Status of the NA62 ring imaging Cherenkov detector.

The Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector of the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS is a key element of particle identification in the NA62 experimental strategy. The detector fulfills different conditions: to distinguish pions from muons with a muon rejection factor of O(10 2) in the NA62 momentum range of operation, between 15 and 35 GeV/c; to measure particle arrival time in the decay region with a precision better than 100 ps; to provide fast signals and reference time to the NA62 trigger system. The main design aspects and functional characteristics, as well as the performance of the detector measured with the data taken in the first NA62 physics runs, will be summarized in this paper. • The NA62 experiment aims to measure the branching ratio of the K + → π + ν ν ¯ decay. • The NA62 RICH performance fulfills the experiment requirements. • Pion–muon identification is performed with a muon rejection factor of O(102). • Time resolution with precision better than 100 ps is achieved. • The RICH is a key element to select charged particles in the trigger system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]