Gaëlle Boudoul

A precision measurement by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 350 GeV based on 6.8 × 10(6) positron and electron events is presented. The very accurate data show that the positron fraction is steadily increasing from 10 to ∼ 250 GeV, but, from 20 to 250 GeV, the slope decreases by an order of magnitude. The positron fraction spectrum shows no fine structure, and the positron to electron ratio shows no observable anisotropy. Together, these features show the existence of new physical phenomena.

Cosmic-ray antiprotons provide an important probe for the study of Galactic dark matter, as they could be produced by neutralino annihilations, primordial black holes evaporations, or other exotic sources. On the other hand, antiprotons are anyway produced by standard nuclear reactions of cosmic-ray nuclei on interstellar matter (spallations), which are known to occur in the Galaxy. This process is responsible for a background flux that must be carefully determined to estimate the detectability of an hypothetical exotic signal. In this paper we provide a new evaluation of the interstellar cosmic antiproton flux that is fully consistent with cosmic-ray nuclei in the framework of a two-zone diffusion model. We also study and conservatively quantify all possible sources of uncertainty that may affect that antiproton flux. In particular, the primary cosmic rays are by now so well measured that the corresponding error is removed. Uncertainties related to propagation are shown to range between 10% and 25%, depending on which part of the spectrum is considered.

The CMS detector at the CERN LHC features a silicon pixel detector as its innermost subdetector. The original CMS pixel detector has been replaced with an upgraded pixel system (CMS Phase-1 pixel detector) in the extended year-end technical stop of the LHC in 2016/2017. The upgraded CMS pixel detector is designed to cope with the higher instantaneous luminosities that have been achieved by the LHC after the upgrades to the accelerator during the first long shutdown in 2013–2014. Compared to the original pixel detector, the upgraded detector has a better tracking performance and lower mass with four barrel layers and three endcap disks on each side to provide hit coverage up to an absolute value of pseudorapidity of 2.5. This paper describes the design and construction of the CMS Phase-1 pixel detector as well as its performance from commissioning to early operation in collision data-taking.

The fluxes of light antinuclei $A\ensuremath{\le}4$ induced near Earth by cosmic ray interactions with the interstellar matter in the Galaxy and with the Earth's atmosphere are calculated in a phenomenological framework. The hadronic production cross section for antinucleons is based on a recent parametrization of a wide set of accelerator data. The production of light nuclei is calculated using coalescence models. For the standard coalescence model, the coalescence radius is fitted to the available experimental data. The nonannihilating inelastic scattering process for the antideuterons is discussed and taken into account for the first time via a more realistic procedure than used so far for antiprotons.

Primordial black holes (pbhs) have motivated many studies since it was shown that they should evaporate and produce all kinds of particles (Hawking [CITE]). Recent experimental measurements of cosmic rays with great accuracy, theoretical investigations on the possible formation mechanisms and detailed evaporation processes have revived the interest in such astrophysical objects. This article aims to use the latest developments in antiproton propagation models (Maurin et al. [CITE]; Donato et al. [CITE]) together with new data from BESS, CAPRICE and AMS experiments to constrain the local amount of pbh dark matter. Depending on the diffusion halo parameters and on the details of the emission mechanisms, we derive an average upper limit of the order of g cm-3.

The result of a search at the LHC for heavy stable charged particles produced in pp collisions at $ \sqrt {s} = 7\;{\text{TeV}} $ is described. The data sample was collected with the CMS detector and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.1 pb−1. Momentum and ionization-energy-loss measurements in the inner tracker detector are used to identify tracks compatible with heavy slow-moving particles. Additionally, tracks passing muon identification requirements are also analyzed for the same signature. In each case, no candidate passes the selection, with an expected background of less than 0.1 events. A lower limit at the 95% confidence level on the mass of a stable gluino is set at 398GeV/c 2, using a conventional model of nuclear interactions that allows charged hadrons containing this particle to reach the muon detectors. A lower limit of 311 GeV/c 2 is also set for a stable gluino in a conservative scenario of complete charge suppression, where any hadron containing this particle becomes neutral before reaching the muon detectors.

Hadronic event shapes have been measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV, with a data sample collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 inverse picobarns. Event-shape distributions, corrected for detector response, are compared with five models of QCD multijet production.

A measurement of the top-antitop production cross section in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV has been performed at the LHC with the CMS detector. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns and is based on the reconstruction of the final state with one isolated, high transverse-momentum electron or muon and three or more hadronic jets. The kinematic properties of the events are used to separate the top-antitop signal from W+jets and QCD multijet background events. The measured cross section is 173 + 39 - 32 (stat. + syst.) pb, consistent with standard model expectations.

