Principle and Application of Time Projection Chamber

Time projection chamber (TPC) is a particle identification detector widely used in large-scale physics experiments. It determines the three-dimensional coordinates of particle tracks by projecting the drift time and drift direction of ionized electrons, with good energy resolution and very high position resolution. Since its invention, TPC has been extensively employed in large scientific experimental facilities abroad, playing significant roles in colliders and fixed target experiments. Although domestic research institutions conducted some preliminary studies on TPC in the early stage, technical limitations restricted its wide adoption. However, over the past decade, with the establishment of facilities such as the PandaX-Ⅲ experiment at Jinping Underground Laboratory and the Dongguan China Spallation Neutron Source, and the conceptual design of the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), TPCs have undertaken a significant portion of the work as primary track detectors in these experiments as the main track detector, leading to further R&D efforts. At this crucial juncture, it is necessary to review the specific applications and development of TPC both domestically and internationally to lay a solid foundation for future work. The paper focuses on three main aspects: 1) the historical development, working principles, current status, and the progress of core readout detectors for TPCs; 2) the applications and latest advancements of TPC in major scientific experimental facilities abroad; 3) the applications of TPC in domestic research projects.