Performance of BeBe, a proposed dedicated beam-beam monitoring detector for the MPD-NICA experiment at JINR

The Multipurpose Detector (MPD) is an experimental array, currently under construction, designed to study the nuclear matter created during the collisions that will be provided by the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) at JINR. The MPD-NICA experiment consists of a typical array of particle detectors as those used to study heavy-ion collisions at LHC and RHIC. To increase the trigger capabilities of MPD for stage 2 of NICA operation, a detector conformed by two arrays of 80 plastic scintillator cells each located symmetrically at opposite sides of the interaction point of MPD is proposed (BeBe). Based on Monte Carlo simulations, a discussion of the potential physics performance of BeBe detector is given for triggering tasks and for the resolution in the determination of the event plane reaction and the centrality of the collisions at NICA. Also, laboratory measurements to estimate the time resolution of individual BeBe cells prototypes are presented. It is shown that a time resolution between 0.65 and 1.48 ns can be reached depending on the number of photosensors employed to collect the scintillation photons. The BeBe detector will be complementary to FFD and FHCAL forward detectors.