Digital pulse-shape analysis and controls for advanced detector systems

PhD ceremony: Mr. V.I. Stoica, 14.30 uur, Aula Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Digital pulse-shape analysis and controls for advanced detector systems

Promotor(s): prof. N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki

Faculty: Mathematics and Natural Sciences

The aim of the project reported in this thesis was to develop Digital Pulse-Shape Analysis (DPSA) algorithms and controls systems for the Nuclear STructure Astrophysics and Reactions (NuSTAR) experiments at the upcoming Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR).

Some of these experiments will encompass a tremendous number of electronics channels (> 105), requiring smart online solutions for data processing. We have developed, implemented and tested DPSA algorithms, on front-end electronics using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), as independent modules dealing with digitized data in a real-time environment. The pile-up compensation algorithm does not identify and reject the events in pile-up as common methods do, but it identifies and corrects the affected amplitudes making it possible to also use the events affected by pile-up in the analysis. Due to the stringent and broad requirements of the experiments currently being set up by the NuSTAR collaboration, not only controls are needed, but flexible and distributed controls are required. In this work, a prototype framework for the self-adjusting control-loop approach was created and proven functional. The DPSA algorithms and the control loop are further tested with radioactive sources and in-beam which show that the digital electronics performs well in beam conditions. We have shown that our approach on controls and DPSA algorithms is a viable solution for the upcoming NuSTAR experiments and that it opens the way for a robust, modular and scalable data processing/DAQ for NuSTAR.