Detector hardware

The PANDA (antiProton ANnihilation at DArmstadt) experiment aims to investigate
the strong interaction using an antiproton beam and a stationary cluster jet
target, resulting in annihilation reactions. The Micro-Vertex Detector (MVD) is the
innermost detector among PANDA’s sub-detectors and is positioned closest to
the interaction point. It is designed for precise vertex and tracking detection, employing
double-sided silicon strip and silicon pixel detectors. In conjunction with
other sub-detector systems, PANDA is capable of particle tracking, identification,
and calorimetry. In addition to PANDA, further applications of the MVD as well
as the use of silicon strip sensors in different configurations are being discussed.
The double-sided silicon strip detectors allow high-precision spatial resolution,
but require stringent compliance with specifications. Sensor characterization and
detailed quality checks are conducted, including irradiation with protons at the
Marburg Ion Beam Therapy Center (MIT) to assess radiation damage. The signal
behavior of the sensors is investigated during the development of amplification
stages and prepared for a sub-experiment for dosimetry on a femto satellite in
Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
For the sensor readout in the MVD, an ASIC named ToASt (Torino Amplifier for
Silicon Strip Detectors) was developed at INFN Turin and was connected to the
sensors for the first time via wire bonding. The ASIC offers the advantage of
determining both the event time stamp and the energy deposited in the sensor
using the Time-over-Threshold and Time-of-Arrival methods. Combining the
ToASt-Sensor combination with the MDC (Module Data Concentrator) ASIC
developed at KIT forms the first fully functional detector module. A combination
of two of these modules was tested at the proton beam of the COSY facility in Jülich.
Data obtained from beam tests and laboratory tests with sources are analyzed
to demonstrate the functionality of the prototype and perform characterization.
Important data have been collected to enable the development of the second
prototype and to advance the construction and functionality of the MVD.

PANDA Annual Report 2023