Performance studies of the CMS Strip Tracker before installation

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the performance of the CMS Silicon Strip Tracker during the Sector Test phase, analyzing efficiency, alignment, and system operation using cosmic ray data and comparing results with Monte Carlo simulations.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive performance analysis of the CMS Strip Tracker before full installation at the LHC, including system efficiency and alignment insights.

Findings

High efficiency of the strip modules observed

Good agreement between data and Monte Carlo simulations

Operational experience with cooling, safety, and data acquisition systems

Abstract

In March 2007 the assembly of the Silicon Strip Tracker was completed at the Tracker Integration Facility at CERN. Nearly 15% of the detector was instrumented using cables, fiber optics, power supplies, and electronics intended for the operation at the LHC. A local chiller was used to circulate the coolant for low temperature operation. In order to understand the efficiency and alignment of the strip tracker modules, a cosmic ray trigger was implemented. From March through July 4.5 million triggers were recorded. This period, referred to as the Sector Test, provided practical experience with the operation of the Tracker, especially safety, data acquisition, power, and cooling systems. This paper describes the performance of the strip system during the Sector Test, which consisted of five distinct periods defined by the coolant temperature. Significant emphasis is placed on comparisons between the data and results from Monte Carlo studies.