Isotope separation with the RICH detector of the AMS Experiment

TL;DR

This paper discusses the design and simulation of the RICH detector in the AMS experiment, which aims to improve isotope separation of cosmic rays by measuring particle velocity and charge with high precision.

Contribution

It presents a Monte Carlo simulation of the RICH detector's isotope separation capabilities using realistic properties from ion beam tests.

Findings

Effective separation of H, He, and Be isotopes demonstrated

High-precision velocity and charge measurements achieved

Potential for improved cosmic ray isotope analysis

Abstract

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), to be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008, is a cosmic ray detector with several subsystems, one of which is a proximity focusing Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detector. This detector will be equipped with a dual radiator (aerogel+NaF), a lateral conical mirror and a detection plane made of 680 photomultipliers and light guides, enabling precise measurements of particle electric charge and velocity. Combining velocity measurements with data on particle rigidity from the AMS Tracker it is possible to obtain a measurement for particle mass, allowing the separation of isotopes. A Monte Carlo simulation of the RICH detector, based on realistic properties measured at ion beam tests, was performed to evaluate isotope separation capabilities. Results for three elements -- H (Z=1), He (Z=2) and Be (Z=4) -- are presented.