The charge asymmetry in the production of top quark and antiquark pairs is measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.6 inverse femtobarns, were collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Events with a single isolated electron or muon, and four or more jets, at least one of which is likely to have originated from hadronization of a bottom quark, are selected. A template technique is used to measure the asymmetry in the distribution of differences in the top quark and antiquark absolute rapidities. The measured asymmetry is A[c,y] = [0.33 +/- 0.26 (stat) +/- 0.33 (syst)]%, which is the most precise result to date. The results are compared to calculations based on the standard model and on several beyond-the-standard-model scenarios.

A new tracking detector is under development for use by the CMS experiment at the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). A crucial requirement of this upgrade is to provide the ability to reconstruct all charged particle tracks with transverse momentum above 2–3 GeV within 4 μs so they can be used in the Level-1 trigger decision. A concept for an FPGA-based track finder using a fully time-multiplexed architecture is presented, where track candidates are reconstructed using a projective binning algorithm based on the Hough Transform, followed by a combinatorial Kalman Filter. A hardware demonstrator using MP7 processing boards has been assembled to prove the entire system functionality, from the output of the tracker readout boards to the reconstruction of tracks with fitted helix parameters. It successfully operates on one eighth of the tracker solid angle acceptance at a time, processing events taken at 40 MHz, each with up to an average of 200 superimposed proton-proton interactions, whilst satisfying the latency requirement. The demonstrated track-reconstruction system, the chosen architecture, the achievements to date and future options for such a system will be discussed.

The endpoint of black-hole evaporation is a very intriguing problem of modern physics. Based on the Einstein-dilaton-Gauss–Bonnet four-dimensional string gravity model, we show that black holes do not disappear and should become relics at the end of the evaporation process. The possibility of experimental detection of such remnant black holes is investigated. If they really exist, these objects could form a considerable part of the non-baryonic dark matter in our universe.

The upgrade of the LHC to the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) is expected to increase the LHC design luminosity by an order of magnitude. This will require silicon tracking detectors with a significantly higher radiation hardness. The CMS Tracker Collaboration has conducted an irradiation and measurement campaign to identify suitable silicon sensor materials and strip designs for the future outer tracker at the CMS experiment. Based on these results, the collaboration has chosen to use n-in-p type silicon sensors and focus further investigations on the optimization of that sensor type. This paper describes the main measurement results and conclusions that motivated this decision.

We consider the observational constraints from the detection of antiprotons in the Galaxy on the amount of Primordial Black Holes (PBH) produced from primordial power spectra with a bumpy mass variance. Though essentially equivalent at the present time to the constraints from the diffuse γ-ray background, they allow a widely independent approach and they should improve sensibly in the nearby future. We discuss the resulting constraints on inflationary parameters using a Broken Scale Invariance (BSI) model as a concrete example.

In most cosmological models, primordial black holes (pbh) should have formed in the early Universe. Their Hawking evaporation into particles could eventually lead to the formation of antideuterium nuclei. This paper is devoted to a first computation of this antideuteron flux. The production of these antinuclei is studied with a simple coalescence scheme, and their propagation in the Galaxy is treated with a well-constrained diffusion model. We compare the resulting primary flux to the secondary background, due to the spallation of protons on the interstellar matter. Antideuterons are shown to be a very sensitive probe for primordial black holes in our Galaxy. The next generation of experiments should allow investigators to significantly improve the current upper limit, nor even provide the first evidence of the existence of evaporating black holes.

Depending on various assumptions on the energy scale of inflation and assuming a primordial power spectrum of a step-like structure, we explore new possibilities for Primordial Black Holes (PBH) and Planck relics to contribute substantially to Cold Dark Matter in the Universe. A recently proposed possibility to produce Planck relics in four-dimensional string gravity is considered in this framework. Possible experimental detection of PBHs through gravitational waves is also explored. We stress that inflation with a low energy scale, and also possibly when Planck relics are produced, leads unavoidably to relics originating from PBHs that are not effectively classical during their formation, rendering the usual formalism inadequate for them.

