Design and test results of the first prototype detector based on thin-walled drift tubes for the NA62 experiment

The design of the prototype detectorproduced for the NA62 experimentby the Laboratory of High Energy Physics at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is described. This detectoris based on thin-walled drift tubes (straws) and is intended for operation in vacuum. The resolution and efficiency of the drift tubes for this prototype detectorhave been measured on the CERN SPS beams with different front-end electronic systems, gas mixtures, and beam rates. Recommendations for the full-scale detectordesign are formulated.