Description and simulation of physics of Resistive Plate Chambers

Abstract

Monte-Carlo simulation of physical processes is an important tool for detector development as it allows to predict signal pulse amplitude and timing, time resolution, efficiency ... Yet despite the fact they are very common, full simulations for RPC-like detector are not widespread and often incomplete. They are often based on mathematical distributions that are not suited for this particular modelisation and over-simplify or neglect some important physical processes. We describe the main physical processes occurring inside a RPC when a charged particle goes through (ionisation, electron drift and multiplication, signal induction ...) through the Riegler-Lippmann-Veenhof model together with a still-in-development simulation. This is a full, fast and multi-threaded Monte-Carlo modelisation of the main physical processes using existing and well tested libraries and framework (such as the Garfield++ framework and the GNU Scientific Library). It is developed in the hope to be a basic ground for future RPC simulation developments.