The Performance and Long Term Stability of the D0 Run II Forward Muon Scintillation Counters

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the decade-long performance and stability of the D0 experiment's forward muon scintillation counters, highlighting their durability, calibration stability, and consistent muon detection efficiency over ten years.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the long-term stability and performance of the D0 forward muon scintillation counters during Run II of the Tevatron.

Findings

Average signal amplitude decreased by 11% over ten years.

Timing stability within 0.26 ns over a decade.

Muon yield stability within 1% over 10 years.

Abstract

The performance of the D0 experiment forward muon scintillation counters system during Run II of the Tevatron from 2001 to 2011 is described. The system consists of 4214 scintillation counters in six layers. The long term stability of the counters amplitude response determined using LED calibration system and muons produced in proton-antiproton collisions is presented. The average signal amplitude for counters of all layers has gradually decreased over ten years by 11%. The reference timing, determined using LED calibration, was stable within 0.26 ns. Average value of muon timing peak position was used for periodic D0 clock signal adjustments to compensate seasonal drift caused by temperature variations. Counters occupancy for different triggers in physics data collection runs and for minimum bias triggers are presented. The single muon yields versus time and the luminosity dependence of yields were stable for the forward muon system within 1% over 10 years.