Charge-Exchange Reaction: π⁻ + p → π⁰ + n → γγ + n | Targets: ¹²C, ²⁷Al, ²⁰⁷Pb | Observable: σ(A) = σ₀ Aᵅ
Pion Charge Exchange: π⁻ + p → π⁰ + n → γ + γ + n
Beam Momentum: 3 GeV/c | γ = 22.25 | θ_min = 90 mrad (≈5.15°)
GeV/c (adjust to see Lorentz boost effect on opening angle)
Nuclear A-Dependence Power Law for σ(A)
α = 2/3 (surface-dominated, opaque nucleus) | α = 1 (volume scaling, transparent nucleus) | α ≈ 0.72–0.74 (Glauber optical-limit prediction)
Glauber Multiple-Scattering Theory — Nuclear Shadowing
Inner nucleons are "shadowed" by the nuclear periphery; only surface nucleons participate in charge exchange
π⁰ → γγ Invariant Mass Reconstruction (BR = 98.82%)
Expected: σ_m ≈ 5.6 MeV/c² (Mode A, θ=9°) | Signal purity >98% | Fit: Gaussian + 2nd-order polynomial background
Electromagnetic Shower in Lead-Glass Calorimeter (4×4 array, 10×10×37 cm³ blocks)
Upstream Target: Lead (Pb). Target X₀ = 5.6 mm. Photon escape probability = 95.2%.
Dual-Threshold Cherenkov PID — XCET1 & XCET2 at T9
Detector Configuration & β values at p = 3 GeV/c:
XCET1 (low pressure)
β_thr ≈ 0.9999
Fires ONLY for electrons
XCET2 (higher pressure)
β_thr ≈ 0.9989
Fires for e⁻ and π⁻ (both above threshold)
| Particle | Mass (MeV/c²) | β at 3 GeV/c | XCET1 | XCET2 | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| e⁻ | 0.511 | 0.99999999 | ON | ON | REJECT |
| π⁻ (signal) | 139.57 | 0.99892 | OFF | ON | ACCEPT ✓ |
| μ⁻ (completeness) | 105.66 | 0.99938 | OFF | ON | TRIGGER PASS* |
| K⁻ | 493.68 | 0.98673 | OFF | OFF | REJECT |
| p̄ | 938.27 | 0.95441 | OFF | OFF | REJECT |
* μ⁻ (β=0.99938) exceeds the XCET2 threshold (β_thr=0.9989) and is NOT rejected at hardware trigger level. Muon suppression relies entirely on the S₂ charged-particle veto and offline E_total > 1.0 GeV + shower-shape cuts (see Setup §5).
π⁻ uniquely identified by: XCET2 ON ∧ XCET1 OFF ∧ S₂ silent ∧ E_total > 1 GeV
Delay Wire Chambers — Beam Tracking & Vertex Reconstruction
DWC3 (Mode B only): Tracks e⁺e⁻ pairs from photon conversion in 0.1X₀ Pb foil (P_conv = 7.48% per photon). Provides 3–4× better angular resolution than Mode A calorimetry (3.5 mrad). Click canvas to simulate a beam hit.
| Target | A | Thickness | X₀ fraction | Photon Escape | n (cm⁻²) | σ (mb) | Rate (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¹²C (Carbon) | 12 | 2.65 mm | 1.4% | 98.9% | 3.00×10²² | 40.0 | 400 |
| ²⁷Al (Aluminium) | 27 | 1.85 mm | 2.1% | 98.4% | 1.115×10²² | 71.7 | 260 |
| ²⁰⁷Pb (Lead) | 207 | 0.353 mm | 6.3% | 95.2% | 1.163×10²¹ | 310.8 | 120 |
π⁻ beam →Bending Magnet →Collimator →XCET1 →XCET2 →S1 →DWC1 →DWC2 →Target Wheel →S₂ (Veto) →[Pb Conv. + DWC3 (Mode B)] →Lead-Glass CALO 4×4
Expected Mode B double-converted event yields per hour (R_A × 0.0056 × 3600 s):
Mode B is a calibration tool, NOT the primary measurement mode. The DWC3 opening angle θ_DWC is compared to θ_calo from the calorimeter, directly measuring angular resolution and validating Mode A results. Mass resolution in Mode B: σ_m ≈ 7–8 MeV/c² at θ = 9° (worse energy resolution σ_E/E ≈ 8%, but better angular measurement).
Centre-of-Gravity Cluster Position Reconstruction Algorithm
Seed block threshold: E_seed > 50 MeV | Adjacent blocks: E > 10 MeV | Click the calorimeter face to simulate a photon hit.
Theoretical Calculations — BL4S 2026 / Konatori-135
All parameters sourced from final corrected setup document (March 10, 2026)
At p = 3 GeV/c: γ = 22.25, θ_min = 0.090 rad = 5.15° (Worked example: M_γγ = √(2×1.5×1.5×0.00405) = 135.0 MeV/c²)
Note: Block-to-block intercalibration via NA48 method (symmetric π⁰ decays, E₁=E₂). E₁,E₂ computed kinematically from E₁+E₂=E_π⁰ and E₁E₂=m²_π⁰/[2(1−cosθ)].
σ(A) = σ₀ A^0.72, σ(¹²C)=40 mb | Φ_total×f_π = 5×10⁵×0.75 = 3.75×10⁵ s⁻¹
Log-log linearisation gives proper χ² weighting for multiplicative uncertainties. Expected result: α̂ = 0.72 ± 0.045(syst) ± 0.003(stat). Barton et al. (1983): α = 0.74 ± 0.03.
| Source | Estimation Method | δα |
|---|---|---|
| Energy scale | Vary calibration ±1% in MC | ±0.015 |
| Background model | Polynomial / exponential / Chebyshev / sideband comparison | ±0.025 |
| Selection cuts | Vary E_threshold (400–600 MeV), sep. (8–12 cm) | ±0.020 |
| Acceptance / MC | Vary π⁰ p_T spectrum within literature limits | ±0.020 |
| Trigger efficiency | MC threshold scan ±50 MeV | ±0.010 |
| Target thickness | Manufacturer tolerance ±5% → n(A) | ±0.010 |
| PID inefficiency | Vary pion purity ±2%, sideband control sample | ±0.005 |
| Total (quadrature) | — | ±0.045 |
Final result: α̂ = 0.72 ± 0.045 (syst) ± 0.003 (stat) | Stat. precision: <0.003 with ~10⁶ reconstructed π⁰ per target