By Tom Francke and Vladimir Peskov
IGI Global
Gaseous photomultipliers are gas-filled devices capable of detecting single photons (in the visible and UV spectrum) with a high position resolution. They are used in various research settings, in particular high-energy physics, and are among several types of contemporary single-photon detectors. This book provides a detailed comparison between photosensitive detectors based on different technologies, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages of them for diverse applications.
After describing the main principles underlying the conversion of photons to photoelectrons and the electron avalanche multiplication effect, the characteristics (and requirements) of position-sensitive gaseous photomultipliers are discussed. A long section of the book is then dedicated to describing and analysing the development of these detectors, which evolved from photomultipliers filled with photosensitive vapours to devices using liquid and then solid photocathodes. UV-sensitive photodetectors based on caesium iodide and caesium telluride, which are mainly used as Cherenkov-ring imaging detectors and are currently employed in the ALICE and COMPASS experiments at CERN, are presented in a dedicated chapter. The latest generation of gaseous photomultipliers, sensitive up to the visible region, are also discussed, as are alternative position-sensitive detectors.
The authors then focus on the Cherenkov light effect, its discovery and the way it has been used to identify particles. The introduction of ring imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors was a breakthrough and led to the application of these devices in various experiments, including the Cosmic AntiParticle Ring Imaging Cherenkov Experiment (CAPRICE) and the former CERN experiment Charge Parity violation at Low Energy Antiproton Ring (CP LEAR).
The latest generation of RICH detectors and applications of gaseous photomultipliers beyond RICH detectors are also discussed, completing the overview of the subject.
