Precision reconstruction of charged tracks with simultaneous electron identification in a gaseous detector using transition radiation

Results are presented from tests of a radial wire drift chamber, the design of which is optimised for both accurate spatial reconstruction of charged tracks and efficient detection of incident X-rays. With flash digitised readout, we demonstrate that analysis of pulse profile can yield good spatial accuracy (σ drift ∼150μm, σ chdiv ∼1% wire length) together with useful hadron/electron discrimination if(π/e∼8% at 60 GeV> c ) using a transition radiator immediately preceding the chamber. The exploitation of this technique at high energy proton-proton and electron-proton collider storage rings is briefly discussed.