Novel Method for Directional Discrimination of Penetrating Charged Particles

A method for measuring the magnetic rigidity of penetrating charged particles, said method comprising:

• providing an elongate transparent ionizable medium extending along a helical path around a longitudinal axis, said medium being surrounded by a reflective interface;
• applying a magnetic field to said medium in a direction along said longitudinal axis;
• providing a single luminosity proportional photon detector operationally associated with said medium and adapted to generate signals indicative of a number of photons transiting said medium;
• providing a controller adapted to receive said signals;
• allowing an ionizing particle to pass through said medium, thereby creating photons therein, said photons transiting said medium;
• counting the number of photons transiting said medium using only said single photon detector, said single photon detector generating said signals indicative of said number of photons transiting said medium;
• calculating a penetration depth of said ionizing particle through said medium based upon said number of photons transiting said medium using said controller;
• and
• calculating, in the absence of temporal coincidence, a magnetic rigidity of said charged particle based upon said penetration depth using said controller.