Cluster counting drift chamber as high precision tracker for ILC experiments

We present a drift chamber with unprecedented performances proposed for the "4th-Concept" detector at the next International Linear Collider. The helium rich based gas mixture, the aluminum wires and the carbon fiber structure guarantee high transparency and minimal multiple scattering contribution down to 0.4% X(0) whereas a full stereo geometry allows for an efficient three-dimensional track reconstruction. We show that, with the use of the cluster timing technique, thanks to a dedicated front end electronics, both spatial resolution and particle identification can be pushed to their theoretical limits. Moreover, because of its very high granularity, its total integration time is contained within one ILC bunch crossing length (similar to 350 ns). An assessment of the physics potentials of this detector has been investigated with a full simulation of some benchmark reactions at ILC. In this scenario a resolution of the order of triangle p(t)/p(t)(2) = 10(-5) GeV(-1) c up to momenta as high as 50 GeV/c has been achieved. Lastly, due to its potentiality, this drift chamber may represent a valid solution for the central tracker of the Super B. in particular for its excellent performance as in particle identification. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.