117476620
On closed-string twist-field correlators and their open-string descendants
In a recent paper we have proposed the possibility that the lightest massive string states could be identified with open strings living at intersections of D-branes forming small angles. In this note, we reconsider the relevant twist-field correlation functions and perform the analysis of the sub-dominant physical poles in the various channels. Our derivation is new in that it is based on the algebraic procedure for the construction of open string models starting from their closed-string `parents' rather than on the stress-tensor method. We also indicate possible generalizations and diverse applications of our approach.
118063728
Mass Hierarchies versus proton Decay in MSSM Orientifold Compactifications
We review two systematic bottom-up analyses of MSSM quivers recently performed by the authors. We extend the analysis of arXiv:0905.3379 by including constraints arising from proton decay via dimension 5 operators and present all four-stack quivers in the Madrid embedding which satisfy this additional constraint. Furthermore, we investigate and make precise the interplay between mass hierarchies obtained via factorizable Yukawa textures and the presence of dimension 5 proton decay operators in MSSM orientifold compactifications. We discuss this issue in a five-stack quiver, first presented in arXiv:0909.4292, which exhibits proper mass hierarchies and no rapid proton decay.
23063408
Use of Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) technology in FPGAs for the reduction of faults due to radiation in the readout of the ATLAS monitored drift tube (MDT) chambers
The Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) technology allows protection of the functionality of FPGAs against single event upsets (SEUs). Each logic block is implemented three times with a 2-out-of-3 voter at the output. Thus, the correct logical value is available even if there is an upset bit in one location. We applied TMR to the configuration code of a Virtex-II-2000 FPGA, which serves as the on-chamber readout processor of the ATLAS monitored drift tubes (MDTs). We describe the code implementation, results of performance measurements and discuss several limitations of the method. Finally, we present a supplementary technology called “scrubbing”. It permanently checks the configuration memory while the FPGA is operating, and corrects upset configuration bits when necessary.
120821170
Breakdown protection and long-term stabilisation for Si-detectors
Abstract Normally, guardrings are used to shield the sensitive part of detectors from surface and edge leakage currents. We propose a structure which in addition provides a gradual drop of the potential from the detector rim towards the bulk potential. Different structures were measured and also simulated with the two-dimensional semiconductor analysis package TOSCA. The possibilities of this package are briefly discussed. The agreement between the measurements and the simulation is very good. Based on these simulations, a layout of a detector protection structure with optimized performance is proposed.
22887218
Construction of a high-resolution muon drift tube prototype chamber for LHC upgrades
The proposed upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN to luminosities above 1 × 1034 cm−2 s−1 necessitates the replacement of a large number of tracking chambers of the muon spectrometer of the ATLAS experiment to avoid deterioration of the muon identification and the momentum measurement at high background rates. Based on the standard ATLAS Monitored Drift Tube chambers (2 × 3 or 4 tube layers, drift tube diameter 30 mm), a new design with 15 mm diameter tubes and matching services has been developed, offering an increased rate capability and better pattern recognition and redundancy due to the higher cell density. A full-sized prototype chamber consisting of 1152 tubes arranged in 2 × 8 tube layers and covering an area of 1 m2 has been built to validate the assembly procedures and to test its performance.
92988840
Resolution and efficiency of the ATLAS muon drift-tube chambers at high background rates
Abstract The resolution and efficiency of a precision drift-tube chamber for the ATLAS muon spectrometer with final read-out electronics was tested at the Gamma Irradiation Facility at CERN in a 100 GeV muon beam at photon irradiation rates of up to 990 Hz / cm 2 , which corresponds to twice the highest background rate expected in ATLAS. A silicon strip detector telescope served as external reference in the beam. The pulse-height measurement of the read-out electronics was used to perform time-slewing corrections, which lead to an improvement of the average drift-tube resolution from 104 to 82 μ m without irradiation, and from 128 to 108 μ m at the maximum expected rate. The measured drift-tube efficiency agrees with the expectation from the dead time of the read-out electronics up to the maximum expected rate.
109933860
Upgrade of the ATLAS Muon Trigger for the SLHC
The outer shell of the ATLAS experiment at the LHC consists of a system of toroidal air-core magnets in order to allow for the precise measurement of the transverse momentum (pT) of muons, which in many physics channels are a signature of interesting physics processes [1,2]. For the precise determination of the muon momentum Monitored Drift Tube chambers (MDT) with high position accuracy are used, while for the fast identification of muon tracks chambers with high time resolution are used, able to select muons above a predefined pT threshold for use in the first Level of the ATLAS triggering system (Level-1 trigger). When the LHC peak luminosity of 1034 cm−2s−1 will be increased by a factor of 4–5 in about a decade from now (''SLHC''), an improvement of the selectivity of the ATLAS Level-1 triggering system will be mandatory in order to cope with the maximum allowed trigger rate of 100 kHz. For the Level-1 trigger of the ATLAS muon spectrometer this means an increase of the pT threshold for single muons. Due to the limited spatial resolution of the trigger chambers, however, the selectivity for tracks above ~ 20 GeV/c is insufficient for an effective reduction of the Level-1 rate. We describe how the track coordinates measured in the MDT precision chambers can be used to decisively improve the selectivity for high momentum tracks. The resulting increase in latency will also be discussed.