Time-based selection of kaonic atom x-ray events with quasi-hemispherical CZT detectors at the DAΦNE collider

Abstract This work presents the results of a time-based event selection for the search of x-ray signals from kaonic atom transitions using a quasi-hemispherical Cadmium–Zinc–Telluride (CZT) detector at the DAΦNE collider. To mitigate the high background level in the measured x-ray spectra, a dedicated event selection strategy was developed, exploiting the precise timing correlation between <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> collisions and detector signals. This approach enabled, for the first time, the observation of two characteristic x-ray transitions from kaonic aluminum atoms with a CZT detector. For the 5–4 transition at 50 keV, 362 ± 41 (stat.) ± 20 (sys.) signal events were observed over 1698 ± 197 (stat.) ± 25 (sys.) background events within <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>5</mml:mn> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , with an energy resolution of 9.2% FWHM. For the 4–3 transition at 106 keV, 295 ± 50 (stat.) ± 20 (sys.) signal events were measured over 2939 ± 500 (stat.) ± 16 (sys.) background events, with an energy resolution of 6.6% FWHM. A background suppression of approximately 95% of the triggered data was achieved through this time-based selection. The demonstrated timing capability of the CZT detector proved highly effective in isolating time-correlated events within an 80 ns window, setting an important benchmark for the application of compound semiconductors in timing-based x-ray spectroscopy. These results highlight the potential of CZT-based detection systems for future precision measurements in high-radiation environments, paving the way for compact, room-temperature x-ray and γ -ray spectrometers in fundamental physics and related fields.

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Journal
Measurement Science and Technology
Published
2025-12-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/ae3203
Primary Topic
Particle Detector Development and Performance
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article
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article

Time-based selection of kaonic atom x-ray events with quasi-hemispherical CZT detectors at the DAΦNE collider

Francesco Sgaramella, M. Skurzok, Manuele Bettelli, A. Spallone et al.
Measurement Science and Technology
Particle Detector Development and Performance
article

Time-based selection of kaonic atom x-ray events with quasi-hemispherical CZT detectors at the DAΦNE collider

Francesco Sgaramella, M. Skurzok, Manuele Bettelli, A. Spallone, Antonino Buttacavoli, Lorenzo Giuseppe Toscano, M. Bazzi, A. Scordo, F. Principato, M. Silarski, M. Iwasaki, Luca De Paolis, G. Gerardi, L. Abbene, G. Borghi, A. Khreptak, Kairo Toho, R. Del Grande, Carlo Ettore Fiorini, F. Clozza, F. Artibani, Catalina Oana Curceanu, Diana Laura Sirghi, F. Napolitano, O. Vázquez Doce, Pawel Moskal, Johann Zmeskal, Damir Bosnar, Marco Carminati, A Clozza, C Guaraldo, Mario Bragadireanu, Simone Manti, Florin Sirghi, Kristian Piscicchia, Johann Marton, Andrea Zappettini, M Iliescu, Hiroaki Ohnishi
article en

Abstract

Abstract This work presents the results of a time-based event selection for the search of x-ray signals from kaonic atom transitions using a quasi-hemispherical Cadmium–Zinc–Telluride (CZT) detector at the DAΦNE collider. To mitigate the high background level in the measured x-ray spectra, a dedicated event selection strategy was developed, exploiting the precise timing correlation between <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> collisions and detector signals. This approach enabled, for the first time, the observation of two characteristic x-ray transitions from kaonic aluminum atoms with a CZT detector. For the 5–4 transition at 50 keV, 362 ± 41 (stat.) ± 20 (sys.) signal events were observed over 1698 ± 197 (stat.) ± 25 (sys.) background events within <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>5</mml:mn> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , with an energy resolution of 9.2% FWHM. For the 4–3 transition at 106 keV, 295 ± 50 (stat.) ± 20 (sys.) signal events were measured over 2939 ± 500 (stat.) ± 16 (sys.) background events, with an energy resolution of 6.6% FWHM. A background suppression of approximately 95% of the triggered data was achieved through this time-based selection. The demonstrated timing capability of the CZT detector proved highly effective in isolating time-correlated events within an 80 ns window, setting an important benchmark for the application of compound semiconductors in timing-based x-ray spectroscopy. These results highlight the potential of CZT-based detection systems for future precision measurements in high-radiation environments, paving the way for compact, room-temperature x-ray and γ -ray spectrometers in fundamental physics and related fields.

Measurement Science and TechnologyVol. 37(3)
University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT), Roma Tre University (IT), Jagiellonian University (PL), University of Zagreb (HR), Tohoku University (JP), University of Perugia (IT), Horia Hulubei National Institute for R and D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (RO), Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IT), Centro Ricerche Enrico Fermi (IT), Nippon Soken (Japan) (JP), RIKEN (JP), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (IT), Stefan Meyer Institute for Subatomic Physics (AT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia (IT), Czech Technical University in Prague (CZ), University of Palermo (IT), Politecnico di Milano (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 21%
Particle Detector Development and Performance
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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