A Disc-DIRC Cherenkov detector with high resolution micro channel plate photomultiplier tubes

The upcoming PANDA Experiment at FAIR in Germany will be equipped with a novel Cherenkov detector type for high-energy particle identification. This very compact Disc-DIRC detector uses a large disc-shaped fused silica plate of 2 cm thickness as its Cherenkov radiator. The internally reflected Cherenkov light is transported to the rim of the disc where it is focused by quartz light guides onto microchannel plate photomultiplier tubes (MCP-PMTs) with high spatial resolution (pitch 0.5 mm) and high time resolution (σ ≈ 100 ps). The device has an active area of about 3 m2 and will be able to identify pions and kaons with a separation power of more than 3σ in the momentum range up to 4 GeV/c. It has 32400 individual pixels and each can handle a mean photon rate of up to about 100 kHz. The presented design deals with numerous challenges that come with the very hostile environment in which the detector has to function properly, caused by the presence of high magnetic fields of up to 2 Tesla, high levels of radiation, high particle and background rates and a tight spatial volume. First test measurements have shown the performance of the design.