Operational experience with the silicon detector at CDF

Abstract

The CDF Run II silicon vertex detector is the largest operating silicon detector in high-energy physics. Besides being very important for tracking, the silicon detector plays a vital role in the level 2 decision making of the CDF trigger system. The silicon detector consists of eight layers of silicon with more than 720 000 readout channels. Since the commissioning period ended in 2002 the detector has been operating reliably and it has recorded more than 1.5 fb - 1 of data. A summary of the operational experience with the silicon detector at CDF is given and aspects of the longevity of the detector are discussed.