Precision metrology tests for the UT upgrade

Student name: Liam Meisner (Manlius Pebble Hill)
Teacher mentor: Justin Shute (Fayetteville-Manlius)
Research mentor: Dr. Xuhao Yuan (Syracuse University)
Summer 2017
The purpose of our research was to make precise measurements on a number of the
components to be used in the UT detector. The UT detector is composed of four planes of
silicon microstrip detectors, each roughly 1.5 m x 1.5 m in size. Each silicon plane is formed
from 14 (or 16) “staves”, and each stave is formed by mounting about fifteen 10 cm x 10 cm
silicon detectors in a columnar structure. The staves are formed from a carbon-fiber – foam
– carbon fiber “sandwich, which is about 1.5 m long by 10 cm wide. The silicon detectors
and the readout electronics are mounted on the stave, and when operating, they generate
a considerable amount of heat. That heat is removed by embedding a very narrow snakeshaped
titanium tube through the stave’s inner core. The placement of the tube is critical,
since it must sit directly underneath the readout electronics, which generate a lot of heat.
Our project entailed learning to use the SmartScope. a precise programmable microscope,
to make measurements related to the stave. After learning to use the Smartscope, we
measured the positions of the carbon-foam, within the stave. The carbon, which provides
much higher thermal conductivity, is used sparingly only in certain locations, since it has
larger mass than the structural foam. The positions were measured precisely and in an
automated way using the SmartScope. We also programmed the smartscope to measure
the change in length of the cooling tube from its pre-bent length to its length after making
the 28 needed bends to snake through the stave. We found that for each right angle bend,
the tube is elongate by 1 mm on the outside, and shortened by 1 mm on the inside bend. A
systematic set of measurements were made on several tubes.
Toward the end of the summer project, we had to clean the SmartScope thoroughly, since
it was being moved into the cleanroom, where the UT will be constructed. The SmartScope
will be used to measure many things on the staves, since it is important to know the positions
of everything very well in advance of installing the detector.