A novel compact threshold Cerenkov detector

A detector is presented in which Cerenkov UV light is produced in a thin layer (4 cm) of a liquid-FC72 radiator in which a row of centimeter-diameter quartz tubes is immersed. The light is detected in these tubes. Inside a tube, a wire is stretched along the axis for an anode, and parallel wires on the inner circumference function as the cathode. The tubes are operated with TMAE vapour without additional counting gas so that each tube acts as an elementary low-pressure proportional chamber. The response of charged particles passing the detector is suppressed using this principle. Computer simulations have shown that good pion/kaon discrimination can be obtained. After a pilot study with a one tube light detector, a small 20×20-cm² prototype Cerenkov detector was constructed. This is discussed by the authors