A novel, steerable, low-energy proton source for detector characterization

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment 2026 Open access

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Authors: N. Macsai, August Mendelsohn, David Harrison, Russell Mammei, Michael Gericke, L. J. Broussard, Erick Smith, Grant Riley, Glenn Randall, Mark Makela
DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2026.171336
Cited by: 1
References: 5

Abstract

We report on the conversion of the Manitoba II mass spectrometer into a versatile low-energy proton beam facility. This infrastructure is adaptable to any detector-under-test (DUT), and has proven itself effective with the characterization of silicon detectors used in subatomic beyond-the-Standard-Model (BSM) searches, namely the Nab experiment. A pencil beam of mono-energetic protons can be produced in a range from 25 keV to 35 keV, achieving a beam current of ∼ 1 × 10 -18 A. Electrostatic steering plates were constructed to direct the Gaussian-profile proton beam over a 117 mm diameter area-of-interest with full-width at half-maxima (FWHM) ranging from 0.6 mm to 1.26 mm. This work discusses the modifications and subsequent tests to confirm the beam specifications met the demands of the aforementioned detectors.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Particle Detector Development and Performance Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry

Publication details

Journal / source
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
1086
Pages
171336–171336
Publication date
29 January 2026
Language
EN