Performance of MicroMegas Electronics in a High-Radiation Environment

To accommodate the anticipated increase in luminosity, the ATLAS experiment at CERN is currently undergoing upgrades. The instantaneous luminosity, in the coming years, is anticipated to attain 7.5×10
³⁴
cm
⁻²
s
⁻¹
. The most complex upgrade project involves the replacement of the Muon Spectrometer’s inner end-cap detection stations, known as New Small Wheels (NSWs). The NSWs employ novel micro-pattern gaseous detector technology, which aims to improve system performance both in terms of trigger accuracy and spatial resolution. In order to evaluate the operational characteristics of the Micromegas chambers as well as of the associated readout electronics, a plethora of tests were performed at the new CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF++). This article describes the experimental setup and highlights the tests of the electronics response as a function of the gamma intensity.