S. K. Park

The upgrade of the CMS RPC system during the first LHC long shutdown

The CMS muon system includes in both the barrel and endcap region Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC). They mainly serve as trigger detectors and also improve the reconstruction of muon parameters. Over the years, the instantaneous luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider gradually increases. During the LHC Phase 1 ( ~ first 10 years of operation) an ultimate luminosity is expected above its design value of 1034 cm−2s−1 at 14 TeV. To prepare the machine and also the experiments for this, two long shutdown periods are scheduled for 2013-2014 and 2018-2019. The CMS Collaboration is planning several detector upgrades during these long shutdowns. In particular, the muon detection system should be able to maintain a low-pT threshold for an efficient Level-1 Muon Trigger at high particle rates. One of the measures to ensure this, is to extend the present RPC system with the addition of a 4th layer in both endcap regions. During the first long shutdown, these two new stations will be equipped in the region |η| < 1.6 with 144 High Pressure Laminate (HPL) double-layer RPCs operating in avalanche mode, with a similar design as the existing CMS endcap chambers. Here, we present the upgrade plans for the CMS RPC system for the fist long shutdown, including trigger simulation studies for the extended system, and details on the new HPL production, the chamber assembly and the quality control procedures.

Uniformity and Stability of the CMS RPC Detector at the LHC

The Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) are employed in the CMS experiment at the LHC as dedicated trigger system both in the barrel and in the endcap. This note presents results of the RPC detector uniformity and stability during the 2011 data taking period, and preliminary results obtained with 2012 data. The detector uniformity has been ensured with a dedicated High Voltage scan with LHC collisions, in order to determine the optimal operating working voltage of each individual RPC chamber installed in CMS. Emphasis is given on the procedures and results of the High Voltage calibration. Moreover, an increased detector stability has been obtained by automatically taking into account temperature and atmospheric pressure variations in the CMS cavern.

Characteristics of hybrid plastic scintillators for slow neutron measurements

In this paper, we report the characteristics and the performance of the hybrid plastic scintillators for slow neutron measurements. The 10B-doped and Gd-layered scintillators were manufactured and tested for slow and fast neutrons, and gamma rays. The slow neutrons were provided by an energy moderation of the fast neutrons emitted from a 0.5 Ci 252Cf source. The energy of the slow neutrons ranged from 10 to 600 meV with a peak at 75 meV. Neutron response functions for the hybrid plastic scintillators were measured with the calibrated slow neutron flux. Furthermore, the pulse-shape analysis was performed to differentiate the slow neutrons from the gamma rays. For the 10B-doped scintillators, the difference lying in the tail-to-total charge ratio distribution of the pulses was conductive to estimate the fraction of the gamma rays in the neutron data. However, for the Gd-layered scintillators, the difference was insignificant.

An overview of the design, construction and performance of large area triple-GEM prototypes for future upgrades of the CMS forward muon system

GEM detectors are used in high energy physics experiments given their good spatial resolution, high rate capability and radiation hardness. An international collaboration is investigating the possibility of covering the 1.6 < |?| < 2.4 region of the CMS muon endcaps with large-area triple-GEM detectors. The CMS high-? area is actually not fully instrumented, only Cathode Strip Chamber (CSC) are installed. The vacant area presents an opportunity for a detector technology able to to cope with the harsh radiation environment; these micropattern gas detectors are an appealing option to simultaneously enhance muon tracking and triggering capabilities in a future upgrade of the CMS detector. A general overview of this feasibility study is presented. Design and construction of small (10cm ? 10cm) and full-size trapezoidal (1m ? 0.5m) triple-GEM prototypes is described. Results from measurements with x-rays and from test beam campaigns at the CERN SPS is shown for the small and large prototypes. Preliminary simulation studies on the expected muon reconstruction and trigger performances of this proposed upgraded muon system are reported.

Performance of the Gas Gain Monitoring system of the CMS RPC muon detector and effective working point fine tuning

The Gas Gain Monitoring (GGM) system of the Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) muon detector in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment provides fast and accurate determination of the stability in the working point conditions due to gas mixture changes in the closed loop recirculation system. In 2011 the GGM began to operate using a feedback algorithm to control the applied voltage, in order to keep the GGM response insensitive to environmental temperature and atmospheric pressure variations. Recent results are presented on the feedback method used and on alternative algorithms.

CMS endcap RPC gas gap production for upgrade

The CMS experiment will install a RE4 layer of 144 new Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) on the existing york YE3 at both endcap regions to trigger high momentum muons from the proton-proton interaction. In this paper, we present the detailed procedures used in the production of new RPC gas gaps adopted in the CMS upgrade. Quality assurance is enforced as ways to maintain the same quality of RPC gas gaps as the existing 432 endcap RPC chambers that have been operational since the beginning of the LHC operation.

Tests of multigap RPCs for high-η triggers in CMS

In this paper, we report a systematic study of multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) for high-η triggers in CMS. Prototype RPC modules with four- and six-gap structures have been constructed with phenolic high-pressure-laminated (HPL) plates and tested with cosmic muons and gamma rays irradiated from a 200-mCi 137Cs source. The detector characteristics of the prototype multigap RPCs were compared with those of the double-gap RPCs currently used in the CMS experiment at LHC. The mean values for detector charges of cosmic-muon signals drawn in the four- and six-gap RPCs for the efficiency values in the middle of the plateau were about 1.5 and 0.9 pC, respectively, when digitized with charge thresholds of 150 and 100 fC, respectively. They were respectively about one third and one fifth of that drawn in the current CMS double-gap RPC with a charge threshold of 200 fC. We concluded from the current R&D that use of the current phenolic-HPL multigap RPCs is advantageous to the high-η triggers in CMS in virtue of the smaller detector pulses.

Performance of the gas gain monitoring system of the CMS RPC muon detector

The RPC muon detector of the CMS experiment at the LHC (CERN, Geneva, Switzerland) is equipped with a Gas Gain Monitoring (GGM) system. A report on the stability of the system during the 2011-2012 data taking run is given, as well as the observation of an effect which suggests a novel method for the monitoring of gas mixture composition.

Simulation of the CMS Resistive Plate Chambers

The Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) muon subsystem contributes significantly to the formation of the trigger decision and reconstruction of the muon trajectory parameters. Simulation of the RPC response is a crucial part of the entire CMS Monte Carlo software and directly influences the final physical results. An algorithm based on the parametrization of RPC efficiency, noise, cluster size and timing for every strip has been developed. Experimental data obtained from cosmic and proton-proton collisions at ?s = 7 TeV have been used for determination of the parameters. A dedicated validation procedure has been developed. A good agreement between the simulated and experimental data has been achieved.