Speaker
Description
Prompt-Gamma Timing (PGT) for ion-beam range verification requires sub-nanosecond timing resolution, high duty cycle, and operation at particle rates relevant for clinical applications. In this study, successive DAQ and trigger architectures were implemented and evaluated, focusing on efficiency, scalability, and timing performance.The first setup relied on waveform digitizers coupled to silicon and scintillation detectors. Although accurate Time-of-Arrival (TOA) information could be extracted, the system suffered from a very low duty cycle (~0.4%) and a limited number of channels. To overcome these limitations, a second architecture adopted a TDC-based approach using the CERN PicoTDC combined with constant-fraction discriminators and a silicon strip front-end. This configuration enabled high-rate operation with high duty cycle and acquisition times of a few seconds, at the cost of increased system complexity and limited timing resolution for secondary radiation. The third setup employed the CAEN DT5203 PicoTDC in analogue configuration, reducing component count and enabling combined TOA and Time-over-Threshold (TOT) measurements at rates compatible with therapeutic beams. This architecture achieved TOA resolutions of a few tens of picoseconds for primary particles and approximately 250 ps for secondary detection. Experimental results demonstrate clear reconstruction of beam time structures and prompt-gamma timing peaks, confirming the feasibility of PGT under realistic irradiation conditions. However, limitations related to channel buffer saturation and restricted scalability for secondary detectors were observed. A fourth architecture is currently under development, aiming to integrate dual PicoTDC units to decouple primary and secondary acquisition. Ongoing studies focus on buffer occupancy, dead-time effects, and saturation at high rates.
| Minioral | Yes |
|---|---|
| IEEE Member | No |
| Are you a student? | No |