The ARGUS microvertext drift chamber

The ARGUS collaboration is currently building a new microvertex drift chamber (μVDC) as an upgrade of their detector. The μVDC is optimized for B-meson physics at DORIS energies. Important design features are minimal multiple scattering for low-momentum particles and three-dimensional reconstruction of decay vertices with equal resolutions in r-Φ and r-z. Vertex resolutions of 15-25 μm are expected. Prototypes of the μVDC have been tested with different gas mixtures at various pressures. Spatial resolutions as small as 20 μm were obtained using CO2/propane at 4 bar and DME at 1 bar. New readout electronics have been developed for the μVDC aiming at low thresholds for the TDC measurements. Employing a novel idea for noise and cross-talk suppression, which is based on a discrimination against short pulses, very low threshold settings are possible. (orig.)