Abstract
The ALEPH TPC at LEP will use a gating grid to prevent distortions caused by space charge buildup in its 2.2 m drift region. Sets of measurements have demonstrated the feasibility of a "synchronous ion trapping" mode of gating, which reduces the positive ion flux through the grid by more than two orders of magnitude. A novel mode of gating will be discussed which would permit static operation of the gate, thereby avoiding the complexity of switching between the open and closed states of the gate. This mode would rely on the dissimilar gate penetration properties of electrons and ions in the presence of a magnetic field, and it may also provide a way to partially compensate for the E × B effect at the sense wires. A combination of these different modes is proposed for the ALEPH TPC.