Performance Of A Set Of Large Volume Threshold Cherenkov Detectors

Abstract

We present the design and performance of a set of large volume gas threshold Cerenkov detectors recently used in the k e d target experiment E142 at SLAC*. The detectors used a 4.0 meter effective length of nitrogen at 3.0 psia to achieve a pion threshold of 13.0 GeV/c. A five inch photomultiplier coated with pterphenyl wavelength shifter was used to detect an average of 7.0 photoelectrons per electron scattered through the detector, resulting in a 99% detection efficiency and No = 150 cm-’.