Fast array-based particle coincidence detection in a Timepix3-based velocity map imaging instrument

Area of Science:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Physical Chemistry
• Instrumentation and Measurement

Background:

• High repetition rate lasers and advanced correlation analyses are advancing molecular studies.
• Particle detection techniques like velocity map imaging (VMI) require high-resolution detectors for real-time data processing.
• The Timepix3 camera (TPX3CAM) offers efficient spatio-temporal localization of particle hits but presents data processing challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a rapid data processing and centroiding algorithm for ion and electron hits in VMI instruments using TPX3CAM.
• To overcome computational challenges associated with the sparse data stream of the TPX3CAM.
• To enhance the speed and accuracy of particle hit localization for high count rate experiments.

Main Methods:

• Developed a rapid, array-based data processing and centroiding algorithm tailored for sparse TPX3CAM data.
• Utilized the algorithm to localize particle hits on the microchannel plate with sub-pixel accuracy.
• Implemented parallelized centroiding on a graphics processing unit (GPU) for accelerated computation.

Main Results:

• The algorithm achieves data processing speeds approximately 25 times faster than data acquisition for a 1 kHz VMI instrument.
• Particle hits are localized with better than single-pixel accuracy.
• The TPX3CAM detector demonstrates capability in discriminating multiple simultaneous hits.

Conclusions:

• The developed algorithm significantly enhances the efficiency of VMI experiments utilizing TPX3CAM detectors.
• Faster data processing enables high-fidelity coincidence and covariance studies.
• This advancement is crucial for leveraging high count rates in modern molecular imaging.