Particle identification by relativistic rise of time above threshold in gaseous detectors

We describe a new method of the relativistic rise measurements in a succession of proportional detectors. The method is based on a measurement of the total duration of the detector pulses exceeding some energy threshold. Monte Carlo simulation and test beam measurements with detectors consisting of planar and cylindrical chambers show that the new method yields at least the same identification power as the standard truncated mean energy technique with a fast FADC readout. The advantages of the new method are a simple readout electronics, a low data flow from a detector and a possibility to provide a particle identification on a trigger level.