# Characterisation of different stages of hadronic showers using the CALICE Si-W ECAL physics prototype

## TL;DR

This paper investigates the different stages of hadronic showers in a high granularity silicon-tungsten calorimeter using 2-10 GeV pi-minus mesons, introducing a novel track-finding algorithm for detailed characterization.

## Contribution

It presents a new track-finding method to analyze hadronic interactions and secondary particle production in a calorimeter without magnetic field influence.

## Key findings

- Successful reconstruction of secondary tracks within hadronic showers
- Characterization of interaction regions and secondary particle production
- Demonstration of detector monitoring using secondary tracks

## Abstract

A detailed investigation of hadronic interactions is performed using $\pi^-$-mesons with energies in the range 2--10 GeV incident on a high granularity silicon-tungsten electromagnetic calorimeter. The data were recorded at FNAL in 2008. The region in which the $\pi^-$-mesons interact with the detector material and the produced secondary particles are characterised using a novel track-finding algorithm that reconstructs tracks within hadronic showers in a calorimeter in the absence of a magnetic field. The principle of carrying out detector monitoring and calibration using secondary tracks is also demonstrated.