Diamond Detectors for the SSC

Abstract

Diamond is well suited as a particle detector in the high rate and high radiation environment of the SSC. The use of diamond is made possible by recent developments in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth process. CVD diamonds have been studied using radioactive sources and test beams. The measured charge collection distance of CVD diamonds now exceeds that of natural diamond. No degradation of signal is observed up to a rate of 10⁴ particles cm-2s-1. Exposure to stopping 5 MeV α particles shows no radiation damage with a dose of up to 10¹³ particles cm^-2. Prototype diamond/tungsten and silicon/tungsten calorimeters have been constructed and tested in an electron beam at KEK. The energy resolution of the diamond/tungsten detector is comparable to the silicon/tungsten calorimeter.