Spatial Resolution Attainable with Cathode Strip Chambers at the Trigger Level

Abstract A simple network of comparators applied to the strip signals of a cathode strip chamber allows quick hit localization to within a halfstrip width, or ± a quarter-strip. A six-plane chamber with 6.4 mm wide strips was tested in a high-energy muon beam. The chamber was placed behind a 30 cm thick iron block. We show that patterns of hits localized to within a halfstrip allowed us to identify 300 GeV/c muon tracks with 99% probability and 0.7 mm spatial resolution in the presence of bremsstrahlung radiation. This technique of finding muon tracks will be used in the cathode strip chambers of the CMS Endcap Muon System.