Development of a compact scintillator hodoscope with wavelength-shifting fibre read-out

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 539; no. 1; pp. 112 - 124
• Main Authors: Achenbach, C.P., Cobb, J.H., Wahl, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 21.02.2005
• Subjects: Cosmic-ray detectors; Hodoscopes; Multi-anode photomultipliers; Scintillation detectors; Wavelength-shifting fibres; Hodoscopes; 29.40.Mc; Cosmic-ray detectors; 85.60.Ha; Scintillation detectors; Wavelength-shifting fibres; Multi-anode photomultipliers; 95.55.Vj
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2004.10.018

We report on the prototyping of a plastic scintillator hodoscope with wavelength-shifting fibre read-out by a multi-anode photomultiplier as part of the development of a detector for cosmic-ray muons to be carried aboard an aircraft. Light yield and light attenuation measurements on single- and double-clad wavelength-shifting fibres were performed. Low power, low-threshold, discriminators were designed. A prototype 16-channel hodoscope with two planes was built and tested with cosmic rays. After correcting for geometrical factors a global intrinsic efficiency of ε > 98 % was obtained in both planes. The overall performance of the hodoscope proved it to be well suited for the A dler experiment to measure the high-altitude muon flux.