Experimental facilities for the TRD/ALICE tests with electron-pion beam and cosmic particles

Two special experimental facilities have been designed and produced to provide charged particle tests of the Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) prototypes and modules for the ALICE experiment at CERN. The first facility, comprising the scintillation and Cherenkov detectors, was applied for the TRD elements investigation with a secondary mixed electron-pion beam of the CERN proton synchrotron PS. The second one, consisting of two large-scale scintillation planes and original electronics, is under operation to trigger the 7-m long TRD supermodules on closing stand-alone trial with cosmic particles. The design and performance of both facilities are considered. The article is published in the original.