Efficiency of Finding Muon Track Trigger Primitives in CMS Cathode Strip Chambers

In the CMS Experiment, muon detection in the forward direction is accomplished by cathode strip chambers~(CSC). These detectors identify muons, provide a fast muon trigger, and give a precise measurement of the muon trajectory. There are 468 six-plane CSCs in the system. The efficiency of finding muon trigger primitives (muon track segments) was studied using~36 CMS CSCs and cosmic ray muons during the Magnet Test and Cosmic Challenge~(MTCC) exercise conducted by the~CMS experiment in~2006. In contrast to earlier studies that used muon beams to illuminate a very small chamber area ($< \! 0.01$~m$^2$), results presented in this paper were obtained by many installed CSCs operating {\em in situ} over an area of $\approx \! 23$~m$^2$ as a part of the~CMS experiment. The efficiency of finding 2-dimensional trigger primitives within 6-layer chambers was found to be~$99.93 \pm 0.03\%$. These segments, found by the CSC electronics within $800$~ns after the passing of a muon through the chambers, are the input information for the Level-1 muon trigger and, also, are a necessary condition for chambers to be read out by the Data Acquisition System

Aging Investigation of CMS EMU Prototype Chambers

The aging investigation results of CMS EMU prototype chambers are presented. Aging tests under sustained irradiation by a 90Sr 2 Ci were performed with three working gas mixtures Ar( 30%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 20%), Ar( 30%)+CO2( 70%) and Ar( 40%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 10%). For Ar( 30%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 20%) mixture gas gain reduction was not observed up to the accumulated charge Q = 13.56 C/cm. However, the dark current in the chamber was noticeable starting already from Q = 2 C/cm. The absence of the CF4 ( in the Ar/CO2 gas mixture) caused fast aging deterioration, and Q = 0.2 C/cm was enough to obtain 50% of the gas gain reduction. In the test with Ar( 40%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 10%) mixture the gas gain reduction and the dark current increase were not observed up to Q = 13.35 C/cm. Reduction of the gas flow rate to 0.1 volume per day caused 50% of the gain decrease due to the gas pollution by fragments of dissociated gas molecules. The gain restored after switching back to the 1 volume per day flow rate. Studies with electronic microscope suggest that in all the tests a silicon contained in RTV sealing and FR4 is the major source of the chamber contamination

Aging studies of CMS muon chamber prototypes

Aging of CMS muon cathode strip chamber prototypes under sustained irradiation was studied. The tests were performed with three prototypes of different gas seal designs and with three gas mixtures Ar(30%) + CO//2(50%) + CF//4(20%), Ar(30%) + CO//2(70%) and Ar(40%) + CO//2(50%) + CF//4(10%). The CF//4-containing mixtures showed no or little aging for an overall accumulated charge per unit of wire length in excess of 13 C/cm. In comparison, the performance deterioration in the Ar-CO//2 mixture proved to be very dramatic: the gas gain falls by a factor of 2 for each 0.25 C/cm of accumulated charge

Aging tests of full-scale CMS muon cathode strip chambers

Two CMS production Cathode Strip Chambers were tested for aging effects in a high-radiation environment at the Gamma Irradiation Facility at CERN. The chambers were irradiated over a large area: in total, about 2.1m**2 or 700m of wire in each chamber. The 40% Ar+50% CO//2+10% CF//4 gas mixture was provided by an open-loop gas system for one of the chambers and by a closed-loop re-circulating gas system for the other. After an accumulation of 0.3-0.4C/cm of a wire, equivalent to about 30-50 years of operation at peak LHC luminosity, no significant changes in gas gain, chamber efficiency and wire signal noise were observed for either of the two chambers. The only consistent signs of aging were a small increase in dark current from 2 to 10nA per plane of 600 wires and a decrease of strip-to-strip resistance from 1000 to 10-100GOmega. Disassembly of the chambers revealed deposits on the cathode planes, while the anode wires remained fairly clean

Efficiency of finding muon track trigger primitives in CMS cathode strip chambers

In the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, muon detection in the forward direction is accomplished by cathode strip chambers (CSC). These detectors identify muons, provide a fast muon trigger, and give a precise measurement of the muon trajectory. There are 468 six-plane CSCs in the system. The efficiency of finding muon trigger primitives (muon track segments) was studied using 36 CMS CSCs and cosmic ray muons during the Magnet Test and Cosmic Challenge (MTCC) exercise conducted by the CNIS experiment in 2006. In contrast to earlier studies that used muon beams to illuminate a very small chamber area (\u3c0.01 m(2))(,) results presented in this paper were obtained by many installed CSCs operating in situ over an area of approximate to 23 m(2) as a part of the CMS experiment. The efficiency of finding two-dimensional trigger primitives within six-layer chambers was found to be 99.93 +/- 0.03%. These segments, found by the CSC electronics within 800 ns after the passing of a muon through the chambers, are the input information for the Level-1 muon trigger and, also, are a necessary condition for chambers to be read out by the Data Acquisition System. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Lecithin organogels as a potential phospholipid-structured system for topical drug delivery: A review

The purpose of this review is to give an insight into the considerable potential of lecithin organogels (LOs) in the applications meant for topical drug delivery. LOs are clear, thermodynamically stable, viscoelastic, and biocompatible jelly-like phases, chiefly composed of hydrated phospholipids and appropriate organic liquid. These systems are currently of interest to the pharmaceutical scientist because of their structural and functional benefits. Several therapeutic agents have been formulated as LOs for their facilitated transport through topical route (for dermal or transdermal effect), with some very encouraging results. The improved topical drug delivery has mainly been attributed to the biphasic drug solubility, the desired drug partitioning, and the modification of skin barrier function by the organogel components. Being thermodynamically stable, LOs are prepared by spontaneous emulsification and therefore posses prolonged shelf life. The utility of this novel matrix as a topical vehicle has further increased owing to its very low skin irritancy potential. Varied aspects of LOs viz formation, composition, phase behavior, and characterization have been elaborated, including a general discussion on the developmental background. Besides a comprehensive update on the topical applications of lecithin organogels, the review also includes a detailed account on the mechanistics of organogelling