arXiv:physics/0312061v1 [physics.ins-det] 10 Dec 2003 UASLP-IF-03-007 Instrumentation J¨ urgen Engelfried Instituto de F´ ısica, Universidad Aut´ onoma de San Luis Potos´ ı, Mexico jurgen@ifisica.uaslp.mx, http://www.ifisica.uaslp.mx/˜jurgen/ Abstract In this course, given at the school in 3 parts of 75 minutes each, we will discuss the physics of particle detection, the basic designs and working principles of detectors, and, as an example with more details, some detectors for particle identification. 1. Introduction The detection and identification of particles and nuclei is not only important in high-energy physics, but also in cosmic ray and nuclear physics. The basic idea is that every effect of particles or radiation can be used as a working principle for a detector. The main purpose is the detection and identification of particles with mass m and charge z. In particle physics, the charge is usually z =0, ±1, but in nuclear, heavy ion physics, or cosmic rays, also higher charges are possible. Examples of effects used for particle detection and identification include the momentum p mea- sured by deflecting a charged particle (charge z) in a magnetic field (ρ ∝ p/z = γmβc/z ); the velocity v measured by the time of flight t (β = v/c ∝ 1/t) or the Cherenkov angle (θ C =1/(βn)), the total energy E measurements with a calorimeter, and for charge z measurement the ionization energy loss (dE/dx ∝ z 2 ). With all the information together one can determine the quadri-vector of the particle. The basic detection techniques work mostly for charged particles only; neutral particles are usually detected indirectly via reactions producing charged particles. Designing instrumentation and detectors requires knowledge of the basic physics of interactions of charged and neutral particles with matter, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering (high volt- age), electronic engineering, interfaces to trigger, data acquisition and computing, software engineering (calibration), and operation (stability). To know any one of them is not sufficient; all have to be applied together to build, operate and use an instrument for a physics measurement. The final goal of the mea- surement and the precision (resolution) needed has always to be kept in mind, in order not to over-design the instrument. The recommended literature includes, in addition to references throughout the lecture, the follow- ing: Particle Detectors by Claus Grupen [1], Detectors for particle radiation by Konrad Kleinknecht [2], Introduction to Experimental Particle Physics by Richard C. Fernow [3], Calorimetry by Richard Wig- mans [4], lecture notes and proceedings of ICFA Instrumentation Schools [5], which are held bi-yearly since 1987, recently also as regional schools, and the Particle Data Book [6], which contains short summaries of important topics. In the new 2004 edition [7] a rewritten and upgraded section about instrumentation will be included. 0 Lecture course given at the 2nd Latin American School of High Energy Physics, San Miguel Regla, Mexico, June 1-14, 2003. To be published in a CERN Yellow Report.