• Nuclear, Particle, Astroparticle and Cosmology (NUPAC) Seminars

November 24, 2026 2:00 PM
PAIS 3205

Host:

Dinesh Loomba

Presenter:

Dustin Edgeman (UNM)

Accurate reconstruction of the initial direction of few-keV electrons could improve future X-ray polarimeters, directional dark-matter searches, and neutrino detectors. However, electron multiple scattering, diffusion, and detector readout effects complicate reconstruction, and simulated performance is difficult to validate without an independently constrained recoil direction. In this talk, I present LeedrCompTPC (Low-energy electron direction reconstruction using Compton scatter optical Time Projection Chamber), an experimental platform designed for systematic studies of low-energy electron tracking. A collimated Am-241 source produces Compton electrons in low-pressure gas, while external photon detectors are used to constrain the recoil direction through Compton kinematics. LeedrCompTPC combines GEM-based optical imaging with charge-timing measurements to recover the spatial and temporal information needed for three-dimensional electron-track reconstruction. I describe Geant4 feasibility studies, detector construction, vacuum and gas-system development, and optical-transport modeling that have informed the design. I then outline planned measurements to evaluate reconstruction algorithms, quantify electron angular resolution and reconstruction efficiency, and investigate how these performance metrics vary with detector operating conditions and configurations. The ultimate goal is to establish a flexible experimental platform for the continued development, validation, and improvement of low-energy electron-direction reconstruction techniques.