Test in a beam of large-area Micromegas chambers for sampling calorimetry

The application of Micromegas for sampling calorimetry puts specific constraints on the design and performance of this gaseous detector. In particular, uniform and linear response, low noise and stability against high ionisation density deposits are prerequisites for achieving good energy resolution. A Micromegas-based hadronic calorimeter was proposed for an application at a future linear collider experiment and three technologically advanced prototypes of 1×1 m2 were constructed. Their merits relative to the above-mentioned criteria are discussed on the basis of measurements performed at the CERN SPS test-beam facility.