Test of a dispersion sweep correction system using a centroid in the DIRAC beam line

A new proton beam position detector named "centroid" is placed in the DIRAC target situation and is aligned with respect to the beam. Behind it there is a set of various targets used for the DIRAC experiment. The "centroid" itself collects the secondary electrons, which are emitted by the target when hit by the proton beam. This provides an on-line verification of the beam position without obstructing the beam path by a screen, and without perturbing the experiment. A computer application then calculates the corrections needed to centre the beam in both planes as a function of time. This report will explain how this is done.