arxiv: 2604.04622 · v1 · submitted 2026-04-06 · ⚛️ physics.ins-det

Recognition: no theorem link

Timing performance of large prototype based on upmuRWELL- PICOSEC detector technology with 10 times 10\ cm² active area

A. Pandey , K. Gnanvo , B. Kross , J. McKisson , A. Weisenberger , W. Xi , J. Dutta , N. Shankman

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L. Scharenberg J. Alozy Y. Angelis S. Aune R. Ballabriga J. Bortfeldt F. Brunbauer M. Brunoldi M. Campbell R. De Oliveira G. Fanourakis J.M. Fernandez-Tenllado K.J. Fl\"othner D. Fiorina M. Gallinaro F. Garcia I. Giomataris S. Gomez F.J. Iguaz D. Janssens A. Kallitsopoulou M. Kovacic P. Legou M. Lisowska J. Liu M. Lupberger R. Manera I. Maniatis A. Mariscal J. Mauricio Y. Meng H. Muller E. Oliveri G. Orlandini T. Papaevangelou E. Picatoste M. Piller M. Pomorski L. Ropelewski D. Sampsonidis A. Sanuy T. Schneider E. Scorsone L. Sohl M. van Stenis Y. Tsipolitis S.E. Tzamarias A. Utrobicic I. Vai R. Veenhof P. Vitulo X. Wang S. White Z. Zhang Y. Zhou

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Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 19:51 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ⚛️ physics.ins-det

keywords gaseous detectorstiming resolutionCherenkov radiatormuon beam testPICOSECmicro-RWELLpicosecond timing

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The pith

A 10x10 cm gaseous detector prototype achieves 48 and 52 picosecond timing resolution on individual pads.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper tests a large-area prototype of the μRWELL-PICOSEC detector, a design that pairs a micro-Resistive WELL gaseous amplifier with a Cherenkov radiator and photocathode to produce fast signals for precise timing. In beam tests with 150 GeV/c muons, single-channel oscilloscope readout on two pads of the 10x10 cm² device with a CsI photocathode delivered timing resolutions of approximately 48 ps and 52 ps under separate bias settings. The results indicate that this gaseous technology can reach the tens-of-picoseconds level needed for time-of-flight measurements while covering a sizable active area.

Core claim

Beam tests on the 10x10 cm² μRWELL-PICOSEC prototype with CsI photocathode yield timing resolutions of ≈48 ps and ≈52 ps on two separate pads using oscilloscope-based single-channel readout under different biasing conditions.

What carries the argument

The μRWELL-PICOSEC detector, which combines a micro-Resistive WELL gaseous amplification structure with a Cherenkov radiator and photocathode to generate fast primary signals for high-precision timing.

If this is right

The approach supports time-of-flight applications in particle physics experiments requiring tens-of-picoseconds precision over large areas.
It opens a path toward gaseous detectors for medical imaging that need fast timing without the limitations of solid-state sensors.
The results validate scaling the μRWELL-PICOSEC concept to 10x10 cm² while preserving picosecond-level performance.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

Multi-pad simultaneous readout tests would show whether crosstalk or signal distribution affects the overall timing uniformity across the detector surface.
Direct comparison with silicon-based fast timing sensors in the same beam setup could quantify trade-offs in cost, area coverage, and radiation tolerance for gaseous versus solid-state options.
Varying the radiator thickness or photocathode material in follow-up prototypes might further improve the achieved resolution or reduce the required bias voltages.

Load-bearing premise

Single-channel oscilloscope measurements on two pads under the tested conditions and with the CsI photocathode accurately capture the detector technology's intrinsic timing performance without major unaccounted readout or pad-specific effects.

What would settle it

A full multi-channel readout of the same prototype producing timing resolution substantially worse than 50 ps, or tests at lower particle energies showing clear degradation, would indicate the single-pad results do not represent the technology's capability.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2604.04622 by A. Kallitsopoulou, A. Mariscal, A. Pandey, A. Sanuy, A. Utrobicic, A. Weisenberger, B. Kross, D. Fiorina, D. Janssens, D. Sampsonidis, E. Oliveri, E. Picatoste, E. Scorsone, F. Brunbauer, F. Garcia, F.J. Iguaz, G. Fanourakis, G. Orlandini, H. Muller, I. Giomataris, I. Maniatis, I. Vai, J. Alozy, J. Bortfeldt, J. Dutta, J. Liu, J. Mauricio, J. McKisson, J.M. Fernandez-Tenllado, K. Gnanvo, K.J. Fl\"othner, L. Ropelewski, L. Scharenberg, L. Sohl, M. Brunoldi, M. Campbell, M. Gallinaro, M. Kovacic, M. Lisowska, M. Lupberger, M. Piller, M. Pomorski, M. van Stenis, N. Shankman, P. Legou, P. Vitulo, R. Ballabriga, R. De Oliveira, R. Manera, R. Veenhof, S. Aune, S.E. Tzamarias, S. Gomez, S. White, T. Papaevangelou, T. Schneider, W. Xi, X. Wang, Y. Angelis, Y. Meng, Y. Tsipolitis, Y. Zhou, Z. Zhang.

