Implementation of a noise mitigation strategy for a high-pressure xenon detector

Abstract

High-pressure xenon (HPXe) detectors have historically been unable to achieve or even approach the theoretically predicted energy resolution, a phenomenon usually attributed to problems with microphonic, vibrational, or acoustic noise. All these noises are expected to have characteristic frequency signatures. We have determined the effects of external acoustic noise signals on the resolution of HPXe spectrometers and implemented a technique to reduce or eliminate the resolution loss caused by external acoustic noise in real time. Using a precision waveform generator as the driver on a 400-watt speaker, we determined the response of a commercial HPXe detector to a variety of constant frequency acoustic noise signals by performing a fast Fourier transform on a buffered detector output signal and noting distortions to the spectral response of the frequency domain. A data acquisition package was developed using the frequency response information to perform realtime digital signal noise filtering on each gamma-ray pulse. With external acoustic noise, the measured resolution of HPXe gamma-ray energy spectra was degraded by a factor of 2 to 3. With the noise mitigating data acquisition package the spectroscopic resolution was restored to values comparable to the resolution measured under ideal (non-noisy) conditions.