HEP Outreach, upd. 2017, RM
HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS
undergraduate research projects
VELO Vertex Detector for the LHCb Upgrade
Previously
the
Syracuse
University
HEP
Group
was
engaged
in
various
R&D
projects
focused
on
the
Vertex
Detector
for
the
upgrade
of
the
LHCb
Experiment
at
the
Large
Hadron
Collider
(LHC)
accelerator
at
CERN,
located in Geneva, Switzerland.
These projects included:
(1)
R&D on diamond sensors, as a potential replacement for silicon sensors due to their intrinsic radiation hardness;
(2)
development of nanocomposite material based structures for use as ultra-high vacuum elements around the vertex
detector;
(3)
investigation of the radiation hardness of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for use
in the readout data stream; and
(4)
investigation of new pixel readout electronics, called Timepix.
As
usual,
there
is
a
lot
of
opportunity
for
individual
contributions
and
bright
ideas.
Here
are
some
projects
by
our
undergraduate researchers that were centered on this VELO Detector upgrade.
Read on…
Dylan Hsu
Syracuse University, class of 2014
Dylan
has
worked
on
several
different
projects
since
Fall
2010.
Most
recently,
he
has
been
working
on
characterizing
a
novel
material
development
for
potential
use
in
the
LHC
accelerator
at
CERN.
This
material
is
a
nanocomposite
made
of
carbon
fibers,
epoxy
and
nanoparticles
(fabricated
by
Composite
Mirror
Applications,
Inc.).
Its
use
would
be
in
separating
the
ultra-high
vacuum
in
the
LHC
beampipe
from
the
high
vacuum
in
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector.
It
needs
to
be
very
light
in
terms
of
mass
thickness
so
the
particles
passing
through
it
would
have
a
reduced
amount
of
Coulomb
scattering,
which
would
make
a
real
improvement
to
the
tracking
capability
of
the
VELO.
The
implementation
as
R.F.
Foil
requires
that
the
structure
be
very
specifically
shaped
and
quite thin (~300 microns thick).
Dylan
designed
and
constructed
a
device
to
measure
the
force
vs
deflection
curves
for
several
samples
of
this
new
material.
He
made
many
series
of
measurements
of
the
deflection
of
the
materials
under
force
loads,
as
well
as
measurements
of
material
creep
and
multi-
component relaxation.
Previously,
Dylan
worked
on
a
thermal
mock-up
for
the
VELO
detector
Upgrade,
with
Brian
Maynard.
He
learned
how
to
program
in
LabVIEW
(in
record
time)
and
how
to
readout
an
array
of
RTDs
in
order
to
measure
the
steady-state
temperature
profile
for
various
VELO
module
configurations. The mock-up was used successfully to confirm ANSYS simulations of the upgrade design.
Dylan
learned
a
lot
about
materials,
data
acquisition,
and
statistical
analysis
from
these
projects.
He
worked
in
our
lab
under
the
supervision
of
Ray Mountain. Dylan has since graduated and moved on to study particle physics at MIT.
Erika Cowan
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Erika
spent
most
of
Summer
2012
doing
R&D
on
diamond
sensors,
as
a
potential
replacement
for
silicon
in
the
upgraded
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
of
the
LHCb
Experiment.
Diamond
can
be
used
for
charged
particle
detection,
and
has
an
advantage
over
silicon
in
terms
of
its
radiation
hardness,
but
a
disadvantage
in
terms
of
the
amount
of
charge
collected
from
passing
particles.
Additionally
diamond
sometimes
exhibits fluctuations in its leakage current over extended periods oftime.
During
the
Summer,
Erika
implemented
a
high-level
analysis
of
the
large
data-sets
taken
to
characterize
the
long-term
stability
of
diamond.
To
accomplish
this,
she
learned
to
use
ROOT,
a
statistical
package
used
in
high
energy
physics.
She
wrote
analysis
scripts
to
run
over
these
large
data-sets, and extracted stability parameters for the devices.
Erika
also
investigated
conventional
silicon
devices
by
characterizing
several
devices
through
series
of
IV
and
CV
measurements
using
a
source/measurement
unit
and
probe
station
in
our
clean
room.
