New pixelized Micromegas detector for the COMPASS experiment

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new pixelized Micromegas detector designed for the COMPASS experiment, featuring upgrades for higher luminosity, improved robustness, and pixelized read-out, with testing results from real beam conditions.

Contribution

It presents the development and testing of the first pixelized Micromegas prototypes for high-luminosity hadron beam detection at CERN.

Findings

Successful operation of pixelized prototypes in real beam conditions

Enhanced detector robustness and higher flux handling capacity

Validation of detector performance with muon and hadron beams

Abstract

New Micromegas (Micro-mesh gaseous detectors) are being developed in view of the future physics projects planned by the COMPASS collaboration at CERN. Several major upgrades compared to present detectors are being studied: detectors standing five times higher luminosity with hadron beams, detection of beam particles (flux up to a few hundred of kHz/mm^2, 10 times larger than for the present detectors) with pixelized read-out in the central part, light and integrated electronics, and improved robustness. Studies were done with the present detectors moved in the beam, and two first pixelized prototypes are being tested with muon and hadron beams in real conditions at COMPASS. We present here this new project and report on two series of tests, with old detectors moved into the beam and with pixelized prototypes operated in real data taking condition with both muon and hadron beams.