The AMS experiment includes a Cherenkov imager for mass and charge identification of charged cosmic rays.A second generation prototype has been constructed and its performances evaluated both with cosmic ray particles and with beam ions.In-beam tests have been performed using secondary nuclei from the fragmentation of 20 GeV=c per nucleon Pb ions and 158 GeV=c per nucleon In from the CERN SPS in 2002 and 2003.Partial results are reported.The performances of the prototype for the velocity and the charge measurements have been studied over the range of ion charge Zt30.A sample of candidate silica aerogel radiators for the flight model of the detector has been tested.The measured velocity resolution of the detector was found to scale with Z À1 as expected, with a value sðbÞ=b % 0:7-110 À3 for singly charged particles and an asymptotic limit in Z of 0.4-0:6 Â 10 À4 .The measured charge resolution obtained for the n ¼ 1:05 aerogel radiator material selected for the flight model of the detector is sðZÞ ¼ 0:18 (statistical) È 0.015 (systematic), ensuring a good charge separation up to the iron element, for the prototype in the reported experimental conditions.

The degradation of signal in silicon sensors is studied under conditions expected at the CERN High-Luminosity LHC. 200 μm thick n-type silicon sensors are irradiated with protons of different energies to fluences of up to 3 · 1015 neq/cm2. Pulsed red laser light with a wavelength of 672 nm is used to generate electron-hole pairs in the sensors. The induced signals are used to determine the charge collection efficiencies separately for electrons and holes drifting through the sensor. The effective trapping rates are extracted by comparing the results to simulation. The electric field is simulated using Synopsys device simulation assuming two effective defects. The generation and drift of charge carriers are simulated in an independent simulation based on PixelAV. The effective trapping rates are determined from the measured charge collection efficiencies and the simulated and measured time-resolved current pulses are compared. The effective trapping rates determined for both electrons and holes are about 50% smaller than those obtained using standard extrapolations of studies at low fluences and suggest an improved tracker performance over initial expectations.

Cosmic Ray nuclei in the energy range 100 MeV/nuc - 100 GeV/nuc provide crucial information about the physical properties of the Galaxy. They can also be used to answer questions related to astroparticle physics. This paper reviews the results obtained in this direction, with a strong bias towards the work done by the authors at {\sc lapth}, {\sc isn} and {\sc iap}. The propagation of these nuclei is studied quantitatively in the framework of a semi-analytical two-zone diffusion model taking into account the effect of galactic wind, diffuse reacceleration and energy losses. The parameters of this model are severely constrained by an analysis of the observed B/C ratio. These constraints are then used to study other species such as radioactive species and light antinuclei. Finally, we focus on the astroparticle subject and we study the flux of antiprotons and antideuterons that might be due to neutralino annihilations or primordial black hole evaporation. The question of the spatial origin of all these species is also addressed.

During summer 2006 a fraction of the CMS silicon strip tracker was operated in a comprehensive slice test called the Magnet Test and Cosmic Challenge (MTCC). At the MTCC, cosmic rays detected in the muon chambers were used to trigger the readout of all CMS sub-detectors in the general data acquisition system and in the presence of the 4 T magnetic field produced by the CMS superconducting solenoid. This document describes the operation of the Tracker hardware and software prior, during and after data taking. The performance of the detector as resulting from the MTCC data analysis is also presented.

A new CMS tracker detector will be installed for operation at the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). This detector comprises modules with two closely spaced parallel sensor plates and front-end ASICs capable of transmitting tracking information to the CMS Level-1 (L1) trigger at the 40 MHz beam crossing rate. The inclusion of tracking information in the L1 trigger decision will be essential for selecting events of interest efficiently at the HL-LHC. The CMS Binary Chip (CBC) has been designed to read out and correlate hits from pairs of tracker sensors, forming so-called track stubs. For the first time, a prototype irradiated module and a full-sized module, both equipped with the version 2 of the CBC, have been operated in test beam facilities. The efficiency of the stub finding logic of the modules for various angles of incidence has been studied. The ability of the modules to reject tracks with transverse momentum less than 2 GeV has been demonstrated. For modules built with irradiated sensors, no significant drop in the stub finding performance has been observed. Results from the beam tests are described in this paper.

