Wednesday 10 Nov. 2010

Speaker:   Chris Damerell (RAL)

Title:   The silicon pixel tracker – beginning of a revolution?

Abstract:
Tracking systems in particle physics have evolved over many decades, including nuclear emulsions, 
bubble chambers, spark chambers, drift chambers and silicon microstrip detectors. Over the past 
30 years, silicon pixel detectors have carved out a small but important niche as vertex detectors. 
Recent advances in the very simplest of this family (monolithic devices) suggest that they may be 
ready to assume an expanded role for large tracking systems (~100 m^2) in some classes of experiments. 
The key developments leading to this potential revolution will be explained, particularly for the benefit 
of non-experts in the subject.