Transition radiation detectors for energy measurements at high Lorentz factors

The characteristic dependence of the intensity of transition radiation (TR) on the Lorentz factor γ= E/ mc 2 of a primary particle is key to a number of practical applications. In particular, one may use TR detectors for energy measurements of heavy cosmic-ray nuclei in a region where alternate tech...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 2004-10, Vol.531 (3), p.435-444
Main Authors: Wakely, S.P., Plewnia, S., Müller, D., Hörandel, J.R., Gahbauer, F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cosmic rays
Measurement techniques
Transition radiation
TRD
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Summary:The characteristic dependence of the intensity of transition radiation (TR) on the Lorentz factor γ= E/ mc 2 of a primary particle is key to a number of practical applications. In particular, one may use TR detectors for energy measurements of heavy cosmic-ray nuclei in a region where alternate techniques are difficult to apply. However, a serious constraint can be the saturation of the TR yield at high γ-values. We investigate how the onset of saturation can be pushed to as high a Lorentz factor as possible. We then describe the results of test measurements at CERN, which demonstrate the possibility of practical configurations for measurements over the Lorentz factor range of a few hundred to about 10 5.
ISSN:0168-9002
1872-9576
DOI:10.1016/j.nima.2004.04.245