We advocate support of research aimed at developing alternatives to the photomultiplier tube for photon detection in large astroparticle experiments such as gamma-ray and neutrino astronomy, and direct dark matter detectors. Specifically, we discuss the development of large area photocathode microchannel plate photomultipliers and silicon photomultipliers. Both technologies have the potential to exhibit improved photon detection efficiency compared to existing glass vacuum photomultiplier tubes.
@article{arxiv.0904.3565,
title = {The Next Generation of Photo-Detectors for Particle Astrophysics},
author = {Robert G. Wagner and Karen L. Byrum and Mayly Sanchez and Alexandre V. Vaniachine and Oswald Siegmund and Nepomuk A. Otte and Erik Ramberg and Jeter Hall and James Buckley},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0904.3565},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
Astro2010 Technology Development White Paper; 11 pages, 3 figures