Secondary Emission Calorimetry

In high-radiation environments, electromagnetic calorimetry is particularly challenging. To address this, a feasible approach involves constructing a sampling calorimeter that employs radiation-hard active media, albeit at the expense of high energy resolution. In response, we developed an innovative technique, secondary emission calorimetry, which offers radiation resistance, rapid response, robustness, and cost-effectiveness. Our efforts involve the creation of prototype secondary emission sensors, subjected to comprehensive testing within test beams. In the secondary emission detector module, incident charged hadrons or electromagnetic shower particles trigger the generation of secondary emission electrons from a cathode. These generated electrons are subsequently amplified in a manner similar to the process within photomultiplier tubes. This report provides an insight into the principles underlying secondary emission calorimetry, presents findings from beam tests, and outlines Monte Carlo simulations that project towards the potential application of large-scale secondary emission electromagnetic calorimeters.