For
this
work
Erika
learned
sophisticated
semiconductor
measurement
and
handling
techniques.
Recently,
she
has
been
calibrating
another
kind
of
electronics,
called
an
FPGA,
which
is
being
considered
for
use
in
LHCb
and has been undergoing tests of its radiation tolerance.
Additionally, Erika contributed to the SU QuarkNet program by leading the Gamma Ray Scintillation Spectroscopy activity.
Erika
has
gained
a
lot
of
experience
with
programming
and
hardware
experimental
techniques
during
this
time.
She
worked
in
our
lab
mainly
under
the
supervision
of
Ray
Mountain,
and
at
times
J.C.
Wang.
She
graduated
with
a
dual
major
in
Physics
and
Math,
and
has
gone
on
to
study
graviational waves with LIGO Experiment.
current project
Richard Tanski
Syracuse University
Richard
spent
most
of
Summer
2011
doing
R&D
on
diamond
sensors,
as
a
potential
replacement
for
silicon
in
the
upgraded
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
of
the
LHCB
Experiment.
Diamond
can
be
used
for
charged
particle
detection,
and
has
an
advantage
over
silicon
in
terms
of
its
radiation
hardness,
but
a
disadvantage
in
terms
of
the
amount
of
charge
collected
from
passing
particles.
Consequently,
the
setup
to
measure
the behavior is complicated and requires careful cross-checking.
During
the
Summer,
Richard
made
many
measurements
of
the
charge
collection
in
diamond,
as
well
as
reducing
the
data
with
some
sophisticaed
analysis
code.
A
lot
of
time
was
spent
on
eliminating
extraneous
noise
and
improving
signal
quality.
Additionally,
he
made
several
series
of
calibration measurements for the amplifier and ADC, including a nice analysis of the internal circuitry.
Previously, Richard worked with Ryan in making Timepix measurements, as described above.
Richard
has
gained
a
lot
of
practical
experience
with
C++
and
analog
electronics
during
this
project.
He
works
in
our
lab
under
the
supervision
of
Marina Artuso and Ray Mountain.
Richard graduated Syracuse University with a dual major in Physics and EE. He went on to graduated school in Electrical Engineering.
Jeffrey Wiseman
Syracuse University
Jeff
worked
on
diamond
detector
R&D
during
the
Summer
of
2009
and
into
the
following
Academic
Year.
This
is
an
exciting
new
prospect
for
the
upgrade
to
the
VELO
Detector
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN,
due
to
the
intrinsic
radiation
hardness
of
diamond.
He
spent
a
good
deal
of
time
measuring
basic
RV,
CV
and
IV
characteristics
of
the
diamond,
in
order
to
establish
basic
diamond
behavior
under
high
bias
voltage
conditions.
For more details, you can see one of his presentations (but keep in mind that this reports on work in progress and not finished work).
Previously,
Jeff
worked
on
silicon
detector
R&D
during
the
Summer
of
2008.
He
continued
the
work
started
by
Carl
Goodrich
(see
below),
using
a
silicon
chip
probe
station
to
characterize
several
types
of
pixel
sensors.
These
sensors
are
a
part
of
the
RD50
Project
at
CERN.
He
made
a
series
of
measurements
of
the
IV
(current-voltage)
characteristic
for
these
sensors,
which
gives
an
indication
of
the
voltage
at
which
the
sensor
has
full
charge
collection
efficiency
(for
charge
that
is
deposited
by
the
passing
particles
produced
in
the
high
energy
collisions).
This
allows
evaluation
as
to the suitability of these sensors for use in the VELO upgrade.
Jeff
got
valuable
experience
in
setting
up
and
troubleshooting
high
precision
electronics
instrumentation,
which
can
sometimes
be
touchy.
However,
getting
good
measurements
from
such
equipment
is
rewarding
in
the
end,
in
spite
of
all
the
checking
and
cross-checking
that
is
necessary. He worked in our lab under the supervision of Marina Artuso, Gwen Lefeuvre and Ray Mountain.
Jeff graduated from Syracuse University with a major in Physics. He has headed off to graduate school, to pursue an interest in Nanotechnology.
Carl Goodrich
Syracuse University
Carl
worked
on
analysis
of
beam
test
data
for
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN
(European
Laboratory
for
Particle
Physics
Research)
during
the
the
Summer
of
2007.
