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 {sigma} {approx} 150 ps, which allows for correction due to chromatic error. In this test, the prototype has been instrumented with seven Hamamatsu H-8500 MaPMTs. Waveforms from {approx}450 pixels are digitized with waveform sampling electronics based on the BLAB2 ASIC, operating at a sampling speed of {approx}2.5 GSa/s. This version of the FDIRC prototype was tested in a large cosmic ray telescope providing muon tracks with {approx}1 mrad angular resolution and a muon momentum cutoff of {ge} 1.6 GeV/c.