Electron identification with a prototype of the Transition Radiation Tracker for the ATLAS experiment

A prototype of the Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT) for the ATLAS detector at the LHC has been built and tested. The TRT is an array of straw tubes which integrate tracking and electron identification by transition radiation into one device. Results of experimental measurements and of comparisons with Monte-Carlo simulations are presented for the electron identification performance as a function of various detector parameters. Under optimal operating conditions, a rejection against pions of a factor 100 was achieved with 90% electron efficiency.