After
that,
he
worked
on
silicon
detector
R&D
during
the
2007-2008
Academic
Year.
He
used
a
silicon
chip
probe
station
to
characterize
the
IV
curve
for
several
types
of
pixel
sensor
geometries,
some
of
which
were
irradiated
in
order
to
test
the
capability
of
the
device
to
perform
sufficiently
well
after
years
in
the
harsh
radiation
environment
of
a
modern
particle
accelerator
like
the
LHC.
Carl
got
a
lot
of
hands-on
experience
in
both
analysis
techniques
and
in
working
with
silicon
pixel
sensors.
He
learned
the
sophisticated
software
used
for
analysis
and
even
wrote
some
of
his
own.
He
did
important
studies
based
on
beam
test
data
taken
in
2006
that
demonstrated
the
stability
of
operation
of
the
VELO
detector.
His
work
was
presented
at
a
LHCb
collaboration
meeting.
Carl
also
did
an
interesting
series
of
systematic
studies
of
pixel
sensors,
measuring
the
current-voltage
(IV)
characteristic.
You
can
look
at
his
final
report
for
this
sensor
work.
He
worked in our lab under the supervision of Marina Artuso and Gwen Lefeuvre.
Carl
graduated
from
Syracuse
University
with
a
multiple
major
in
Physics,
Engineering
Physics,
and
Math.
He
has
gone
on
to
graduate
school
in
Physics at U Penn, where he no doubt remains an inveterate BoSox fan even in the land of the fearsome Phillies.
Jeremy Chapman
Syracuse University
Jeremy
worked
on
silicon
detector
R&D
in
the
Summer
of
2006
and
into
the
following
academic
year.
He
set
up
a
station
to
make
electronic
tests
of
new
silicon
pixel
sensors.
These
are
new
detector
architectures
that
may
be
used
as
an
upgrade
of
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector,
a
major
part
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN
(European
Laboratory
for
Particle
Physics
Research),
and
are
based
on
previous
work
on
the
FPIX0
chip,
done for the BTEV Pixel Detector. He studied their response to various pulse levels and their fast timing properties.
Jeremy
got
some
hands-on
experience
in
working
with
forefront
silicon
pixel
designs.
He
rather
quickly
installed
Visual
C++
and
integrated
it
with
the
pixel
readout
electronics.
This
is
the
kind
of
understanding
that
you
can
not
get
from
a
course,
but
only
can
get
from
careful
tests
over
a
longer
period
of
time.
If
you
are
interested
in
asking
him
about
his
research
experience,
you
can
email
him.
He
worked
in
our
lab
under
the
supervision of Marina Artuso.
Jeremy
graduated
from
Syracuse
University,
with
a
dual
major
in
Physics
and
Computer
Engineering,
and
an
EE
minor.
He
was
named
a
University
Scholar
for
the
Class
of
2007,
the
highest
undergraduate
academic
honor
bestowed
by
the
University.
He
went
on
to
graduate
school
at Brown University, working on the LUX experiment to detect dark matter.
Chris McDonald
Syracuse University
Chris
worked
on
detector
R&D
during
the
Fall
of
2005
and
Spring
of
2006.
He
constructed
and
tested
seven
scintillation
trigger
counters,
to
be
used
in
a
beam
test
of
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN
(European
Laboratory
for
Particle
Physics
Research)
in
the
Summer
of
2006.
He
studied
the
basic
behavior
of
photomultiplier
tubes
(PMTs)
and
plastic
scintillator
material,
using
a
PMT
test
station
with
a
multi-channel
analyzer,
as
shown
in
the
photograph.
In
particular,
he
measured
the
pulse-height
spectrum
and
the
signal-to-noise
ratio
for
these devices.
Chris
got
a
lot
of
experience
in
designing,
constructing
and
testing
these
photon
detectors.
He
made
all
the
pieces
needed
for
the
counters--
some
of
which
were
tricky,
like
the
optical
lightguides
which
were
made
of
a
special
UV-transmitting
acrylic
and
needed
to
be
hand-polished
to
optical
quality.
This
took
a
lot
of
effort!
