Performance of the CAPRICE RICH detector during the 1994 balloon flight

A RICH detector capable of detecting unit charged particles, e.g. antiprotons and positrons, has been used successfully for the first time in a balloon-borne magnet spectrometer. The thin and compact CAPRICE RICH detector uses a NaF solid radiator, TMAE vapour as photo converter and cathode pad readout in the photosensitive MWPC operated at low gain. 15 photoelectrons are detected per ring for beta = 1, perpendicular incidence particles giving a resolution on the Cherenkov angle of 8 mrad, increasing to 14 mrad at 20 degrees C incidence angle. Besides particle identification on an event-by-event basis it efficiently rejects multiparticle events and albedo particles.