VHMPID: ALICE detector upgrade proposal in the high-pT region

Based on the results in the RHIC heavy ion experiments the identification of very high-pT particles seems to be extremely interesting at LHC energies. ALICE has an excellent event by event PID below 5 GeV/c even in those high track-densities. However, the track-by-track analysis of the heavy ion data demands further efforts on the experimental side. We are presenting the idea of an ALICE upgrade detector which is capable to extend the particle identification into the momentum region of 5-25 GeV/c on track-by-track basis. The Very High Momentum Particle Identification Detector (VHMPID) is a gaseous Cherenkov detector, capable to distinguish charged pions, kaons and protons/antiprotons in the above momentum window event by event. This feature gives us the possibility to study the meson/baryon anomaly, multi jet fragmentation function, in medium effects and the same-side and away-side jet correlations. The paper is focusing on design issues and technical aspects of such a detector, with some insight on present simulations and the prototype test results of the VHMPID.