He
finished
them
by
epoxying
and
wrapping
the
counters
so
that
they
would
be
light-tight
and
could
work
in
a
laboratory
environment.
The
counters
were
used
very
successfully
in
the
beam
test
at
CERN.
For
more
info,
you
can
see
the
poster
that
Chris
made
on
this
this
work,
which
he
presented
at
SU's
Mayfest
2006.
He
worked
in
our
lab
under
the
supervision
of
Ray
Mountain
and
Sheldon Stone.
Chris
graduated
from
the
SU
Physics
Program,
and
went
on
to
get
his
Master's
Degree
in
Astronautical
Engineering
at
the
University
of
Southern
California.
Anthony White
Syracuse University
Anthony
worked
on
electronics
R&D
during
the
Spring
of
2006.
He
begun
work
on
a
test
station
to
characterize
new
pixel
detectors,
which
may
be
use
in
an
upgrade
of
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector,
a
major
part
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN
(European
Laboratory
for
Particle
Physics
Research).
He
learned
about
electronic
readout
and
computer
interfaces.
For
extra
fun,
he
also
helped
Chris
McDonald
with
the
construction
of
the
trigger
counters (see above).
Anthony finished his undergraduate studies in the Department of Physics at Syracuse University.
Nate Kuslis
Syracuse University
Nate
worked
on
a
silicon
detector
R&D
during
the
Fall
of
2005.
He
worked
on
setting
up
a
Infrared
Laser
Test
Station
which
will
be
used
to
measure
the
response
of
silicon
pixel
sensors
to
pulses
of
IR
photons
(this
mimics
ionization
energy
deposition
by
charged
particles
produced
in
high-energy
collisions).
The
pixel
sensors
to
be
used
are
part
of
an
effort
to
upgrade
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector,
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN (European Laboratory for Particle Physics Research).
Nate
learned
some
things
about
mechanical
work,
as
he
needed
to
fix
the
2-D
motion
control
stage
that
moves
the
silicon
wafer
around
under
the laser beam. He also got some computing experience, programming the controller for this stage and interfacing it with a LabVIEW-based PC.
Nate finished his studies in the Department of Physics at Syracuse University.
Emily Kraus
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Emily
spent
most
of
Summer
2012
working
on
diamond
sensors,
as
described
above,
and
took
much
of
the
long-term
data-sets
that
characterize
the
stability
of
diamond,
over
the
course
of
several
months.
To
make
a
preliminary
pass
on
the
data,
she
developed
an
analysis
technique,
based
on
an
exponentially-weighted
averaging
(EWMA)
with
a
statistical
deviation
variables,
and
applied
it
to
the
data
(summarized
here).
This
technique
did
a
good
job
at
illuminating
the
underlying
behavior
of
the
diamond.
Further,
she
did
some
work
on
developing
a
computational
model
to
simulate
the
details of diamond behavior.
Emily
worked
on
other
aspects
of
tracking
detector
development,
for
the
upgrade
of
the
TT
silicon
tracker
in
the
LHCB
Experiment.
She
constructed
a
test
stand
to
measure
the
thermal
properties
mock
structures
that
are
being
considered
for
the
construction
of
the
detector
system.
She
had
to
learn
analog-to-digital
electronics
and
LabVIEW
programming
in
order
to
do
this.
This
test
stand
is
being
used
to
model
the
heating
and
cooling
of
hybrids
and
staves
for
the
silicon
tracker
(see
her
status
report).
If
not
done
correctly,
this
could
lead
to
thermal
runaway
in
the
silicon.
This
experimental approach is very much needed when designing a new detector.
Additionally, Emily contributed to the SU QuarkNet summer program by leading the Cosmic Ray Muon Lifetime activity.
Emily
learned
a
lot
about
material
properties,
electronics
and
programming
from
this
experience.
She
works
in
our
lab
under
the
supervision
of
Ray Mountain.
Emily graduated with with a dual major in Physics and Math, and went on to study
Biophysics
at the University of Pennsylvania.
Anna Fadeeva
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Anna
has
been
working
on
characterizing
the
new
nanocomposite
materials
we
are
considering
for
the
R.F.
Foil
surrounding
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
in
the
LHCB
Experiment.
