Performance of the Front-End Electronics of the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope

J.A. Aguilar , Imen Al Samarai (1) , A. Albert (2) , M. Anghinolfi , G. Anton , S. Anvar , M. Ardid , A.C. Assis Jesus , T. Astraatmadja , J.-J. Aubert (1) , R. Auer , B. Baret (3) , S. Basa , M. Bazzotti , V. Bertin (1) , S. Biagi , C. Bigongiari , M. Bou-Cabo , M.C. Bouwhuis , A. Brown (1) , J. Brunner (1) , J. Busto (1) , F. Camarena , A. Capone , L. Caponettoa , G. Carminati , J. Carr (1) , E. Castorina , V. Cavasinni , S. Cecchini , Th. Chaleil , Ph. Charvis , T. Chiarusi , N. Chon Sen (2) , M. Circella , H. Costantini , N. Cottini (4) , P. Coyle (1) , C. Curtil (1) , G. de Bonis , N. de Botton (4) , I. Dekeyser (5) , E. Delagnes , Anne Deschamps (6) , C. Distefano , C. Donzaud (3) , D. Dornic (1) , C. Drouhin (2) , F. Druillole , T. Eberl , U. Emanuele , J.-P. Ernenwein (1, 2) , S. Escoffier (1) , E. Falchini , F. Fehr , F. Feinstein (1, 4) , V. Flaminio , J. Fopma , K. Fratini , U. Fritsch , J.-L. Fuda (5) , Pascal Gay (7) , G. Giacomelli , J.P. Gómez-González , K. Graf , G. Guillard , G. Halladjian (1) , G. Hallewell (1) , C. Hoffmann , H. van Haren , A.J. Heijboer , Y. Hello (6) , J.J. Hernández-Rey , B. Herold , J. Hössl , M. de Jong , N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki , O. Kalekin , A. Kappes , U. Katz , P. Kooijman , C. Kopper , A. Kouchner (3) , W. Kretschmer , D. Lachartre , H. Lafoux (4) , R. Lahmann , P. Lamare , G. Lambard (1) , G. Larosa , H. Laschinsky , H. Le Provost , A. Le van Suu (1) , Dominique Lefèvre (5) , T. Legou , G. Lelaizant (1) , G. Lim , D. Lo Presti , H. Loehner , S. Loucatos (4) , F. Lucarelli , S. Mangano , M. Marcelin (8) , A. Margiotta , J.A. Martinez-Mora , A. Mazure (8) , E. Monmarthe , T. Montaruli , M. Morganti , L. Moscoso (4) , H. Motz , C. Naumann (4) , M. Neff , C. Olivetto (3) , R. Ostasch , D. Palioselitis , P. Payre (1) , J. Petrovic , P. Piattelli , N. Picot-Clemente (1) , C. Picq (4) , J.-P. Pineau , J. Poinsignon , V. Popa , T. Pradier , E. Presani , C. Racca (2) , A. Radu , C. Reed (1) , F. Réthoré (1, 8) , G. Riccobene , C. Richardt , M. Rujoiu , G.V. Russo , F. Salesa , P. Sapienza , F. Schöck , J. P. Schuller (4) , R. Shanidze , F. Simeone , M. Spurio , J.J.M. Steijger , Th. Stolarczyk (4) , Christian Tamburini (5) , L. Tasca (8) , S. Toscano , B. Vallage (4) , V. van Elewyck (9) , G. Vannoni (4) , M. Vecchi , P. Vernin (4) , G. Wijnker , E. de Wolf , H. Yepes , D. Zaborov , J.D. Zornoza , J. Zúñiga , C. Cârloganu (7)

1 CPPM - Centre de Physique des Particules de Marseille
2 GRPHE - Groupe de Recherche en Physique des Hautes Energies
3 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
4 DPhP - Département de Physique des Particules (ex SPP)
5 COM - Centre d'océanologie de Marseille
6 GEOAZUR 6526 - Géoazur
7 LPC - Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire - Clermont-Ferrand
8 LAM - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
9 APC - AHE - APC - Astrophysique des Hautes Energies

ANTARES is a high-energy neutrino telescope installed in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 2475 m. It consists of a three-dimensional array of optical modules, each containing a large photomultiplier tube. A total of 2700 front-end ASICs named analogue ring samplers (ARS) process the phototube signals, measure their arrival time, amplitude and shape as well as perform monitoring and calibration tasks. The ARS chip processes the analogue signals from the optical modules and converts information into digital data. All the information is transmitted to shore through further multiplexing electronics and an optical link. This paper describes the performance of the ARS chip; results from the functionality and characterization tests in the laboratory are summarized and the long-term performance in the apparatus is illustrated.

Domaines: Instrumentation et méthodes pour l'astrophysique [astro-ph.IM]; Instrumentation et méthodes pour l'astrophysique [astro-ph.IM]

J.A. Aguilar, Imen Al Samarai, A. Albert, M. Anghinolfi, G. Anton, et al.. Performance of the Front-End Electronics of the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2010, 622, pp.59-73. ⟨10.1016/j.nima.2010.06.225⟩. ⟨in2p3-00561381⟩