Y. Allkofer

Design and performance of the silicon sensors for the CMS barrel pixel detector

The CMS experiment at the LHC includes a hybrid silicon pixel detector for the reconstruction of charged tracks and of the interaction vertices. The barrel region consists of n-in-n sensors with 100X150 um^2 cell size processed on diffusion oxygenated float zone silicon. A biasing grid is implemented and pixel isolation is achieved with the moderated p-spray technique. An extensive test program was carried out on the H2 beam line of the CERN SPS. In this paper we describe the sensor layout, the beam test setup and the results obtained with both irradiated and non-irradiated prototype devices. Measurements of charge collection, hit detection efficiency, Lorentz angle and spatial resolution are presented.

Observation, modeling, and temperature dependence of doubly peaked electric fields in irradiated silicon pixel sensors

Abstract We show that doubly peaked electric fields are necessary to describe grazing-angle charge collection measurements of irradiated silicon pixel sensors. A model of irradiated silicon based upon two defect levels with opposite charge states and the trapping of charge carriers can be tuned to produce a good description of the measured charge collection profiles in the fluence range from 0.5 × 10 14 to 5.9 × 10 14 n eq / cm 2 . The model correctly predicts the variation in the profiles as the temperature is changed from - 10 to - 25 ∘ C . The measured charge collection profiles are inconsistent with the linearly varying electric fields predicted by the usual description based upon a uniform effective doping density. This observation calls into question the practice of using effective doping densities to characterize irradiated silicon.

Evidence for πK-atoms with DIRAC

Abstract We present evidence for the first observation of electromagnetically bound π ± K ∓ -pairs (πK-atoms) with the DIRAC experiment at the CERN-PS. The πK-atoms are produced by the 24 GeV / c proton beam in a thin Pt-target and the π ± and K ∓ -mesons from the atom dissociation are analyzed in a two-arm magnetic spectrometer. The observed enhancement at low relative momentum corresponds to the production of 173 ± 54 πK-atoms. The mean life of πK-atoms is related to the s-wave πK-scattering lengths, the measurement of which is the goal of the experiment. From these first data we derive a lower limit for the mean life of 0.8 fs at 90% confidence level.

Study of nuclear recoils in liquid argon with monoenergetic neutrons

In the framework of developments for liquid argon dark matter detectors we assembled a laboratory setup to scatter neutrons on a small liquid argon target. The neutrons are produced mono-energetically (Ekin = 2.45 MeV) by nuclear fusion in a deuterium plasma and are collimated onto a 3 liquid argon cell operating in single-phase mode (zero electric field). Organic liquid scintillators are used to tag scattered neutrons and to provide a time-of-flight measurement. The setup is designed to study light pulse shapes and scintillation yields from nuclear and electronic recoils as well as from alpha particles at working points relevant for dark matter searches. Liquid argon offers the possibility to scrutinise scintillation yields in noble liquids with respect to the population strength of the two fundamental excimer states. Here we present experimental methods and first results from recent data towards such studies.

A double junction model of irradiated silicon pixel sensors for LHC

In this paper, we discuss the measurement of charge collection in irradiated silicon pixel sensors and the comparison with a detailed simulation. The simulation implements a model of radiation damage by including two defect levels with opposite charge states and trapping of charge carriers. The modeling proves that a doubly peaked electric field generated by the two defect levels is necessary to describe the data and excludes a description based on acceptor defects uniformly distributed across the sensor bulk. In addition, the dependence of trap concentrations upon fluence is established by comparing the measured and simulated profiles at several fluences and bias voltages.

Observation of

The observation of hydrogen-like

\pi^- K^+

pi K

and

atoms, consisting of

\pi^+ K^-

pi^- K^+

atoms

or