A composite thin vacuum window for the CLAS photon tagger at Jefferson lab

The construction of a thin vacuum window, currently in use on the CLAS photon tagging system at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, is described. A layer of woven Kevlar cloth supports a much thinner membrane of aluminized Mylar. Notable features of this particular window include its overall length (9.6 m), and the fact that the entire load is supported by the epoxy seal with no mechanical clamping around the edges. Results from a diverse program of materials testing, including a clear dependence of leak rate on relative humidity, are also reported.