The ALICE Silicon Strip Detector performance during the first LHC data taking

TL;DR

This paper reports on the performance and stability of the ALICE Silicon Strip Detector during initial LHC proton-proton collision data, highlighting its efficiency, calibration, and particle identification capabilities.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed performance analysis of the SSD during early LHC data taking, including calibration stability and detector efficiency assessments.

Findings

SSD was fully operational during early LHC runs.

Calibration parameters remained stable over time.

High detector efficiency and effective particle identification achieved.

Abstract

The Silicon Strip Detector (SSD) is a fundamental part of the Inner Tracking System (ITS) for the ALICE experiment. Since the early phase of proton-proton collisions at LHC, the SSD is fully operational and participating in the charged particle detection and identification carried out by ALICE. The performance of the SSD during the 900 GeV and 7 TeV collision data taking is presented here. The stability of the system is monitored through the time evolution of its calibration parameters and their correlation with the environmental conditions. The intrinsic noise of the 2.6 million channels composing the SSD is used to assess the detector efficiency. Finally the performance in terms of hit reconstruction and energy-loss measurement is discussed with reference to the global tracking and the ITS-standalone particle identification carried out in the first collision events.