Performance of the MACRO Limited Streamer Tubes for Estimates of Muon Energy

The MACRO limited streamer tubes can be operated in drift mode by using the TDCs included in the QTP system. In this way a considerable improvement in the space resolution is obtained, allowing the analysis of muon tracks in terms of multiple scattering effects and the energy estimates of muons crossing the detector. We present the results of two dedicated tests, performed at CERN PS-T9 and SPS-X7 beams, to provide a full check of the electronics and to exploit the feasibility of the analysis. Using a neural network, we are able to estimate the muon energies up to E_μ ≃ 40 GeV. The test beam data provide then an absolute energy calibration, which allows to apply the method to the MACRO data.