Speaker
Description
The upgrade of the LHCb Vertex Locator (VELO), planned to be installed in 2033, presents a wide range of mechanical engineering challenges driven by the need for minimal material budget, high radiation tolerance, and mechanical stability under stringent operating conditions.
The detector will be composed of detector planes arranged as modules along the beam direction. Each VELO module integrates silicon sensors, readout ASICs, and lightweight support structures with embedded cooling and service interfaces.
The use of advanced materials—such as 3D-printed titanium, aluminum, and ceramics-is being explored for multifunctional substrates that offer both structural support and efficient thermal coupling. Particular attention is given to thermal expansion compatibility and adhesive properties to ensure long-term reliability under the extensive radiation requirements.
The cooling system is based on boiling CO₂ at low-temperature circulated through small channels embedded in the substrates, with ongoing R&D into sublimation-based cooling to further reduce operational temperatures while maintaining performance.
The entire detector is enclosed in a secondary vacuum volume and protected from beam-induced electromagnetic interference by an ultra-thin retractable RF shield, which operates with high precision and radiation hardness.
We consider two main detector designs which will be shown in detail in this presentation. We will also present the current status of the VELO mechanics R&D and preliminary results from tests of the cooling substrates.