Real-time reconstruction of long-lived particles at LHCb using FPGAs

TL;DR

This paper proposes a real-time FPGA-based tracking system for LHCb that can reconstruct long-lived particles downstream of the magnet at the full collision rate, improving detection efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces an innovative FPGA-based tracking system capable of real-time reconstruction of long-lived particles at the LHCb upgrade, enhancing existing trigger capabilities.

Findings

Demonstrated FPGA system processing at 30 MHz collision rate

Improved reconstruction efficiency for long-lived particles

Potential integration into LHCb upgrade trigger system

Abstract

Finding tracks downstream of the magnet at the earliest LHCb trigger level is not part of the baseline plan of the upgrade trigger, on account of the significant CPU time required to execute the search. Many long-lived particles, such as $K^0_S$ and strange baryons, decay after the vertex track detector, so that their reconstruction efficiency is limited. We present a study of the performance of a future innovative real-time tracking system based on FPGAs, developed within a R\&D effort in the context of the LHCb Upgrade Ib (LHC Run~4), dedicated to the reconstruction of the particles downstream of the magnet in the forward tracking detector (Scintillating Fibre Tracker), that is capable of processing events at the full LHC collision rate of 30 MHz.