The focusing DIRC with waveform digitizing electronics

We have tested a novel Cherenkov imaging detector called the Focusing DIRC (FDIRC) with waveform digitizing electronics. The prototype's concept is based on the BaBar DIRC with several important improvements: (a) much faster, pixelated photon detectors, (b) a mirror that makes the photon detector smaller and less sensitive to background in future applications, and (c) electronics capable of measuring single photon resolution to σ∼150ps, which allows for correction due to chromatic error. In this test, the prototype has been instrumented with seven Hamamatsu H-8500 MaPMTs. Waveforms from ∼450 pixels are digitized with waveform sampling electronics based on the BLAB2 ASIC, operating at a sampling speed of ∼2.5GSa/s. This version of the FDIRC prototype was tested in a large cosmic ray telescope providing muon tracks with ∼1mrad angular resolution and a muon momentum cutoff of ≥1.6GeV/c.