Resolution Studies for Future DIRC Detectors

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the fundamental resolution limits of DIRC Cherenkov detectors, focusing on photon loss, dispersion, and angle straggling, to guide future detector design and feasibility assessments.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical and simulation-based analysis of the intrinsic resolution limitations of DIRC detectors for future experiments.

Findings

Identified key factors limiting DIRC resolution

Provided upper limits for resolution parameters

Guided future detector development

Abstract

The resolution of Cherenkov detectors using the DIRC method is mainly limited by three components: photon loss due to steep angles of incidence, dispersion effects, and angle straggling due to the Coulomb interaction of the charged particle. This paper highlights the general limitations of any generic DIRC detector, based on studies for the proposed experiments PANDA in Darmstadt and SCTF in Russia. These studies used theoretical calculations and simplified Monte-Carlo simulations to obtain an upper limit of all individual resolution parameters. Therefore, they can be used for feasibility studies in future detector developments.