P. Skensved, T. Sonley, E. V'azquez Ja' uregui, J. Walding, B. Wang

Abstract

Many current and future dark matter and neutrino detectors are designed to record scintillation light with a large array of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The energy resolution and particle identification capabilities of these detectors depend in part on the ability to accurately identify individual photoelectrons in PMT waveforms despite large variability in pulse amplitudes and pulse pileup. We describe a Bayesian technique that can identify the times of individual photoelectrons in a sampled PMT waveform without deconvolution, even when pileup is present. To demonstrate the technique, we apply it to the general problem of particle identification in single-phase liquid argon dark matter detectors. Using the output of the Bayesian photoelectron counting algorithm described in this paper, we construct several test statistics for rejection of backgrounds for dark matter searches in argon. The photoelectron counting technique improves both energy resolution and particle identification of low energy events in calibration data from the DEAP-1 detector and simulation of the larger MiniCLEAN dark matter detector.

Citation

Astroparticle Physics

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

dark matter, neutrino, pulse-shape discrimination, liquid argon

Citation

Coakley, K. , Akashi-Ronquest, M. , Amaudruz, P. , Beltran, B. , Bodmer, M. , Boulay, M. , Bourque, R. , Buck, B. , Butcher, A. , Cai, B. , Caldwell, T. , Chen, M. , Chen, Y. , Cleveland, B. , Duncan, F. , O'Dwyer, E. , Flores, E. , Formaggio, J. , Gastler, D. , Giuliani, F. , Gold, M. , Golovko, V. , Gore, P. , Graham, K. , Grace, E. , Griego, J. , Guerrero, N. , Guiseppe, V. , Hallin, A. , Harvey, P. , Henning, R. , Hofgartner, J. , Jaditz, S. , Jillings, C. , Kachulis, C. , Kearns, E. , Kelsey, J. , Klein, J. , Ku'zniak, M. , Latorre, A. , Lawson, L. , Li, O. , Lidgard, J. , Liimatainen, P. , Linden, S. , Lippincott, W. , Lopez, F. , McFarlane, K. , Mathew, R. , McDonald, A. , Mei, D. , Monroe, J. , Muir, A. , Nantais, C. , Nikkel, J. , Oertel, J. , Olsen, K. , Orebi, G. , Oullet, C. , Palladino, K. , Pasuthip, P. , Perumpilly, G. , Pollmann, T. , Rau, W. , Reti'ere, F. , Rodriguez, L. , Schnee, R. , Seibert, S. , Skensved, P. , Sonley, T. , V'azquez, E. , Walding, J. and Wang, B. (2014), Improving Photoelectron Counting and Particle Identification in Scintillation Detectors with Bayesian Techniques, Astroparticle Physics (Accessed February 6, 2025)