  The construction of a new detector is proposed to extend the capabilities of
ALICE in the high transverse momentum (pT) region. This Very High Momentum
Particle Identification Detector (VHMPID) performs charged hadron
identification on a track-by-track basis in the 5 GeV/c < p < 25 GeV/c momentum
range and provides ALICE with new opportunities to study parton-medium
interactions at LHC energies. The VHMPID covers up to 30% of the ALICE central
barrel and presents sufficient acceptance for triggered- and tagged-jet
studies, allowing for the first time identified charged hadron measurements in
jets. This Letter of Intent summarizes the physics motivations for such a
detector as well as its layout and integration into ALICE.
