The multi-PMT optical module for KM3NeT

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2012.11.049
• Publication Date: 2012-11-21T23:02:47Z
• Authors: H. Löhner; Q. Dorosti-Hasank...; E. Heine; D. Gajanana; O. Kavatsyuk; P. Kooijman; C. Kopper; H. Peek; J. Steijger; P. Timmer; E. de Wolf
• Keywords: 570; Optical module; 0103 physical sciences; Expansion cone; Neutrino telescope; Collection efficiency; KM3NeT; 01 natural sciences; 7. Clean energy; Optical readout

In the future neutrino telescope KM3NeT a novel type of optical module (OM) will be employed to optimize the sensitivity to Cherenkov photons and maximize the environmental background suppression. The multi-PMT OM, a pressure-resistant glass sphere containing 31 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) of 3-in. diameter, has been developed and prototyped including electronics for high-voltage generation, signal digitization and optical signal transmission. Monte-Carlo simulations show that a multi-PMT OM configuration requires three times less OMs to achieve the same performance as conventional OMs hosting 10-in. PMTs.