In
Summer
2011,
she
continued
the
series
of
measurements
started
by
Dylan,
with
emphasis
on
the
dynamics
of
creep
and
relaxation.
These
were
copious
detailed
and
fine-
scaled
measurements,
which
illuminated
the
time-
dependent
behavior
of
this
new
and
interesting
material.
During
the
Spring
semester
2011,
Anna
designed
and
constructed
a
setup
to
measure
the
density
of
flat
coupon
samples
of
nanocomposite
material.
What
she
actually
measured
was
an
optical
density
using
a
laser-
and-photodiode
xy-scanning
technique.
This
yielded
very
interesting
results
on
the
uniformity
of
the
internal structure of the nanocomposite.
Anna
has
learned
about
dynamic
material
behavior,
data-taking, analysis techniques and LabVIEW programming while working in our lab under the supervision of Ray Mountain.
Anna
graduated
Syracuse
University
with
a
dual
major
in
Physics
and
Math.
She
went
on
to
U
Mass
Amherst,
then
Columbia,
and
hopefully
is
still
someone who appreciates the orthogonal.
Ryan Badman
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Ryan
has
been
working
in
our
group
since
Spring
2010
on
a
new
development
in
electronics
for
pixel
detector
applications
in
high
energy
physics
experiments.
Called
Timepix
(derived
from
Medipix)
this
electronics
reads
out
high
density
arrays
of
silicon
diode
sensors
with
a
speed
and
precision
good
enough
for
use
in
tracking
high
energy
particles
as
well
as
for
use
in
medical
imaging.
This
work
is
focused
on
the
upgrade
to
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN
(European
Laboratory
for
Particle
Physics
Research).
Since
Timepix
is
a
new
device,
Ryan
is
busy
making
a
series
of
tests
to
assess
the
minimum
detectable
charge
and
to
calibrate
the
absolute
charge
response
of
each
of
the
256x256
pixels
in
this
device,
using
test
pulse
injection.
One
outcome
is
the
delination
of
the
"surrogate
function"
which
describes
the
relation
between
the
injection
charge
and
chip
output.
Ryan
has
learned
a
lot
about
detectors,
micro-electronics
and
C++
programming
from
this
work.
He
has
reported on his work here and he has also given a more general presentation on the Timepix to our HEP Journal Club.
Ryan worked in our lab under the principal supervision of Marina Artuso.
He graduated Syracuse University with a dual major in Physics and Math.
![[HOME]](index_htm_files/3075.png)
![[HOME]](index_htm_files/3092.png)
HEP Outreach, upd. 2017, RM
HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS
undergraduate research projects
VELO Vertex Detector for the LHCb Upgrade
current project
Previously
the
Syracuse
University
HEP
Group
was
engaged
in
various
R&D
projects
focused
on
the
Vertex
Detector
for
the
upgrade
of
the
LHCb
Experiment
at
the
Large
Hadron
Collider
(LHC)
accelerator
at
CERN,
located
in
Geneva,
Switzerland.
These projects included:
(1)
R&D on diamond sensors, as a potential
replacement for silicon sensors due to their
intrinsic radiation hardness;
(2)
development of nanocomposite material based
structures for use as ultra-high vacuum elements
around the vertex detector;
(3)
investigation of the radiation hardness of
commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) field-
programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for use in the
readout data stream; and
(4)
investigation of new pixel readout electronics,
called Timepix.
As
usual,
there
is
a
lot
of
opportunity
for
individual
contributions
and
bright
ideas.
Here
are
some
projects
by
our
undergraduate
researchers
that
were
centered
on this VELO Detector upgrade.
Read on…
Dylan Hsu
Syracuse University, class of 2014
Dylan
has
worked
on
several
different
projects
since
Fall
2010.
Most
recently,
he
has
been
working
on
characterizing
a
novel
material
development
for
potential
use
in
the
LHC
accelerator
at
CERN.
This
material
is
a
nanocomposite
made
of
carbon
fibers,
epoxy
and
nanoparticles
(fabricated
by
Composite
Mirror
Applications,
Inc.).
Its
use
would
be
in
separating
the
ultra-high
vacuum
in
the
LHC
beampipe
from
the
high
vacuum
in
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector.
