XVIII Conference on Resistive Plate Chambers and Related Detectors

Studies on ALICE MID RPC characteristics after prolonged operation and/or storage

Not scheduled

20m

Talk Alternative Mixtures and Longevity

Speaker

Alessandro Ferretti (Universita e INFN Torino (IT))

Description

The first batch of ALICE MID Resistive Plate Chambers was produced in 2005, more than twenty years ago. Since then, these gas gaps have either been operated in the ALICE MID or stored under controlled temperature conditions as spares.

In 2022, two MID gas gaps were replaced due to increasing dark currents and were subsequently studied with the ALICE RPC cosmic-ray test station in Torino. The aim was to assess their performance and working parameters after more than ten years of operation. In addition, two RPCs stored as spares since 2008 were tested using the same setup, in order to investigate the effects of long-term storage. The detectors initially showed very high dark currents, which were significantly reduced through a long conditioning process.

This presentation will report the results of these studies. Possible explanations for the initial high dark currents, as well as for the effectiveness of the conditioning process, will also be discussed.