Cathode image readout in the BELLE central drift chamber

Abstract We report on the design and construction of the cathode image readout section of the BELLE detector's central drift chamber. The cathode information is used for measurements of charged particle trajectory coordinates along the beam axis and the charged-track trigger. The performance is evaluated with cosmic rays using the BELLE standard readout electronics and software. The detection efficiency in nominal conditions is found to exceed 98% and the position resolution for normal incidence is about 350 μm, which satisfies the design goals of the BELLE detector.