The ZEUS vertex detector: design and prototype

A gas vertex detector, operated with dimethylether (DME) at atmospheric pressure, is presently being built for the ZEUS experiment at HERA. Its main design features, together with the performances of a prototype measured at various operating voltages, particle rates and geometrical conditions on a CERN Proton Synchrotron test beam, are presented. A spatial resolution down to 35 μm and an average wire efficiency of 96% have been achieved, for a 3 mm gas gap relative to each sense wire.