It
needs
to
be
very
light
in
terms
of
mass
thickness
so
the
particles
passing
through
it
would
have
a
reduced
amount
of
Coulomb
scattering,
which
would
make
a
real
improvement
to
the
tracking
capability
of
the
VELO.
The
implementation
as
R.F.
Foil
requires
that
the
structure
be
very
specifically
shaped
and
quite
thin (~300 microns thick).
Dylan
designed
and
constructed
a
device
to
measure
the
force
vs
deflection
curves
for
several
samples
of
this
new
material.
He
made
many
series
of
measurements
of
the
deflection
of
the
materials
under
force
loads,
as
well
as
measurements
of
material
creep
and
multi-
component relaxation.
Previously,
Dylan
worked
on
a
thermal
mock-up
for
the
VELO
detector
Upgrade,
with
Brian
Maynard.
He
learned
how
to
program
in
LabVIEW
(in
record
time)
and
how
to
readout
an
array
of
RTDs
in
order
to
measure
the
steady-state
temperature
profile
for
various
VELO
module
configurations.
The
mock-up
was
used
successfully
to
confirm
ANSYS
simulations
of
the
upgrade design.
Dylan
learned
a
lot
about
materials,
data
acquisition,
and
statistical
analysis
from
these
projects.
He
worked
in
our
lab
under
the
supervision
of
Ray
Mountain.
Dylan
has
since
graduated
and
moved
on
to
study
particle
physics
at MIT.
Erika Cowan
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Erika
spent
most
of
Summer
2012
doing
R&D
on
diamond
sensors,
as
a
potential
replacement
for
silicon
in
the
upgraded
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
of
the
LHCb
Experiment.
Diamond
can
be
used
for
charged
particle
detection,
and
has
an
advantage
over
silicon
in
terms
of
its
radiation
hardness,
but
a
disadvantage
in
terms
of
the
amount
of
charge
collected
from
passing
particles.
Additionally
diamond
sometimes
exhibits
fluctuations
in
its
leakage
current
over
extended periods oftime.
During
the
Summer,
Erika
implemented
a
high-
level
analysis
of
the
large
data-sets
taken
to
characterize
the
long-term
stability
of
diamond.
To
accomplish
this,
she
learned
to
use
ROOT,
a
statistical
package
used
in
high
energy
physics.
She
wrote
analysis
scripts
to
run
over
these
large
data-sets,
and
extracted
stability
parameters
for
the devices.
Erika
also
investigated
conventional
silicon
devices
by
characterizing
several
devices
through
series
of
IV
and
CV
measurements
using
a
source/measurement
unit
and
probe
station
in
our
clean
room.
For
this
work
Erika
learned
sophisticated
semiconductor
measurement
and
handling
techniques.
Recently,
she
has
been
calibrating
another
kind
of
electronics,
called
an
FPGA,
which
is
being
considered
for
use
in
LHCb
and
has
been
undergoing
tests
of
its
radiation
tolerance.
Additionally,
Erika
contributed
to
the
SU
QuarkNet
program
by
leading
the
Gamma
Ray
Scintillation Spectroscopy activity.
Erika
has
gained
a
lot
of
experience
with
programming
and
hardware
experimental
techniques
during
this
time.
She
worked
in
our
lab
mainly
under
the
supervision
of
Ray
Mountain,
and
at
times
J.C.
Wang.
She
graduated
with
a
dual
major
in
Physics
and
Math,
and
has
gone
on
to
study
graviational
waves
with
LIGO
Experiment.
Emily Kraus
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Emily
spent
most
of
Summer
2012
working
on
diamond
sensors,
as
described
above,
and
took
much
of
the
long-term
data-sets
that
characterize
the
stability
of
diamond,
over
the
course
of
several
months.
To
make
a
preliminary
pass
on
the
data,
she
developed
an
analysis
technique,
based
on
an
exponentially-weighted
averaging
(EWMA)
with
a
statistical
deviation
variables,
and
applied
it
to
the
data
(summarized
here).
This
technique
did
a
good
job
at
illuminating
the
underlying
behavior
of
the
diamond.
Further,
she
did
some
work
on
developing
a
computational
model
to
simulate
the
details
of
diamond behavior.
