Development of a Focusing DIRC

Benefiting from the recent introduction of new fast vacuum-based photon detectors with a transit time spread of sigma <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TTS</sub> ~ 30-150ps, we are developing a novel RICH detector capable of correcting the chromatic error through good time measurements; we believe that this is the first time such a technique has been demonstrated. We have built and successfully tested a particle identification detector called "Focusing DIRC." The concept of the prototype is based on the BaBar DIRC, with several important improvements: (a) much faster pixelated photon detectors based on Burle MCP-PMTs and Hamamatsu MaPMTs, (b) a focusing mirror which allows the photon detector to be smaller and less sensitive to background in future applications, (c) electronics allowing the measurement of single photon timing to better than sigma ~ 100-200ps, which allows a correction of the chromatic error. The detector was tested in a SLAC 10GeV/c electron test beam. This detector concept could be used for particle identification at Super B-factory, ILC, GlueX, Panda, etc.