Development & Commissioning of bHiVE - Bite-sized High Voltage setup for Electrodes

Time projection chambers (TPCs) are used in various particle detectors including in dark matter and neutrino searches. To detect signals TPCs rely on a set of high-voltage electrodes to produce uniform electric fields. The high electric fields could lead to electron and photon emission from the electrode surface, and in worse cases may cause electrical breakdown. To study these effects and potential ways for mitigating them, this work aims to develop and commission a test setup for a variety of small electrode samples. In this way, the influence of various cleaning methods, treatments and coatings on the electron emission of electrodes in different gas environments and in vacuum could be examined and analyzed. The small sample size makes it possible to conduct detailed studies of the impact of defects, such as spikes, scratches or cuts on electrode performance and examine techniques for repairing them. These findings will be key for development of electrodes for the next generation of dark matter detectors such as DARWIN. In this talk I will present the recent status and progress of bHiVE.