The Timing Counter of the MEG Experiment

The MEG experiment is searching for the rare mu(+) -> e(+)gamma decay with a sensitivity on the BR at the level of 10(-13). This kind of precision needs stringent requirements on the performances of the detectors involved in the project. In particular, the Timing Counter detector has been designed to measure the time and the position of the positron at the end of its path inside the MEG detector, reaching a resolution of 100 ps FWHM and 1 cm, respectively. The Timing Counter consists of two subdetectors: one made of contiguous scintillator bars having PMTs at their opposite ends, and the other one made of scintillating fibers read by APDs. Both sub-detectors also generate a first level trigger signal for timing and direction of the positron, respectively.