Open Access

Meiko Volknandt

• The following thesis is the description and the analysis of time resolution measurements of the plastic scintillator protorypes bar with PMT (photomultiplier tube) readout, performed with a 31 MeV electron beam at the HZDR (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf) [1]. Similar bars will be used as building blocks for the NeuLAND detector (new large area neutron detector) - a ToF (time of flight) wall within the R3B setup (Reactions with Relativistic Radioactive Beams [2]) at the future FAIR facility (GSI Darmstadt [3]). The superconducting ELBE (electron linear-accellerator for beams of high brilliance and low emittance) was used as an electron source. The scintillation material used was RP408. Two series of measurements were made within three months. In the first series, three bars of different sizes (200 x 5 x 5 cm3; 200 x 3 x 3 cm3; 300 x 5 x 5 cm3, the latter was made by coupling one 100 cm bar with a 200 cm bar using silicon grease) were used in the experiment consecutively. They had one Hamamatsu R8619 photomultiplier tube with an active diameter of 22 mm attached to each side with silicon grease. A measurement with the 200 x 5 x 5 cm3 bar without silicon grease was also performed. In the second series, two equal scintillator bars (270 x 5 x 5 cm3 with a 10 cm light guide) on each side were used. Measurements with and without silicon coupling as well as with two different types of PMTs (R8619 and R2059) were executed. Time and charge signals were processed with the TACQUILA electronic board. The time resolution was measured with the very precise pulsed electron signal of the accelerator. The time resolution measurements resulted in ρ200x5x5 ~ 159 ps; ρ200x5x5,no silicon ~ 162 ps; ρ200x3x3 ~ 153 ps; ρ300x5x5 ~ 204 ps. For the second date they resulted in ρR8619 ~ 149 ps; ρR8619, no silicon ~ 175 ps; ρR2059 ~ 141 ps. More tests and analysis is required until the results are definite.