Particle Detection with Drift Chambers

A drift chamber is an apparatus for measuring the space coordinates of the trajectory of a charged particle. This is achieved by detecting the ionization electrons produced by the charged particle in the gas of the chamber and by measuring their drift times and arrival positions on sensitive electrodes. When the multiwire proportional chamber, or ‘Charpak chamber’ as we used to call it, was introduced in 1968, its authors had already noted that the time of a signal could be useful for a coordinate determination, and rst studies with a drift ch- ber were made by Bressani, Charpak, Rahm and Zupanci c in 1969. When the rst operational drift-chamber system with electric circuitry and readout was built by Walenta, Heintze and Schurlein ¨ in 1971, a new instrument for particle experiments had appeared. A broad study of the behaviour of drifting electrons in gases began in laboratories where there was interest in the detection of particles.

This volume presents a thorough introduction to the theory and operation of drift chambers, one of the most important modern methods of elementary particle detection. The topics, presented in a text-book style with many illustrations, include the basics of gas ionization, by particles and by lasers, drift of electrons and ions in gases and signal creation and discuss in depth the fundamental limits of accuracy and the issue of particle identification.

The book also surveys all types of drift chambers and the various drift-chamber gases in use. The calculation of the device parameters and physical processes are presented in some detail, as is all necessary background material. Thus the treatment, well beyond addressing the specialist in the field, is well suited to graduate physics students and nuclear engineers seeking a both thorough and pedagogical introduction to the field.

The second edition presents a completely revised, updated and expanded version of this classic text. In particular, significantly more material on electronic signal creation, amplification and shaping has been added.