To cope with the challenging environment of the planned high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), scheduled to start operation in 2029, CMS will replace its entire tracking system. The requirements for the tracker are largely determined by the long operation time of 10 years with an instantaneous peak luminosity of up to 7.5 × 1034 cm−2 s−1 in the ultimate performance scenario. Depending on the radial distance from the interaction point, the silicon sensors will receive a particle fluence corresponding to a non-ionising energy loss of up to Φeq= 3.5 × 1016 cm−2. This paper focuses on planar pixel sensor design and qualification up to a fluence of Φeq = 1.4 × 1016 cm−2.For the development of appropriate planar pixel sensors an R&D program was initiated, which includes n+-p sensors on 150 mm (6”) wafers with an active thickness of 150 µm with pixel sizes of 100×25 µm2 and 50×50 µm2 manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (HPK). Single chip modules with ROC4Sens and RD53A readout chips were made. Irradiation with protons and neutrons, as well was an extensive test beam campaign at DESY were carried out. This paper presents the investigation of various assemblies mainly with ROC4Sens readout chips. It demonstrates that multiple designs fulfil the requirements in terms of breakdown voltage, leakage current and efficiency. The single point resolution for 50×50 µm2 pixels is measured as 4.0 µm for non-irradiated samples, and 6.3 µm after irradiation to Φeq = 7.2 × 1015 cm−2.

Abstract The Large Hadron Collider at CERN will undergo an upgrade in order to increase its luminosity to 7.5 × 10 34 cm -2 s -1 . The increased luminosity during this High-Luminosity running phase, starting around 2029, means a higher rate of proton-proton interactions, hence a larger ionizing dose and particle fluence for the detectors. The current tracking system of the CMS experiment will be fully replaced in order to cope with the new operating conditions. Prototype planar pixel sensors for the CMS Inner Tracker with square 50 μm × 50 μm and rectangular 100 μm × 25 μm pixels read out by the RD53A chip were characterized in the lab and at the DESY-II testbeam facility in order to identify designs that meet the requirements of CMS during the High-Luminosity running phase. A spatial resolution of approximately 3.4 μm (2 μm) is obtained using the modules with 50 μm × 50 μm (100 μm × 25 μm) pixels at the optimal angle of incidence before irradiation. After irradiation to a 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence of Φ eq = 5.3 × 10 15 cm -2 , a resolution of 9.4 μm is achieved at a bias voltage of 800 V using a module with 50 μm × 50 μm pixel size. All modules retain a hit efficiency in excess of 99% after irradiation to fluences up to 2.1 × 10 16 cm -2 . Further studies of the electrical properties of the modules, especially crosstalk, are also presented in this paper.

A prototype of the AMS Cherenkov imager (RICH) has been tested by means of a low intensity 20GeV/c per nucleon ion beam coming from the fragmentation of a primary beam of Pb ions. Data have been collected for charges 1<Z<∼45 in various beam conditions and using different radiators. The charge Z and velocity β resolution have been of the prototype investigated.

The high instantaneous luminosities expected following the upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) pose major experimental challenges for the CMS experiment.A central component to allow efficient operation under these conditions is the reconstruction of charged particle trajectories and their inclusion in the hardwarebased trigger system.There are many challenges involved in achieving this: a large input data rate of about 20-40 Tb/s; processing a new batch of input data every 25 ns, each consisting of about 15,000 precise position measurements and rough transverse momentum measurements of particles ("stubs"); performing the pattern recognition on these stubs to find the trajectories; and producing the list of trajectory parameters within 4 µs.This paper describes a proposed solution to this problem, specifically, it presents a novel approach to pattern recognition and charged particle trajectory reconstruction using an all-FPGA solution.The results of an end-to-end demonstrator system, based on Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGAs, that meets timing and performance requirements are presented along with a further improved, optimized version of the algorithm together with its corresponding expected performance.

In March 2007 the assembly of the Silicon Strip Tracker was completed at the Tracker Integration Facility at CERN. Nearly 15% of the detector was instrumented using cables, fiber optics, power supplies, and electronics intended for the operation at the LHC. A local chiller was used to circulate the coolant for low temperature operation. In order to understand the efficiency and alignment of the strip tracker modules, a cosmic ray trigger was implemented. From March through July 4.5 million triggers were recorded. This period, referred to as the Sector Test, provided practical experience with the operation of the Tracker, especially safety, data acquisition, power, and cooling systems. This paper describes the performance of the strip system during the Sector Test, which consisted of five distinct periods defined by the coolant temperature. Significant emphasis is placed on comparisons between the data and results from Monte Carlo studies.

The results of the CMS tracker alignment analysis are presented using the data from cosmic tracks, optical survey information, and the laser alignment system at the Tracker Integration Facility at CERN. During several months of operation in the spring and summer of 2007, about five million cosmic track events were collected with a partially active CMS Tracker. This allowed us to perform first alignment of the active silicon modules with the cosmic tracks using three different statistical approaches; validate the survey and laser alignment system performance; and test the stability of Tracker structures under various stresses and temperatures ranging from +15 °C to −15 °C. Comparison with simulation shows that the achieved alignment precision in the barrel part of the tracker leads to residual distributions similar to those obtained with a random misalignment of 50 (80) μm RMS in the outer (inner) part of the barrel.

