T.W. Pritchard

The OPAL silicon microvertex detector

A silicon strip microvertex detector has been designed, constructed and commissioned in the OPAL experiment at the LEP electron-positron collider. The microstrip devices incorporate a new FoxFET biassing scheme developed together with Micron Semiconductor Ltd., UK. The devices digitise with a precision close to 5 μm and have an exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratio. The associated microelectronics were all custom made for the OPAL project. The detector began operation in 1991 and has since continued to be part of the OPAL experiment, performing to a very high standard and opening up new areas of physics studies.

The OPAL silicon strip microvertex detector with two coordinate readout

The OPAL experiment at the CERN LEP collider recently upgraded its silicon strip microvertex detector from one coordinate readout (φ only) to two coordinate readout (φ and z). This allows three dimensional vertex reconstruction and should improve lifetime measurements as well as b quark jet identification. This paper describes the new microvertex detector system with emphasis on the novel techniques and new components used to obtain the second coordinate information. These include the use of back-to-back single-sided detectors with orthogonally oriented readout strips, a gold printed circuit on a thin glass substrate to route the z strip signals to the electronics at the end of the detector, and the use of MX7 readout chips. Results on the performance of the new detector are presented.

The extended OPAL silicon strip microvertex detector

Abstract The OPAL experiment at the CERN LEP collider recently increased the geometrical acceptance of its silicon microvertex detector. The azimuthal coverage is improved by adding one pair of detector modules to each of the two layers, while the polar angle coverage is extended by adding new detector modules in line with the existing ones. This improves the efficiency for high quality tracking in OPAL and in particular for b quark tagging in Higgs boson searches. A description of the detector is given, with emphasis on new or modified elements with respect to the earlier version. Results on the performance of the new detector are presented.

A search for glueballs and a study of doouble pomeron exchange at the CERN intersecting storage rings

We present results from a study of centrally produced mesons in 3 × 106 events with two small-angle protons at the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings. A high-statistics sample of exclusive pp → ppπ+π− events at √s = 63 GeV has been obtained, where the reaction mechanism is dominated by double pomeron exchange. Scalar or tensor glueballs may be produced by this process. The π+π− mass spectrum has a distinctive structure, and analysis shows that the data are dominantly S-wave up to 1600 MeV. The behaviour of the D-wave provides evidence for a 2++ resonance (M = 1480 ± 50 MeV, Γ = 150 ± 50 MeV) in addition to the f(1270). We also show data on exclusive K+K−, pp, and π+π−π+π− production, and on the analogous reaction αα → ααπ+π− at √s = 126 GeV. Flavour independence is suggested by the observation of approximately equal numbers of K+K− and π+π− pairs for mass above 1 GeV. The mass spectra are also apparently independent of √s (45, 63, 126 GeV) and incident particle type (p, α).

Measurement of differential cross sections for antiproton-proton annihilation into charged pion and kaon pairs between 0.79 and 243 GeV/c

Abstract Differential cross sections have been measured for the interactions p p → π − π + and p p → K − K + over a centre of mass angular range −0.95 ⩽ cos θ ∗ ⩽ 0.95 at 20 incident momenta between 0.79 and 2.43 GeV/ c . A magnetic spectrometer with wire spark chambers was used. Typically 2000 π − π + and 300 K − K + events were obtained at each momentum. Results are compared with those from related experiments.

Differential cross sections for antiproton-proton elastic scattering between 0.69 and 2.34 GeV/c

Abstract Measurements have been made of the differential cross section for p p elastic scattering over a c.m. angular range −0.95 ⩽ cos θ ∗ ⩽ 0.93 at 21 incident antiproton momenta between 0.69 GeV/ c and 2.43 GeV/ c (c.m. energy 1.96–2.58 GeV). About 10 5 events were obtained at each momentum. The results are discussed primarily in terms of the formation of s -channel resonances in the T and U mass regions, and within the context of the optical model of Frahn and Venter.

The trigger system of the OPAL experiment at LEP

Abstract A pretrigger system is described for running the OPAL detector at the LEP e + e − collider with more bunches than originally foreseen. A large number of low threshold pretrigger signals are formed by several independent components of the detector, and combined by a custom-built VME-based central pretrigger logic. Flexibility, high efficiency and high redundancy in all physics channels are all achieved with low additional deadtime, without any compromise to the trigger performance.

Measurement of the polarization parameter for antiproton-proton annihilation into charged pion and kaon pairs between 1.0 and 2.2 GeV/c

Abstract The polarization parameter P for the reactions p p → π − π + and p p → K − K + has been measured over essentially the full angular range at ll laboratory momenta between 1.0 and 2.2. GeV/ c , using a proton target polarized perpendicular to the scattering plane. The angles and momenta of both final state particles were determined from wire spark chambers, using the deflection caused by the polarized target magnet. Between 1000 and 5300 π − π + events, and 140 and 1300 K − K + events, were measured at each momentum. Differential cross sections for p p → π − π + were obtained. These are in excellent agreement with previous results. The polarization parameter for both channels is very close to +1 over much of the angular range. Legendre polynomial fits to the data are presented.

Radiation-tolerant breakdown protection of silicon detectors using multiple floating guard rings

Abstract Multiple floating guard-ring designs have been optimised for high-voltage operation of silicon detectors, and processed on both single- and double-sided devices. Results are presented on their performance before and after being subjected to both ionising and non-ionising irradiation.

ASIC wafer test system for the ATLAS Semiconductor Tracker front-end chip

An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) wafer test system has been developed to provide comprehensive production screening of the ATLAS Semiconductor Tracker front-end chip (ABCD3T). The ABCD3T features a 128-channel analog front-end, a digital pipeline, and communication circuitry, clocked at 40 MHz, which is the bunch crossing frequency at the Large Hadron Collider. The tester measures values and tolerance ranges of all critical IC parameters, including dc parameters, electronic noise, time resolution, clock levels, and clock timing. The tester is controlled by a field-programmable gate array (ORCA3T) programmed to issue the input commands to the IC and to interpret the output data. This allows the high-speed wafer-level IC testing necessary to meet the production schedule. To characterize signal amplitudes and phase margins, the tester utilizes pin-driver, delay, and digital-to-analog converter chips, which control the amplitudes and delays of signals sent to the IC under test. Output signals from the IC under test go through window comparator chips to measure their levels. A probe card has been designed specifically to reduce pickup noise that can affect the measurements. The system can operate at frequencies up to 100 MHz to study the speed limits of the digital circuitry before and after radiation damage. Testing requirements and design solutions are presented.