Timing measurements at ELBE on multigap resistive plate chamber prototypes for NeuLAND

The NeuLAND detector for fast neutrons (0.2-1 GeV) at the R3B experiment at FAIR aims for high time and spatial resolutions (σt<100 ps, σx,y,z<1 cm). The detector will consist of about 60 sequences of a stacked structure from iron converter material and multigap resistive plate chambers (MRPC's). The secondary charged particles stemming from hadronic interactions of the high energetic neutrons in the converter will be detected in the MRPC's, with excellent timing properties. As part of the ongoing development of the NeuLAND detector, MRPC prototypes designed for this application have been studied at the superconducting electron linac ELBE in Dresden with its picosecond time structure. The ELBE experiments show that the prototypes studied so far have efficiency ≥90% for minimum ionizing particles in a 2 x 2 gap structure and fulfill the called for time resolution.