Abstract:
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The performance of a new gaseous photodetector was investigated. It consists of a
solid photocathode and a gas amplification structure of the MICROMEGAS type.
Using a mixture of helium and isobutane at atmospheric pressure, a stable and high
amplification gain close to 10^7 was achieved. Such a high gain and small fluctuations
allowed the detection of single photoelectrons with a time resolution better
than 700 ps. These performances are comparable with those obtained with the best
photomultipliers. |
