First observation of Cherenkov rings with a large area CsI-TGEM-based RICH prototype

TL;DR

This paper reports the first successful detection of Cherenkov rings using a large-area CsI-TGEM-based RICH prototype, demonstrating the feasibility of constructing extensive Cherenkov detectors with TGEMs.

Contribution

It introduces a novel large-area RICH detector prototype with TGEMs and presents the first Cherenkov ring images captured with this technology.

Findings

Cherenkov rings successfully recorded with TGEM detectors

Prototype demonstrates feasibility of large-area Cherenkov detection

Laboratory tests confirm detector's effectiveness

Abstract

We have built a RICH detector prototype consisting of a liquid C6F14 radiator and six triple Thick Gaseous Electron Multipliers (TGEMs), each of them having an active area of 10x10 cm2. One triple TGEM has been placed behind the liquid radiator in order to detect the beam particles, whereas the other five have been positioned around the central one at a distance to collect the Cherenkov photons. The upstream electrode of each of the TGEM stacks has been coated with a 0.4 micron thick CsI layer. In this paper, we will present the results from a series of laboratory tests with this prototype carried out using UV light, 6 keV photons from 55Fe and electrons from 90Sr as well as recent results of tests with a beam of charged pions where for the first time Cherenkov Ring images have been successfully recorded with TGEM photodetectors. The achieved results prove the feasibility of building a large area Cherenkov detector consisting of a matrix of TGEMs.