Speaker
Description
The Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) system is an essential element of the LHCb experiment: it consists of an upstream detector (RICH1), located close to the interaction point, and a downstream detector (RICH2), placed after the tracking system, and has the task of identifying charged hadrons over the momentum range 2-100 GeV/c.
Currently the LHCb experiment is completing an upgrade phase to allow data collection at a five-fold increase in instantaneous luminosity up to 2*10^(33) cm(-2)s^(-1) and read out data at a rate of 40 MHz. The challenges of the higher luminosity are: a significant increase of the detector occupancy and a larger radiation dose. In order to match the new experimental requirements, both RICH detectors have been upgraded with a redesigned opto-electronic chain and new photon detectors. In addition RICH1 has a modified layout with new mechanics and spherical mirrors in order to reduce the maximum occupancy. A summary on the upgrade programme and the current status of the commissioning operations will be presented.
