Construction and characterization of a seven-chip GridPix X-ray detector for solar axion searches

Abstract

In the scope of solar axion searches, detectors which are able to measure low energetic X-rays with high efficiency are required. For this purpose a detector based on the GridPix technology was built for the CAST experiment at CERN. The GridPix is a pixelised readout ASIC (Timepix) with a Micromegas-like gas amplification stage (grid) built photolithographically on top. In order to reduce the detector's background level, several hardware and software vetoes were implemented. Hardware-wise, these vetoes consist of a ring of six GridPixes around a central GridPix, a readout of the induced grid signal, and two scintillators. On the software side, multiple approaches to distinguish between background events and X-ray photons are implemented. Here, also the hardware features, like the six surrounding GridPixes, are used. The new detector was tested in a long ($3500\,\text{h}$) background data taking campaign. The performance of the new vetoes was evaluated. The detector performance itself, for low energetic X-rays, was also evaluated with a variable X-ray generator using eight different energies from 0 to $10\,\text{keV}$. The efficiency for very low energetic X-rays and the energy resolution was determined.