Toward a scintillator based digital hadron calorimeter for the linear collider detector

We report on the feasibility of a scintillator-based (semi) digital hadron calorimeter for the proposed linear collider detector (LCD). A finely segmented, (semi) digital hadron calorimeter, combined with energy flow algorithms, represents one of the most promising approaches to attaining the unprecedented jet energy resolutions required to fully exploit the physics potential of a future linear collider. At the Northern Illinois Center of Accelerator and Detector Development at Northern Illinois University we have made a number of initial studies of a scintillator-based (semi) digital tile calorimeter. These studies include determination of optimum cell size, comparison of light yield of cast and extruded scintillator cells, optimization of cell processing and performance of candidate photodetectors. Initial results are encouraging and indicate that a scintillator-based (semi) digital hadron calorimeter for the LCD merits continued study.