Design of output electronics for a Multi-Wire Proportional Counter (MWPC) detector system

The TRIUMF Neutral Atom Trap for Beta Decay (TRINAT) facility seeks to measure properties of nuclear beta decays in order to test the predictions of the Standard Model at low energies. One type of detector which may be used in the TRINAT facility is the Multi-Wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC). To obtain particle position information from the wires of the MWPC detectors, a system of passive delay lines is used in our design, allowing the time-based differentiation of signals from many detector wires using only two output channels. Examining the pre-amplifier PCBs previously obtained for this application, a feedback loop was observed in the circuit. To replace the PCB pre-amplifiers, a bipolar transistor pre-amplifier design employing a cascode topology for the input/gain stage with capacitive feedback from a DC-coupled voltage buffer output stage was designed and built. Results of our pre-amplifier design are listed.