Status of the development of large area photon detectors based on THGEMs and hybrid MPGD architectures for Cherenkov imaging applications

We report about the development status of large area gaseous single photon detectors based on a novel hybrid concept for RICH applications. The hybrid concept combines Thick Gaseous Electron Multipliers (THGEMs) coupled to CsI, working as a photon sensitive pre-amplification stage, and Micromegas, as a multiplication stage. The most recent achievements within the research and development programme consist in the assembly and study of View the MathML source hybrid photon detectors, the optimization of front-end electronics, and engineering towards large area detectors. Hybrid detectors with an active area of View the MathML source have been successfully operated in laboratory conditions and at a CERN PS T10 test beam, achieving effective gains in the order of 105 and good time resolution (View the MathML source); APV25 front-end chips have been coupled to the detector resulting in noise levels lower than 1000 electrons; the production and characterization of View the MathML source THGEMs is ongoing. A set of hybrid detectors with View the MathML source active area is envisaged to upgrade COMPASS RICH-1 at CERN in 2016.