Particle Identification Systems Based on an Aerogel Developed at BINP SB RAS

Abstract

Aerogel production in Novosibirsk began in 1986 as a part of the development of the Cherenkov threshold counters used in the KEDR detector. The aerogel produced in Novosibirsk had excellent optical parameters. The Cherenkov counter systems based on the aerogel operate successfully in the SND experiment (VEPP-2000 $${{e}^{ + }}{{e}^{ - }}$$ -collider), in the KEDR detector (VEPP-4M $${{e}^{ + }}{{e}^{ - }}$$ -collider), and in the AMS-02 experiment at the International Space Station. In this paper, we have overviewed particle identification systems based on the aerogel that have been developed at the Budker Nuclear Physics Institute. We have also described the principles of a new type of ring-imaging Cherenkov detector based on Focusing Aerogel (FARICH).