The RICH counter in the CERN hyperon beam experiment

Abstract The hyperon beam experiment WA89 at the CERN-SPS uses a ring imaging Cherenkov counter (RICH) for identification of secondaries from ∑ − N reactions. Cherenkov photons are generated in a 5 m long radiator volume filled with nitrogen at atmospheric pressure and detected in drift chambers. The drift chambers cover an active surface of 1.6 × 0.75 m 2 , with a maximum drift path of 41 cm. Photoelectrons are counted on 1280 wires with a pitch of 2.54 mm, equipped with multihit TDCs. The counting gas is ethane saturated with TMAE at 30°C. The counter was operated in two beam periods in 1990 and 1991. The spatial resolution of the chambers is better than 2 mm and under normal running cond…