Speaker
Description
The ICARUS-T600 detector is a large liquid argon time projection chamber (LAr-TPC) installed at Fermilab within the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program. Its operation depends on a highly stable and precisely controlled high-voltage (HV) system that generates the uniform electric field required for ionization charge drift and collection. The system supplies –75 kV to a central cathode, producing an electric field of 500 V/cm across a 1.5 m drift distance.
The HV infrastructure consists of an external power supply, custom cryogenic feedthroughs, and a resistive voltage divider chain that linearly distributes the potential along the field cage. A fully automated ramp-up and ramp-down capability is implemented through a remote PC-based control system using an Ethernet analog interface (EDAS-1000), allowing accurate configuration of voltage setpoints, ramp rates, and safety thresholds.
Continuous real-time monitoring ensures that voltage and current remain within operational limits, while automatic interlocks and logging guarantee safe operation. The system has demonstrated excellent stability, maintaining fluctuations within ±25 V at –75 kV (about 3 × 10⁻⁴ relative variation) with no measurable leakage current. Controlled ramping and careful electrical design minimize stress and thermal load, ensuring reliable long-term operation under cryogenic conditions.
Since its commissioning in 2020, the HV system has supported cosmic-ray calibration and continuous neutrino data taking, achieving signal-to-noise ratios above 5 and electron lifetimes exceeding 3 ms. In late 2023, the control software was upgraded with an automatic emergency ramp-down triggered by power outages or interlock signals, a feature validated through extensive testing and stable GUI operation.
| Minioral | No |
|---|---|
| IEEE Member | No |
| Are you a student? | No |