PERFORMANCE OF THE ALEPH TIME PROJECTION CHAMBER

The performance of the ALEPH Time Projection Chamber (TPC) has been studied using data taken during the LEP running periods in 1989 and 1990. After correction of residual distortions and optimisation of coordinate reconstruction algorithms, single coordinate resolutions of 173-mu-m in the azimuthal and 740-mu-m in the longitudinal direction are achieved. This results in a momentum resolution for the TPC of DELTA-p/p2 = 1.2 x 10(-3) (GeV/c)-1. In combination with the ALEPH Inner Tracking Chamber (ITC), a total momentum resolution of DELTA-p/p2 = 0.8 x 10(-3) (GeV/c)-1 is obtained. With respect to particle identification, the detector achieves a resolution of 4.4% for the measurement of the i…