Track fitting with multiple scattering

An analytical calculation of the variance is performed, in some simple cases, for standard least-squares estimators of track parameters (accounting for independent measurement errors only); comparison is made with optimal estimators (accounting also for scattering errors, correlated between one point and the following ones). A new method is proposed for optimal estimation: the points measured on the track are included backwards, one by one, in the fitting algorithm, and the scattering is handled locally at each step. The feasibility of the method is shown on real events, for which the geometrical resolution is improved. The algorithm is very flexible and allows fast programmation; moreover the computation time is merely proportional to the number of measured points, contrary to the other optimal estimators. (orig.)