A large area TOF-tracker device based on multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers

The TOF-tracker concept, the simultaneous measurement of accurate time and bi-dimensional space coordinates in a single gaseous detector, has been previously demonstrated. The detector yielded a time resolution of 77 ps sigma along with a bi-dimensional position resolution of 38 mu m sigma over a full active area of 60 x 60 mm(2). In here, we report about a large area, 1550 x 1250 mm(2), TOF-tracker device, tested by tracking cosmic muons, yielding a position resolution down to 1.33 mm sigma, a simultaneous time resolution of 150 ps sigma and 92% detection efficiency, over the entire area of the detector. The sub-millimetre electronic resolution of the readout chain suggests that the position resolution here reported could be dominated by non-corrected systematic effects and therefore it could be yet significantly improved.