The SCT barrel inserted into the TRT

22 February 2006 | By

LHC,ATLAS,SCT,TRT,Detector Construction,Inner Detector,Combined
Inspecting the TRT prior to SCT insertion. (Image: Maximilien Brice/CERN)

The SCT barrel was inserted in the TRT on 17 February, just missing Valentine's day. This was a change of emphasis for the two detectors. In the preceeding months there had been a lot of focus on testing their performance. The TRT had been observing cosmic rays through several sectors of the barrel. The two detectors had to be painstakingly aligned to be concentric to within a millimetre.

In the event, the preparation paid off, and the two detectors came together without a hitch, much to the delight of the rather large crowd of spectators who had gathered to see this wonderful achievement, including a journalist for the CERN Bulletin, and a TV crew.

After surveying the relative positions and a final adjustment, it was back to testing again.