Zigzag-shaped pads for cathode readout of a time projection chamber

We have introduced large zigzag-shaped pads for the cathode readout of a time projection chamber (TPC) to reduce the number of channels of readout electronics without degrading the spatial resolution. The spatial resolution has been studied using a laser. Zigzag-shaped pads are found to give a better spatial resolution than square pads of the same width for laser-beam tracks.