Further results on the operation of high-accuracy drift chambers

Abstract

Optimization of the working parameters in the drift chambers with adjustable electric fields permits stable operation and high accuracies. Full saturation of the drift velocity leads to remarkable improvements, namely a very linear space-time correlation for perpendicular tracks, and simple geometrical distortion of linearity for inclined tracks. The same results can be obtained when properly tilting the electric field equipotentials in a wide range of external magnetic fields. This simple behaviour should allow a practical use, even for large systems, of the intrinsic high accuracy of the drift chambers (100–200 μm). They appear then as a very promising high-resolution fast detector for high-energy particle physics.