Strobbe lab gears up for CMS upgrade
In February of this year the Department of Energy announced $200 million funding for the contribution of Institutions in the United States to the CMS experiment. Professor Strobbe’s lab will be mostly given over to working on a portion of the upgrade. Strobbe says the upgrade will take advantage of advances in technology that have happened since the collider came online in 2010. This includes more storage and faster processing that will help the detector capture a greater number of collisions created by upgraded accelerator magnets. The LHC upgrade will increase the collision rate by a factor of five, giving scientists a massive dataset to look for new particles and study rare subatomic processes. To keep up with the more intense particle beams, the CMS experiment needs a massive overhaul. The Large Hadron Collider will go offline in 2026 with the upgrade expected to be completed by 2029. One of the first priorities is to install more robust detector technology which is more resistant to increased radiation from the more powerful accelerator.
The CMS experiment looks like a series of giant circular discs close to one another in long tube shape. Each disc is 15 meters in diameter and contains hundreds of individual components, each of which is going to be built and tested in Strobbe’s lab. These components look like toy train tracks and have been given the names “engine” and “wagon” that match their function as well as their form:wagons move data off the detector and engines collect and send data for further processing. After testing is completed on the components they will be affixed to discs which have layers of electronics, sandwiched between layers of absorbing materials to shield from radiation.
Testing stations (Pictured above) throughout Strobbe’s lab will be used by student researchers to check various attributes and look for flaws. Strobbe’s students are building and using testing stations for each of these components. The group plans to hire several students to help with the increased workload. Undergraduate students interested in getting research experience are encouraged to apply.
Image below: Professor Strobbe with Bryan Crossman at an engine testing station. Group photo above with wagons: Standing L to R: Billy Jackson, Devin Mahon, Bryan Crossman,Seated L to R: Nadja Strobbe, Charlie Kapsiak
