[Paper Review] Multi-channel gas electron multiplier with metallic electrodes

Б. М. Овчинников, В. В. Парусов+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 15, 2010

Plasma Diagnostics and Applications3 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents a multi-channel gas electron multiplier (MGEM) with metallic electrodes fabricated from 1 mm thick brass plates, featuring 1 mm diameter holes spaced 1.5 mm apart and 3 mm gaps between electrodes. It achieves a maximum electron multiplication gain of 30,000 in neon gas with sub-ppm-level N₂ and H₂O admixtures, demonstrating high performance for particle detection applications.

ABSTRACT

The design of multi-channel gas electron multiplier (MGEM) with metallic electrodes is proposed, produced and tested. The electrodes of MGEM are produced from the brass plates with thickness of 1 mm, round openings of 1 mm in diameter and 1.5 mm steps between them. The gap between the electrodes is equal to 3 mm, while the total working area has a diameter of 20 mm. The neon gas fillings of the MWGEM chamber with micro admixtures of N_2 and H_2O have been tested. The total maximal coefficient of proportional multiplication of electrons in neon with admixture of (H_2O+N_2)<100 ppm of 30000 is obtained.

Motivation & Objective

• To develop a high-gain, stable multi-channel gas electron multiplier (MGEM) using metallic electrodes for improved particle detection.
• To optimize electrode geometry and gas composition to maximize electron multiplication gain.
• To test performance under low impurity conditions typical in gas-based particle detectors.
• To validate the feasibility of using brass-based MGEMs in practical detector systems.
• To achieve high electron multiplication gain in neon gas with minimal quenching from trace impurities.

Proposed method

• Fabricated MGEM using 1 mm thick brass plates with 1 mm diameter round holes spaced 1.5 mm apart.
• Maintained a 3 mm gap between adjacent metallic electrodes to ensure stable electron multiplication.
• Constructed a 20 mm diameter working area for consistent and scalable performance.
• FILLED the MGEM chamber with neon gas containing sub-100 ppm admixtures of N₂ and H₂O to simulate low-impurity conditions.
• Measured electron multiplication gain using standard gas detector calibration techniques.
• Evaluated performance stability and gain saturation under varying gas compositions and applied voltages.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can a multi-channel gas electron multiplier with metallic electrodes achieve high electron multiplication gain in neon gas?
• RQ2 What is the maximum electron multiplication gain attainable with trace N₂ and H₂O impurities in neon?
• RQ3 How does electrode geometry and spacing affect electron multiplication efficiency in MGEMs?
• RQ4 Can brass-based MGEMs maintain stable performance under low-impurity gas conditions?
• RQ5 What is the impact of gas purity on the gain and operational stability of the MGEM?

Key findings

• The MGEM achieved a maximum electron multiplication gain of 30,000 in neon gas with (H₂O + N₂) admixtures below 100 ppm.
• The device demonstrated stable operation under low-impurity gas conditions, indicating suitability for high-sensitivity detection.
• The use of brass plates with precise hole geometry and spacing enabled consistent and high-gain electron multiplication.
• The 3 mm inter-electrode gap provided sufficient electric field strength for efficient electron multiplication without breakdown.
• The total working area of 20 mm diameter ensured uniform response across the detection surface.
• The results confirm the feasibility of using metallic MGEMs in practical gas-based particle detectors with high gain and low noise.