Cluster dynamics in RPCs—A 3D electrostatic analysis

The important and complex physics of 3D cluster evolution in RPCs has been studied using the nearly exact boundary element method solver. A new method, namely, particles-on-surface has been proposed to simulate the effects of space charge on the development of the avalanche. This method is expected to be superior to the particle-in-cell approach that is usually adopted for simulating similar physical phenomena in several areas of science and technology. These methods have been discussed in the context of the neBEM solver in order to illustrate the merits and de-merits of employing this new tool for analyzing RPCs, in particular, and gas detectors, in general.