**Figure 1.** Figure 1: Schematic cross-section of the µRWELL-PICOSEC detector. The Cerenkov radiator, photocathode, narrow preamplification gap (defined by spacers), and µRWELL amplification stage are shown, together with the electric field configuration. The detector is operated with a Ne:C2H6 :CF4 (80:10:10) gas mixture at ambient pressure [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p005_1.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 2.** Figure 2: Photograph showing various components of the µRWELL-PICOSEC detector during the assembly process. (a),(b) Aluminum housing (c) CsI photocathode (d) 10×10 cm2 µRWELL-PICOSEC PCB (e)Assembled µRWELL-PICOSEC PCB with cesium iodide photocathode (f) Outer board panel (Readout and HV biasing)(g) Fully assembled µRWELLPICOSEC detector (h) Assembled prototype within aluminum casing, with ten 10-channel preamplifi… view at source ↗

**Figure 3.** Figure 3: A schematic of a telescope configuration with µRWELL-PICOSEC detector (in orange), MCP PMT(in blue) for timing reference, and GEM detectors for precise tracking (in red) A. Pandey et al.: Preprint submitted to Elsevier Page 5 of 5 [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p005_3.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 4.** Figure 4: Ten 10-channel preamplifier boards are used in the µRWELL-PICOSEC prototype, each serving ten pads and together providing amplification for all 100 pads. The boards form the common front-end stage for both oscilloscope and SAMPIC readout systems [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p006_4.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 5.** Figure 5: Top: Raw signal from the µRWELL-PICOSEC detector acquired with the oscilloscope-based DAQ. Bottom: Sigmoid fit to the leading edge of the electron peak used to calculate the signal arrival time [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p006_5.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 8.** Figure 8: Signal arrival time (SAT) distribution for pad #28 at operating conditions of cathode HV = 465 V and µRWELL anode layer bias = 250 V. The distribution is fitted with a double-Gaussian function. The narrower Gaussian width of 47.9 ± 1.0 ps corresponds to the intrinsic timing resolution. Data were obtained using the oscilloscope-based DAQ system [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_8.png] view at source ↗

**Figure 9.** Figure 9: Signal amplitude map of the 10 × 10 cm2 µRWELLPICOSEC detector from a position scan. The detector comprises 100 readout pads (1 × 1 cm2 each). Axes correspond to the detector dimensions in millimeters. White spots correspond to pads whose readout channels were inactive during this measurement. A. Pandey et al.: Preprint submitted to Elsevier Page 7 of 5 [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_9.png] view at source ↗

read the original abstract

The $\upmu$RWELL-PICOSEC detector, which combines a $\upmu$RWELL gaseous amplification structure with a Cherenkov radiator and photocathode, is a novel approach to acheive fast and precise timing in gaseous detectors. With timing precision at the level of tens of picoseconds, this technology is particularly suited for time-of-flight (TOF) applications in particle physics and potentially medical imaging. Beam tests with a 150~GeV/$c$ muon beam have been carried out on a large-area (10~$\times$~10~cm$^{2}$) prototype equipped with a cesium iodide (CsI) photocathode. Using an oscilloscope-based single-channel readout, timing measurements on two individual pads of the detector have yielded resolutions of $\approx$ 48 ps and $\approx$ 52 ps under different biasing conditions respectively.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Desk Editor's Note private letter to a colleague

The paper reports 48-52 ps timing on two pads of a new 10x10 cm² μRWELL-PICOSEC prototype in muon beam tests, but provides almost no supporting analysis details.

