TWINNING PROJECT
Key objectives
Objective 2: Transfer knowledge between experienced researchers (ERs) of ISMA and Twinning partners
Objective 3: Enhance career prospects of early-stage researchers (ESRs) of ISMA and Twinning partners
Objective 4: Improve ISMA’s management and administrative capacity for European R&D programmes
Objective 5: Raise the research profile of ISMA and the Twinning partners
TWISMA
Research Sub-topics
Taking account of the Twinning partners’ complementary expertise, the exploratory research project is divided into the following three Research Sub-Topics
Research Sub-Topic A: Bulk crystal production of innovative Ce-doped garnets and BGSO (Leader: ISMA; Support: CERN and ILM)
This subtopic is focused on two types of oxide scintillators. Ce-doped garnets such as Gd3Ga5-xAlxO12:Ce (GAGG:Ce) garnet are among the most efficient oxide scintillators. The garnet timing properties will be enhanced by co-doping with different types of cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, etc). Bi4Ge3-xSixO12 (BGSO) is a promising oxide scintillator combines moderate light yield with fast scintillation rise/decay and is an efficient Cerenkov radiator, as recently demonstrated by CERN and ISMA. Optical and timing performance of BGSO will be improved by optimising the thermal conditions for crystallization by Czochralski method.
Research Sub-Topic B: Fibre-shaped crystal production of innovative Ce-doped garnets (Leader: ILM; Support: ISMA and CERN)
This subtopic is focused on the development of shaped crystal growth technologies for Ce-doped garnets. Crystal production cost can be reduced by fabricating scintillation elements in a ready-to-use shape, thereby removing the need for subsequent mechanical treatment. Fibre-shaped detectors are considered as option for future high-energy physics experiments with colliders. TWISMA is focused on the improvement of repeatability of the optical and scintillation parameters in fibres developed by ILM/UCBL by optimizing the thermal conditions for growth and the way of introducing dopants into the fibres.
Research Sub-Topic C: Design and fabrication of scintillation detector prototypes for homogenous and sampling calorimeters (Leader: CERN; Support: ISMA and ILM)
This subtopic is focused on innovative detector concepts based on scintillating crystals for homogenous and sampling calorimeters. TWISMA will investigate a homogeneous calorimeter based upon bulk crystals - in particular BGSO crystals - developed by ISMA. Also, TWISMA will investigate an innovative concept of an electromagnetic sampling calorimeter named the Spaghetti Calorimeter (SPACAL). ISMA’s involvement in a major detector R&D project with high-quality, international partners will greatly help the institute to enhance its expertise in state-of-the-art material production and characterization techniques.
