Techniques for TPC Calibration: Application to Liquid Ar-TPCs

Abstract

Large liquid argon TPCs are playing an increasingly important role in neutrino physics, and their calibration will be an essential component of their capability to reach the required performance and precision. Natural sources are extensively used but present limitations, since natural radioactivity from 39Ar is of low energy, and the rate of cosmic ray muons is low when the detectors are placed deep underground. Argon gas TPCs have been calibrated with ionizing laser beams for several decades, and more recently the technique has been further developed for use in liquid TPCs. Other recent ideas include the use of external neutron generators creating pulses that propagate into the detector. This paper reviews the development of the laser and neutron methods for the calibration of argon TPCs and describes their planned implementation in the upcoming DUNE experiment.

Keywords

• liquid argon
• TPC
• calibration