R&D studies of a RICH detector using pressurized C4F8O radiator gas and a CsI-based gaseous photon detector

We report on studies of layout and performance of a new Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector using for the first time pressurized C4F8O radiator gas and a photon detector consisting of a MWPC equipped with a CsI photocathode. In particular, we present here the results of beam tests of a MWPC having an adjustable anode-cathode gap, aiming at the optimization of single photoelectron detection and Cherenkov angle resolution. This system was proposed as a Very High Momentum Particle Identification (VHMPID) upgrade for the ALICE experiment at LHC to provide charged hadron track-by-track identification in the momentum range 5-25 GeV/c.