DIRC-based PID for the EIC central detector

One of the key requirements for the central detector of a future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is to provide radially compact Particle Identification (PID) (e/π,π/K,K/p) over a wide momentum range. It is expected that the PID system will need to include one or more Cherenkov counters to achieve this goal. With a radial size of only a few cm, a DIRC counter (Detector of Internally Reflected Cherenkov light) is potentially an attractive option. The DIRC rate at EIC R and D Collaboration was formed by groups in the United States and Germany in 2011 with funding from DOE to investigate ways to extend the momentum coverage of DIRC counters for the EIC detector by up to 50% beyond the current state of the art. Possible design improvements include a complex focusing system, multi-anode sensors with smaller pixels, a time-based reconstruction algorithm, and chromatic dispersion mitigation. Both Geant and ray-tracing simulations are used to optimize the design configuration of the DIRC counter in terms of the performance and the best integration with the EIC detector. We discuss the current status of the design studies and the possible improvements to the Cherenkov angle resolution and the photon yield.