Michael Wlochal

A high-resolution scintillating fiber tracker with silicon photomultiplier array readout

We present prototype modules for a tracking detector consisting of multiple layers of 0.25 mm diameter scintillating fibers that are read out by linear arrays of silicon photomultipliers. The module production process is described and measurements of the key properties for both the fibers and the readout devices are shown. Five modules have been subjected to a 12 GeV/c proton/pion testbeam at CERN. A spatial resolution of 50 mu m and light yields exceeding 20 detected photons per minimum ionizing particle have been achieved, at a tracking efficiency of more than 98.5%. Possible techniques for further improvement of the spatial resolution are discussed

A wiring system for mass production of drift and proportional chambers

Abstract We describe the equipment and procedures developed and employed for the wiring in mass production of the forward/backward muon drift chambers of the L3 experiment. A computer-controlled machine is used to stretch simultaneously all wires of one drift cell to the required tension. After manual insertion of the wire group into the chamber, another computer-controlled device is used to measure the tension of each wire, thus providing an immediate quality check.

Study of a novel electromagnetic liquid argon calorimeter — the TGT

Abstract The concept and the basic design of a fast, highly granular and compact electromagnetic liquid argon calorimeter are described. This novel calorimeter offers uniform energy response and constant energy resolution independent of the production angle of an impinging particle and of its impact position at the calorimeter. An example of a calorimeter with full rapidity coverage in an application in a collider detector is given. An important aspect of the concept is the electronics for fast signal processing matched to the short charge collection time. We report on the experience with the realization of a prototype calorimeter module and on its performance in a testbeam exposure.

Experience from design, prototyping and production of a DC-DC conversion powering scheme for the CMS Phase-1 Pixel Upgrade

The CMS collaboration has adopted a DC-DC conversion powering scheme for the Phase-1 Upgrade of its pixel detector. DC-DC buck converters with a conversion ratio of around 3 are installed on the support structures, outside of the sensitive tracking region, requiring a re-design of the low and high voltage distribution to the pixel modules. After several years of R&D, the project has entered the production phase. A total of 1800 DC-DC converters are being produced, and rigorous quality assurance and control is being employed during the production process. The testing program is outlined, results from mass production are presented and issues that have been encountered are described. In addition, two system level challenges, namely the choice of output voltage in the presence of large, load-dependent voltage drops, and the thermal management required to remove the heat load caused by the DC-DC converters, are discussed.

Performance of the TGT liquid argon calorimeter and trigger system

Abstract A novel concept of a liquid argon calorimeter, the “Thin Gap Turbine” (TGT) calorimeter, is presented. A TGT test module, equipped with specially developed cold front-end electronics in radiation hard GaAs technology, has been operated in a particle beam. Results on its performance are given. A 40 MHz FADC system with a “circular data store” and standalone readout and play-back capability has been developed to test the properties of the TGT detector for trigger purposes. Results on trigger efficiency, response and energy resolution are given.

First LHC transverse beam size measurements with the beam gas vertex detector

The Beam Gas Vertex detector (BGV) is an innovative beam profile monitor based on the reconstruction of beam-gas interaction vertices which is being developed as part of the High Luminosity LHC project. Tracks are identified using several planes of scintillating fibres, located outside the beam vacuum chamber and perpendicular to the beam axis. The gas pressure in the interaction volume is adjusted such as to provide an adequate trigger rate, without disturbing the beam. A BGV demonstrator monitoring one of the two LHC beams was fully installed and commissioned in 2016. First data and beam size measurements show that the complete detector and data acquisition system is operating as expected. The BGV operating parameters are now being optimised and the reconstruction algorithms developed to produce accurate and fast reconstruction on a CPU farm in order to provide real time beam profile measurements to the LHC operators.