Recent Upgrades to the Time Projection Chamber for the NIFFTE Collaboration

The NIFFTE (Neutron Induced Fission Fragment Tracking Experiment) collaboration aims to create a more accurate measurement of the cross section as a function of incident neutron energy. In order to accomplish this, the collaboration designed and installed a fission Time Projection Chamber (TPC) at Los Alamos National Lab. A neutron beam is directed at a thin fissile target, potentially causing a fission event, which can be tracked by the TPC.  Recent upgrades to the TPC have allowed it to perform better and improve ease of operation. This includes implementing a high-temperature cutoff switch and incorporating a PID fan for stable temperature controls. Monitoring the TPC and analyzing the data can also be streamlined by implementing automatic comparisons of histograms via the Kolmogorov test. This can potentially act as an aid for shifters by notifying them of inconsistencies immediately or reporting differences that may be too subtle to be noticed visually. This presentation will give an overview of the NIFFTE collaboration’s goals, recent upgrades to the TPC, and future applications of the project.