Optical characterization of UV-transmitting acrylics for the Hyper-Kamiokande multi-PMT module

The Hyper-K project aims to construct a large-volume underground water Cherenkov detector to address unresolved questions in fundamental particle physics. The Hyper-Kamiokande far detector (HK) will incorporate various types of photodetectors, among which the multi-photomultiplier tube (mPMT) optical module providing critical directional information. To house the electronics and photodetectors, the mPMT vessel must meet specific criteria: (i) transparency in the visible and ultraviolet ranges, covering the spectrum of Cherenkov photons; (ii) an airtight seal to maintain optimal functionality in a dry, controlled environment; and (iii) resilience to the hydrostatic pressure of the HK water tank, which reaches 0.8 MPa. While glass has traditionally been used to fulfill these requirements, its intrinsic radioactivity may compromise the sensitivity of Hyper-K measurements. Acrylic that is transparent, impermeable and robust, by contrast, offers the advantage of a low-radioactivity. Optical characterizations were performed on various acrylic samples, revealing that optical performance is influenced not only by the material composition but also by the production processes used to achieve different thicknesses. Our findings support the use of acrylic as a viable alternative, but it is essential to rigorously monitor the material’s performance during mass production to ensure optimal and uniform detector performance.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
Published
2025-04-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2025.170488
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.88

Funders

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article

Optical characterization of UV-transmitting acrylics for the Hyper-Kamiokande multi-PMT module

A. Boiano, A. Di Nitto, Davide Bianco, Bartolomeo Della Ventura et al.
1 citations
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies
1.88
article

Optical characterization of UV-transmitting acrylics for the Hyper-Kamiokande multi-PMT module

A. Boiano, A. Di Nitto, Davide Bianco, Bartolomeo Della Ventura, Maria De Luca, G. De Rosa, P. Maddalena, L. N. Machado, Raffaele Velotta, Luigi Lavitola, C. Riccio, Deborah Katia Pallotti, A. C. Ruggeri, Riccardo Funari, Alfredo Di Nola, A. Langella
article en
1 citations

Abstract

The Hyper-K project aims to construct a large-volume underground water Cherenkov detector to address unresolved questions in fundamental particle physics. The Hyper-Kamiokande far detector (HK) will incorporate various types of photodetectors, among which the multi-photomultiplier tube (mPMT) optical module providing critical directional information. To house the electronics and photodetectors, the mPMT vessel must meet specific criteria: (i) transparency in the visible and ultraviolet ranges, covering the spectrum of Cherenkov photons; (ii) an airtight seal to maintain optimal functionality in a dry, controlled environment; and (iii) resilience to the hydrostatic pressure of the HK water tank, which reaches 0.8 MPa. While glass has traditionally been used to fulfill these requirements, its intrinsic radioactivity may compromise the sensitivity of Hyper-K measurements. Acrylic that is transparent, impermeable and robust, by contrast, offers the advantage of a low-radioactivity. Optical characterizations were performed on various acrylic samples, revealing that optical performance is influenced not only by the material composition but also by the production processes used to achieve different thicknesses. Our findings support the use of acrylic as a viable alternative, but it is essential to rigorously monitor the material’s performance during mass production to ensure optimal and uniform detector performance.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated EquipmentVol. 1076
State University of New York (US), Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (IT), Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (IT), Italian Aerospace Research Centre (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli (IT), Stony Brook University (US), University of Naples Federico II (IT), University of Glasgow (GB)
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme
Openalex Percentile: Top 18%
Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies
1.88
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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