Preliminary results on the use of avalanche photodiodes for scintillating fiber readout

The properties of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) for possible use in conjunction with scintillating fibers as charged particle detectors were measured. The quantities measured so far have been the gain of the APDs, the amplitude distribution of pulses from particles through the fibers, and the efficiency of detecting these particles. The device tested seems to be marginally usable, although the efficiency obtained is still too low. Preliminary results indicate the importance of the choice of associated electronics and good optical coupling between fiber and APD