LHCb is one of the four main experiments of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
project, which will start at CERN in 2008. The experiment is primarily
dedicated to B-Physics and hence requires precise vertex reconstruction. The
silicon vertex locator (VELO) has a single hit precision of better than 10
micron and is used both off-line and in the trigger. These requirements place
strict constraints on its alignment. Additional challenges for the alignment
arise from the detector being retracted between each fill of the LHC and from
its unique circular disc r/phi strip geometry. This paper describes the track
based software alignment procedure developed for the VELO. The procedure is
primarily based on a non-iterative method using a matrix inversion technique.
The procedure is demonstrated with simulated events to be fast, robust and to
achieve a suitable alignment precision.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM