CERN’s unique know-how derived from years of designing, testing, building and operating complex detector systems.
- Design of high performance, high resolution and extreme radiation tolerant detectors
- Long history of integrating complex and large size heterogeneous detector systems in harsh environments
- Broad range of testing and qualifying capabilities in CERN, required to develop and commission new detector systems
Facts & Figures
- ~10 gray / year: extremely radiation tolerant detector technology
- 40 MHz: operational frequency resulting from particle collisions every 25nsec
- 4 T: magnetic field tolerant detector technology
- 150 M: number of sensors in the LHC
Read more about Particle Tracking and Calorimetry here.
Compact integration of technology
Experiments running around and outside the LHC are extremely complex and large structures. Main challenge is to maximize the volume dedicated to the detector itself, whilst minimizing the volume for auxiliaries services: integration of technologies is key.
Designing stable carbon fibre structures
Expertise in the design, manufacture, installation and integration of stable, lightweight support structures based on Carbon Fibre Composite Materials, required to provide long lasting structural integrity and stability to the detectors while being exposed to high radiation and magnetic fields.
Thermal management using silicon microchannels
The volumetric power density of a LHC Pixel detector is approximately 100 W/dm3 - comparable to the most demanding high power electronics applications. To provide stable and precisely controlled thermal management, CERN experts have developed know-how in the design and manufacture of ultra-thin microchannel cooling plates.
Designing scintillator based detectors
Scintillators are applied in high-energy physics to measure the energy of particles that are produced in particle physics experiments. Therefore, CERN developed highly specialized expertise and infrastructure for research and development of inorganic scintillation technologies for novel ionizing radiation detectors.
Accurate thermal control using CO2 cooling
Originally designed for the needs of CERN’s detectors, the 2 Phase Accumulator Controlled Loop (2PACL) and Integrated 2PACL (I- 2PACL) systems make use of the natural refrigerant carbon dioxide (CO2) for high thermal control of scientific & industrial setups over long distances.
High resolution silicon detectors
The LHC equipment is exposed to high levels of radiation. Therefore, CERN has developed unique expertise in design and integration of high performance and extreme radiation tolerant ASICs. Broad range of testing and qualifying capability for radiation hardness of ASICs. Pushing the limits of mixed-mode circuit design for large detector systems.
Large high resolution gaseous detectors
The Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) is an amplification technique for detection of ionising radiation. CERN has unique know-how and facilities for R&D and production of gaseous radiation detectors, with several research and development groups operating in different readout approaches (e.g. Optical readout, pixelated readouts).