The SLAC T-530 Askaryan Calorimeter Experiment — ACE

The Askaryan effect -- coherent impulsive radio and microwave emission from excess charge in high-energy particle showers -- was confirmed first in 2001 at SLAC, and delineated in a number of SLAC experiments since. It has become the basis for a number of particle astrophysics experiments to detect ultra-high energy neutrinos using large natural dielectrics such as polar ice. The radio emission from this process tracks the shower energy closely over a very large dynamic range, suggesting a possible application in shower calorimetry, especially at the extreme energies on the far horizon for future high energy physics colliders. The ACE experiment seeks to pin down the threshold energy and timing capability of a calorimetric detector element, and we will describe the design and plans for ACE and its possible applications.