Technical memo on PbF2 as a Cherenkov radiator for EM calorimetry

It is apparent that the ever increasing rates and radiation levels found in high-energy physics are excluding more and more instrumental techniques. Those techniques that are remaining are often pushed to their theoretical limits. This situation reaches an extreme at the proposed luminosity of the SSC. Also, it is fair to say that at the SSC, after the accelerator itself, calorimetry will be the next most important physics tool. Therefore, we should be ever alert to new calorimetry techniques which may operate in this demanding environment. The material lead fluoride, PbF2, has a real potential of yielding a very compact, high-resolution electromagnetic calorimeter that is both fast and radiation hard. PbF2 is not a scintillator but a Cherenkov radiator like lead glass, but with a radiation length even harder shorter than of BGO. This memo discusses this property as well as comparison PbF2 to other scintillating materials. 2 refs., 14 figs., 1 tab