%0 Journal Article
%T Improved Particle Identification Using Cluster Counting in a Full-Length Drift Chamber Prototype
%A Jean-Fran£żois Caron
%A Christopher Hearty
%A Philip Lu
%A Rocky So
%A Racha Cheaib
%A Jean-Pierre Martin
%A Wayne Faszer
%A Alexandre Beaulieu
%A Samuel de Jong
%A Michael Roney
%A Riccardo de Sangro
%A Giulietto Felici
%A Giuseppe Finocchiaro
%A Marcello Piccolo
%J Physics
%D 2013
%I arXiv
%R 10.1016/j.nima.2013.09.028
%X Single-cell prototype drift chambers were built at TRIUMF and tested with a $\sim\unit[210]{MeV/c}$ beam of positrons, muons, and pions. A cluster-counting technique is implemented which improves the ability to distinguish muons and pions when combined with a traditional truncated-mean charge measurement. Several cluster-counting algorithms and equipment variations are tested, all showing significant improvement when combined with the traditional method. The results show that cluster counting is a feasible option for any particle physics experiment using drift chambers for particle identification. The technique does not require electronics with an overly high sampling rate. Optimal results are found with a signal smoothing time of $\sim\unit[5]{ns}$ corresponding to a $\sim\unit[100]{MHz}$ Nyquist frequency.
%U http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.8101v2