Simulation of a Fast Timing Micro-Pattern Gaseous Detector for TOF-PET and future accelerators

Simulation is a powerful tool for designing new detectors and guide the construction of new prototypes. Advances in photolithography and micro-electronics led to the development of a new family of devices named Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors (MPGDs) [1], with main features: flexible geometry; high rate capability (> MHz/cm²); excellent spatial resolution (100µ m); good time resolution (5-10 ns); and reduced radiation length. A new detector layout, named Fast Timing MPGD (FTM), has been recently proposed [2] that would combine both the high spatial resolution and high rate capability of the MPGDs, while improving the time resolution with nearly two orders of magnitude to ~100ps. However charged particle timing with gaseous detector time resolution below 100 ps has been established with another detection scheme [3], this approach might not be able to sustain high particle rates. This contribution investigates the use of the FTM technology for an innovative TOF-PET imaging detector and emphases the importance of full detector simulation to guide the design of the detector geometry and performance.