read the letter

The main point is that this 10x10 cm² μRWELL-PICOSEC detector with a CsI photocathode delivered timing resolutions of roughly 48 ps and 52 ps on two individual pads during 150 GeV muon beam tests using oscilloscope readout. That is the concrete new result here. Earlier work stayed at smaller scales, so this shows the concept can be enlarged to a size more relevant for time-of-flight applications without an immediate collapse in performance on the tested pads. The paper does a straightforward job describing the detector build, the photocathode choice, and the basic test conditions, which gives a practical data point for people who need large-area gaseous timing detectors. The measurements are real beam data rather than simulation, which is the useful part. The soft spots sit in the analysis. The text gives the final numbers but says nothing about the reference detector's jitter, the number of events analyzed, time-walk corrections, or how the two pads were selected. If the reference contributes 30-40 ps, the intrinsic detector resolution could be noticeably better or the quoted values could include unaccounted contributions. Only two pads also leaves open whether the rest of the 100 cm² area behaves the same way. These are standard things that should be shown explicitly, and their absence makes the headline numbers harder to evaluate on their own. The stress-test concern about reference subtraction and representativeness holds up based on what is written. This paper is for detector physicists working on fast timing in high-energy physics or medical imaging who want to see how the μRWELL-PICOSEC approach scales. A reader in that area would find the prototype description and the achieved numbers worth noting as a benchmark. It deserves peer review because the experimental step is substantive and the result is new, even though the methods section needs expansion before the claim can be fully assessed.

Referee Report

2 major / 1 minor

Summary. The manuscript describes beam tests of a 10 × 10 cm² μRWELL-PICOSEC prototype equipped with a CsI photocathode. Using an oscilloscope-based single-channel readout on two individual pads, the authors report timing resolutions of approximately 48 ps and 52 ps under different biasing conditions with a 150 GeV/c muon beam.

Significance. If the reported resolutions are shown to be intrinsic (after quadrature subtraction of reference jitter) and representative of the full active area, the result would demonstrate that gaseous detectors can reach tens-of-picoseconds timing on large surfaces, which is relevant for TOF applications in particle physics.

major comments (2)

[Abstract / Results] Abstract and results section: the reported resolutions of ≈48 ps and ≈52 ps are presented without any information on the reference detector's timing resolution, the number of events used, data-selection cuts, or the method used to extract the detector contribution (e.g., quadrature subtraction or CFD corrections). Without these details the headline numbers cannot be evaluated.
[Results] Results section: measurements are shown for only two pads under specific biasing conditions. No data or discussion is provided on pad-to-pad uniformity or performance variation across the full 10 × 10 cm² area, which is required to support the claim that the technology is suitable for large-area applications.

minor comments (1)

[Abstract] Abstract: 'acheive' should be 'achieve'.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

2 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for the constructive feedback on our manuscript. We will revise the paper to supply the missing methodological details requested and to better contextualize the scope and limitations of the presented measurements on the large-area prototype.

read point-by-point responses

Referee: [Abstract / Results] Abstract and results section: the reported resolutions of ≈48 ps and ≈52 ps are presented without any information on the reference detector's timing resolution, the number of events used, data-selection cuts, or the method used to extract the detector contribution (e.g., quadrature subtraction or CFD corrections). Without these details the headline numbers cannot be evaluated.

Authors: We agree that these details are required for a complete evaluation of the results. In the revised manuscript we will add the measured timing resolution of the reference detector, the total number of events recorded and analyzed, the specific data-selection cuts applied, and a step-by-step description of the timing-extraction procedure, including the quadrature subtraction of the reference jitter and any constant-fraction discrimination corrections used. The quoted 48 ps and 52 ps values are already the detector contributions after this subtraction; the added text will make this explicit. revision: yes
Referee: [Results] Results section: measurements are shown for only two pads under specific biasing conditions. No data or discussion is provided on pad-to-pad uniformity or performance variation across the full 10 × 10 cm² area, which is required to support the claim that the technology is suitable for large-area applications.

Authors: We acknowledge that only two pads were instrumented with the single-channel oscilloscope readout, so full-area uniformity maps are not available in the present data set. In the revision we will (i) explain the technical reason for the limited readout (oscilloscope bandwidth and channel count), (ii) add a short discussion of expected pad-to-pad uniformity based on the μRWELL foil and photocathode fabrication tolerances, and (iii) explicitly state that the reported resolutions demonstrate the intrinsic timing capability of the technology on a 10×10 cm² device while comprehensive multi-channel uniformity studies are planned for a follow-up measurement campaign. We will also tone down any implication that the two-pad results already prove uniform large-area performance. revision: partial

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No circularity: direct experimental timing measurements with no derivation chain

full rationale

The paper reports empirical timing resolutions (≈48 ps and ≈52 ps) obtained from beam-test oscilloscope waveforms on two pads of a 10×10 cm² prototype. No equations, first-principles derivations, fitted parameters renamed as predictions, or self-citation load-bearing steps appear in the provided text. The central claim is a measurement result, not a reduction of any output to its own inputs by construction. This is the expected non-finding for a pure instrumentation paper.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 0 axioms · 0 invented entities

The central claim rests on experimental measurement of signal timing in a beam test; no free parameters, new axioms, or invented entities are introduced beyond standard gaseous-detector physics.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5790 in / 1074 out tokens · 54933 ms · 2026-05-10T19:51:12.038432+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Reference graph

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