Emily
worked
on
other
aspects
of
tracking
detector
development,
for
the
upgrade
of
the
TT
silicon
tracker
in
the
LHCB
Experiment.
She
constructed
a
test
stand
to
measure
the
thermal
properties
mock
structures
that
are
being
considered
for
the
construction
of
the
detector
system.
She
had
to
learn
analog-to-digital
electronics
and
LabVIEW
programming
in
order
to
do
this.
This
test
stand
is
being
used
to
model
the
heating
and
cooling
of
hybrids
and
staves
for
the
silicon
tracker
(see
her
status
report).
If
not
done
correctly,
this
could
lead
to
thermal
runaway
in
the
silicon.
This
experimental
approach
is
very
much
needed
when
designing
a
new detector.
Additionally,
Emily
contributed
to
the
SU
QuarkNet
summer
program
by
leading
the
Cosmic Ray Muon Lifetime activity.
Emily
learned
a
lot
about
material
properties,
electronics
and
programming
from
this
experience.
She
works
in
our
lab
under
the
supervision of Ray Mountain.
Emily
graduated
with
with
a
dual
major
in
Physics
and
Math,
and
went
on
to
study
Biophysics
at
the
University of Pennsylvania.
Anna Fadeeva
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Anna
has
been
working
on
characterizing
the
new
nanocomposite
materials
we
are
considering
for
the
R.F.
Foil
surrounding
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
in
the
LHCB
Experiment.
In
Summer
2011,
she
continued
the
series
of
measurements
started
by
Dylan,
with
emphasis
on
the
dynamics
of
creep
and
relaxation.
These
were
copious
detailed
and
fine-scaled
measurements,
which
illuminated
the
time-dependent
behavior
of
this
new and interesting material.
During
the
Spring
semester
2011,
Anna
designed
and
constructed
a
setup
to
measure
the
density
of
flat
coupon
samples
of
nanocomposite
material.
What
she
actually
measured
was
an
optical
density
using
a
laser-and-photodiode
xy-
scanning
technique.
This
yielded
very
interesting
results
on
the
uniformity
of
the
internal
structure
of the nanocomposite.
Anna
has
learned
about
dynamic
material
behavior,
data-taking,
analysis
techniques
and
LabVIEW
programming
while
working
in
our
lab
under the supervision of Ray Mountain.
Anna
graduated
Syracuse
University
with
a
dual
major
in
Physics
and
Math.
She
went
on
to
U
Mass
Amherst,
then
Columbia,
and
hopefully
is
still someone who appreciates the orthogonal.
Ryan Badman
Syracuse University, class of 2015
Ryan
has
been
working
in
our
group
since
Spring
2010
on
a
new
development
in
electronics
for
pixel
detector
applications
in
high
energy
physics
experiments.
Called
Timepix
(derived
from
Medipix)
this
electronics
reads
out
high
density
arrays
of
silicon
diode
sensors
with
a
speed
and
precision
good
enough
for
use
in
tracking
high
energy
particles
as
well
as
for
use
in
medical
imaging.
This
work
is
focused
on
the
upgrade
to
the
VELO
Silicon
Vertex
Detector
of
the
LHCB
Experiment
at
CERN
(European
Laboratory
for
Particle Physics Research).
Since
Timepix
is
a
new
device,
Ryan
is
busy
making
a
series
of
tests
to
assess
the
minimum
detectable
charge
and
to
calibrate
the
absolute
charge
response
of
each
of
the
256x256
pixels
in
this
device,
using
test
pulse
injection.
One
outcome
is
the
delination
of
the
"surrogate
function"
which
describes
the
relation
between
the
injection
charge
and
chip
output.
Ryan
has
learned
a
lot
about
detectors,
micro-electronics
and
C++
programming
from
this
work.
He
has
reported
on
his
work
here
and
he
has
also
given
a
more
general
presentation
on
the
Timepix
to
our HEP Journal Club.
Ryan
worked
in
our
lab
under
the
principal
supervision of Marina Artuso.
He
graduated
Syracuse
University
with
a
dual
major in Physics and Math.
![[HOME]](index_htm_files/3099.png)
![[HOME]](index_htm_files/2899.png)
