MoEDAL Experiment Analyzes Radiation Background Using Timepix Detector Network at LHC
Researchers have published a detailed analysis of mixed radiation fields at the MoEDAL experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, using data from a Timepix hybrid silicon pixel detector network operated between 2013 and 2018. MoEDAL uses passive Nuclear Track Detectors to search for signatures of Dirac magnetic monopoles, and understanding background radiation — particularly fast neutrons and highly ionizing particles — is critical to distinguishing genuine monopole candidates from noise. The study provides the first spatial tracking results from the Timepix network, improving the experiment's ability to characterize and reject false-positive signals.
A preprint submitted to the European Physical Journal Special Topics presents a comprehensive characterization of the radiation environment surrounding the MoEDAL experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The MoEDAL detector relies on passive Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) to search for hypothetical Dirac magnetic monopoles, but these detectors are susceptible to background signals from fast neutrons, other hadrons, and highly ionizing particles that can mimic monopole tracks. To address this, a network of Timepix hybrid silicon pixel detectors — the only active detector system ever deployed as part of MoEDAL — collected real-time radiation field data from 2013 to 2018. The analysis details the composition, energy spectra, and directional distributions of individual radiation components across different regions of the MoEDAL experimental area. Notably, the paper reports the first results demonstrating spatial tracking capabilities of the Timepix detectors, enabling reconstruction of particle direction and energy-loss profiles from single detector frames. These findings are intended to support more accurate background rejection in the ongoing search for magnetic monopoles. The work was authored by Petr Mánek and collaborators and is currently under review.
What's missing
The study covers data only from 2013 to 2018; it is unclear whether updated or ongoing Timepix measurements have been made during subsequent LHC runs, and the paper does not report implications for any specific monopole search result or exclusion limit. The preprint has not yet completed peer review.
What different sources said
- arXiv physicsCenter
Analysis of Mixed Radiation Fields at the MoEDAL Experiment Based on Real-Time Data from a Timepix Detector Network
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