Commissioning and first data with the ATLAS silicon microstrip tracker

Abstract

The ATLAS experiment at the CERN large hadron collider (LHC) has started taking data this autumn with the inauguration of the LHC. The semiconductor tracker (SCT) is the key precision tracking device in ATLAS, made up from silicon micro-strip detectors processed in the planar p-in-n technology.The completed SCT has recently been installed inside the ATLAS experimental hall. Quick tests were performed last year to verify the connectivity of the electrical and optical services. Problems observed with the heaters for the evaporative cooling system have been resolved. This has enabled extended operation of the full detector under realistic conditions. Calibration data has been taken and analysed to determine the noise performance of the system. In addition, extensive commissioning with cosmic ray events has been performed. The cosmic muon data has been used to align the detector, to check the timing of the front-end electronics as well as to measure the hit efficiency of modules.The current status of the SCT will be reviewed, including results from the latest data-taking periods in autumn 2008, and from the detector alignment. We will report on the commissioning of the detector, including overviews on services, connectivity and observed problems. Particular emphasis will also be placed on the SCT data taken in the latest running period with the entire ATLAS detector participating. The SCT commissioning and running experience will then be used to extract valuable lessons for future silicon strip detector projects.