LHCb commissioning and readiness for first data

TL;DR

The LHCb detector was successfully installed and commissioned in 2008, collecting cosmic and beam dump data to achieve initial alignment, preparing for its first data collection in 2009.

Contribution

This paper reports on the successful commissioning and alignment procedures of the LHCb detector prior to first data taking, including innovative use of cosmic and beam dump events.

Findings

Collected over one million cosmic events for initial alignment

Utilized beam dump events for further detector calibration

Achieved readiness for first data collection in 2009

Abstract

LHCb has been installed by spring 2008, followed by intensive testing and commissioning of the system in order to be ready for first data taking. Despite the horizontal geometry of the LHCb detector it was possible to collect over one million useful cosmic events that allowed a first time alignment of the sub-detectors. Moreover events from beam dumps during the LHC synchronisation tests provided very useful data for further time and spacial alignment of the detector. Here we present an overview of our commissioning activities, the current status and an outlook on the startup in 2009.