Characterizing HRPPDs for use in the hpDIRC at the EIC

Speaker: Evrim Gülser
Affiliation: PhD student at USC
Date: September 16, 2026

Abstract:

Detection of Internally Reflected Cherenkov light (DIRC) detectors are advanced particle-identification systems that combine high-performance Cherenkov detection with a radially compact design. DIRCs determine the velocity of charged particles through measurements of Cherenkov radiation, where Cherenkov photons produced in the radiator are internally reflected toward photosensors for detection and readout. Microchannel plate photomultiplier tubes (MCP-PMTs) provide the fast single-photon detection required for this application. The high-performance DIRC (hpDIRC), being developed for the ePIC detector at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), will use high-rate picosecond photodetectors (HRPPDs) for photon detection. Before installation in the hpDIRC, individual HRPPDs must be characterized to verify their performance and provide input for future reconstruction and simulation work. We present plans for a dedicated HRPPD quality-assurance test stand at USC designed to measure key sensor characteristics, including gain, quantum efficiency, collection efficiency, and timing resolution. We also discuss the instrumentation and measurement techniques that will be used to perform these tests and evaluate HRPPDs for use in the hpDIRC.