Simulation of RPC performance for 511 keV photon detection

Measurements of the time resolution of timing Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) reveal some differences when comparing the results for 511 keV photons and for particle beams. The subject is of interest, since timing RPCs are currently considered for Positron Emission Tomography (PET), where the sensitivity of the system depends largely on the time resolution of the detector. In this publication we discuss possible explanations, in particular the statistical fluctuations of the deposited charge and the Compton electron flight time distributions. Moreover, we rediscuss the reduction of the Townsend coefficient due to the space charge effect inside the avalanches as a function of the avalanche size. We shall see that the dependence assumed by different analytic models differs significantly from what is predicted by detailed Monte Carlo avalanche simulations.