The multi-PMT optical module for KM3NeT

摘要

In the future neutrino telescope KM3NeT a novel type of optical module (OM) will be employed to optimize the sensitivity to Cherenkov photons and maximize the environmental background suppression. The multi-PMT OM, a pressure-resistant glass sphere containing 31 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) of 3-in. diameter, has been developed and prototyped including electronics for high-voltage generation, signal digitization and optical signal transmission. Monte-Carlo simulations show that a multi-PMT OM configuration requires three times less OMs to achieve the same performance as conventional OMs hosting 10-in. PMTs.