Silicon vertex detector and its applications in the ALPHA experiment

• Main Author: McKenna, Joseph
• Published: University of Liverpool 2015
• Subjects: 530; QC Physics
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.664404

ALPHA is one of the experiments at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator dedicated for antihydrogen studies. A unique Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) has been designed and built to surround the ALPHA neutral atom trap, its principle purpose to monitor the experiment. The SVD is main diagnostic tool in the ALPHA-experiment, it is used to detect antiproton annihilation events by means of emitted charged pions originating from the process. The SVD provides precise spatial and timing information of antiproton annihilation events, and most importantly, the SVD is capable of directly identifying and analysing single annihilation events forming the basis of ALPHA’s analysis. This thesis will describe the upgrade of the SVD, the detector build and quality assurance procedure in detail. Annihilation vertex reconstruction methods along with cosmic ray background suppression techniques are explored and developed.