The chambers used by the Axial Field Spectrometer experiment to pick up forward protons close to the beam pipe of the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings. (Photo CERN 239.2.82) est glueball should be heavier than about 900 MeV, according to this analysis. Hopefully more high sta­ tistics experiments, especially on the kaon pair channel thresholds, will provide additional insights. From Mike AI brow End of the film For many years, physicists relied on photography to record the de­ tails of subnuclear interactions. Film in particular has a long tradi­ tion, dating back over thirty years to the demise of emulsion tech­ niques and the advent of acceler­ ators supplying regular beams. Film came from spark chambers, from generations of cloud and bub­ ble chambers, and more recently from triggerable streamer cham­ bers. Having taken the pictures, the next task was to study and analyse them. Initial manual measurements of range and track curvature rapidly gave way to the computer. Also the increased picture output per experiment led to fully automatic devices like the HPD (Hough-Powell Device) and the Spiral Reader, and to on-line checking and reconstruc­ tion. However a recent and more re­ state of these particles. The new The arrival of giant bubble cham­ fined analysis of this data, together feature is the S2 (991), with a bers such as Gargamelle and BEBC with information from the positive width of about 42 MeV and cou­ at CERN, the 15-foot at Fermilab plus negative kaon spectrum just pling equally to pion and kaon and Mirabelle at Serpukhov brought above the 987 MeV threshold (by pairs, as expected for a glueball. complicated optics and large, intri­ K. L. Au, D. Morgan and M. R. Pen­ This analysis also finds two broad cate event patterns, especially nington) concludes that a single scalar resonances, epsilon (900) when using heavy liquids. Fully narrow resonance is not enough and epsilon prime (1430), which automatic measurement was im­ to fit the data, and suggests that can be relatively conventional light- possible for such complex events, the S* is in reality two close and quark mesons. The analysis takes but automatic track following with narrow states. into account and also fits many on-line quality checking, recording One, the ST (988) prefers neutral other experimental results. Unless and reconstruction became indis­ kaons and is likely to be a bound it is particularly perverse, the light­ pensable. 18 CERN Courier, January/February 1987 The streamer chamber pictures from the NA35 experiment at CERN looking at the results of oxygen ion collisions are among the last customers for CERN's ERASME/Bessymatic film measurement and analysis system. Hence the ERASME project was launched in 1970. Using a light ray, film scanning measurements reached a precision of several mi­ crons, while in parallel a whole area of film could be reproduced as a high precision TV picture. In this way a picture could be overlaid with measurements, considerably assisting the subsequent analysis. The first ERASME measuring table came into operation in 1973, and was followed by five more. Tables based on the CERN design were also used in Bonn and Ma­ drid. Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) computers were the norm, both for table control (PDP 11) and for central data handling (PDP 10 and VAX 780). Although ERASME could have been used for all aspects of film analysis, the workload became so large that some tasks had to be subcontracted to the simpler Bes- symatic tables, and the two sys­ lider: here were chambers six Just as generations of physicists tems became highly complemen­ metres long, with six cameras (a had their first insight into the sub- tary. total of twelve views) recording nuclear world through Patrick With the advent of the SPS in sometimes hundreds of tracks Blackett's cloud chamber pictures, 1977 and its comprehensive pro­ emerging in all directions from an so film records of particle physics gramme of experiments with ha- out-of-sight interaction point. How­ will be assured of a captive au­ dron and neutrino beams, ERASME ever the excellent pictures turned dience for many years to come. really came into its own, uncover­ out to be relatively easy to analyse, From Peter Schmid ing many important physics results. and made vital contributions to Later came a series of major SPS the historic proton-antiproton Col­ Three of CERN's ERASME experiments incorporating special lider physics programme. film handling tables are being bubble chambers to study the initial One of the experiments (NA35) dismantled, and the remaining interaction vertex. Among other studying the recently-arrived high three will soon follow the things, this effort helped to pin energy ion collisions in the SPS same fate. Bessymatic tables down the lifetime of charmed par­ synchrotron (see October issue, too are being phased out. ticles. With the recent arrival of page 37) also uses a streamer Because of the age of the higher energy beams from Fermi- chamber and is perhaps the last equipment, installation and lab's Tevatron, several experi­ new ERASME/Bessymatic client. commissioning elsewhere ments migrated, and the resulting Although no longer a front-line appear difficult. However pictures are among the final tasks particle physics technique, photo­ requests for components as for ERASME and Bessymatic ma­ graphy continues to provide some spares or replacements chines. of the most striking examples of should be addressed to J. C. In parallel, the streamer chamber particle physicists' work. School­ Gouache, EF Division, CERN, technique was evolving fast. A children, students, VIPs, all have 7211 Geneva 23, Switzer­ milestone was the UA5 experiment admired and profited from the im­ land, as soon as possible. at CERN's proton antiproton Col­ mediacy that film pictures provide. CERN Courier, January/February 1987 19 .