The Design and function of a radiation tolerant silicon tracker for an LHC experiment

We present a description of the RD2 design for a silicon tracking detector and discuss its function as an integrated component of an LHC experiment. An advantage of the design is that considerable flexibility is possible in the granularity and radial position of each plane; these parameters are determined by the physics requirements as well as by the radiation environment, engineering and electronics considerations. The simulated performance of the detector is discussed and our experimental investigations of irradiation effects are summarised. The development of an analogue pipe-line and related front-end electronics for the storage and processing of the signals is described. Our work indicates the suitability of silicon as a detector for LHC experiments. © 1993