Detector Physics

All physical measurements require a detector and all experimental physicists need a working knowledge of detector physics.The course will give an introduction to radiation and particle detectors and their use in Experimental Physics and in different application areas. The course covers basic physical processes for the detection of radiation and particles, photo-electic effect, Compton scattering, pair production, excitation, ionization, bremsstrahlung, Cherenkov radiation, nuclear reactions and secondary emission. The principle and characteristics of the following detector types: • charged particle detectors • charge-coupled devices (CCD) • light sensors • gas detectors • scintillation detectors • semiconductor detectors • bolometric detectors. • Detection systems in molecular, atomic, nuclear and particle physics, quantum optics as well as in medicine, accelerator physics and other fields. Signal processing, measurement methodology and performance metrics. Practical exercises provide familiarity with in-depth knowledge of different types of detectors.