Resistive Plate Chambers for brain PET imaging and particle tracking and timing (TOF-tracker)

Objective: To explore readout architectures for the simultaneous high-resolution timing and bidimensional tracking of charged particles with Resistive Plate Chambers (TOF-tracker) and for the accurate detection of gamma rays for Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Materials and methods: Resistive plate chambers and their corresponding readout systems under evaluation were exposed to cosmic rays and β+ sources. Results: Over an active area of 625 cm2, we obtained a time resolution of 61 ps ơ and bidimensional position resolution below 150 μm ơ for the tracking and timing of charged particles from cosmic rays. The intrinsic precision for localising a small β+ source via the detection of its annihilation radiation was determined to be 0.49 mm FWHM. Conclusions: The proposed device exhibits excellent timing and position resolution for the tracking and timing of charged particles, with potential applications in nuclear and high-energy particle physics, as well as gamma imaging with applications in PET.