Patent ID: 7838841

Claim:
A method for measuring both momentum and trajectory of a charged particle using the same drift cells, said method comprising: providing at least three sets of drift cells to obtain at least three positional measurements of a charged particle passing therethrough; said drift cells having sufficient mass to scatter said charged particle to enable the same sets of drift cells to measure both trajectory and momentum entirely from said scattering by said drift cells; measuring both trajectory and momentum of said charged particle using said same drift cells; wherein measuring both trajectory and momentum of said charged particle using said same drift cells comprises: scattering said charged particle using said at least three sets of plurality of drift cells; obtaining at least three positional measurements of said scattering charged particle using said at least three sets of drift cells so as to enable a line fit with a free parameter from which to calculate momentum of said charged particle; fitting one or more linear tracks to said at least three positional measurements of said scattering charged particle to determine at least one trajectory thereof; and determining the degree of scattering of said charged particle from a goodness of said linear track fit(s) to said at least three positional measurements of said scattering charged particle to determine momentum of said charged particle.