A new pixel detector for the CMS experiment was built in order to cope with the instantaneous luminosities anticipated for the Phase~I Upgrade of the LHC. The new CMS pixel detector provides four-hit tracking with a reduced material budget as well as new cooling and powering schemes. A new front-end readout chip mitigates buffering and bandwidth limitations, and allows operation at low comparator thresholds. In this paper, comprehensive test beam studies are presented, which have been conducted to verify the design and to quantify the performance of the new detector assemblies in terms of tracking efficiency and spatial resolution. Under optimal conditions, the tracking efficiency is $99.95\pm0.05\,\%$, while the intrinsic spatial resolutions are $4.80\pm0.25\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ and $7.99\pm0.21\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ along the $100\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ and $150\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ pixel pitch, respectively. The findings are compared to a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the pixel detector and good agreement is found.

During the high-luminosity phase of the LHC (HL-LHC), planned to start in 2027, the accelerator is expected to deliver an instantaneous peak luminosity of up to 7.5×1034 cm−2 s−1. A total integrated luminosity of 0300 or even 0400 fb−1 is foreseen to be delivered to the general purpose detectors ATLAS and CMS over a decade, thereby increasing the discovery potential of the LHC experiments significantly. The CMS detector will undergo a major upgrade for the HL-LHC, with entirely new tracking detectors consisting of an Outer Tracker and Inner Tracker. However, the new tracking system will be exposed to a significantly higher radiation than the current tracker, requiring new radiation-hard sensors. CMS initiated an extensive irradiation and measurement campaign starting in 2009 to systematically compare the properties of different silicon materials and design choices for the Outer Tracker sensors. Several test structures and sensors were designed and implemented on 18 different combinations of wafer materials, thicknesses, and production technologies. The devices were electrically characterized before and after irradiation with neutrons, and with protons of different energies, with fluences corresponding to those expected at different radii of the CMS Outer Tracker after 0300 fb−1. The tests performed include studies with β sources, lasers, and beam scans. This paper compares the performance of different options for the HL-LHC silicon sensors with a focus on silicon bulk material and thickness.

One of the proposed solutions for a transverse momentum (pT) based trigger at SLHC for the CMS experiment is based on the concept known as the "cluster width" approach, in which clusters produced by low pT tracks are rejected based on the width of the cluster shape, made either on a single strip sensor or a doublet of strip sensors by a suitable electronics logic at the level of the front-end. This information can then be used in many ways to provide first level trigger primitives. These kinds of modules are inexpensive, and coupled high-speed opto-electronic components this concept provides the simplest solution to the first level trigger for SLHC trackers. We will present the simulation studies aimed to optimize the concept, as well as the basic building blocks of the module and their connectivity. Finally we will provide the experimental validation of it by using data collected by the CMS Tracker during the Cosmic runs in 2008 and 2009 as well as the first collision data from the LHC.

A search is performed for the production of a massive W′ boson decaying to a top and a bottom quark. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb−1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$ TeV. The hadronic decay products of the top quark with high Lorentz boost from the W′ boson decay are detected as a single top flavoured jet. The use of jet substructure algorithms allows the top quark jet to be distinguished from standard model QCD background. Limits on the production cross section of a right-handed W′ boson are obtained, together with constraints on the left-handed and right-handed couplings of the W′ boson to quarks. The production of a right-handed W′ boson with a mass below 2.02 TeV decaying to a hadronic final state is excluded at 95% confidence level. This mass limit increases to 2.15 TeV when both hadronic and leptonic decays are considered, and is the most stringent lower mass limit to date in the tb decay mode.

A prototype of Proximity Focussing Ring Imaging Cherenkov counter has been built and tested with several radiator materials and configurations, including a dual radiator configuration, using separately cosmic-ray particles and 12C beam fragmentation products at several energies. Counter prototype and experimental setup are described, and the results of measurements are reported and compared with simulation results. The performances are discussed in the perspective of the final counter design.

The high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider, foreseen for 2026, necessitates the replacement of the CMS experiment’s silicon tracker. The innermost layer of the new pixel detector will be exposed to severe radiation, corresponding to a 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence of up to $$\Phi _{eq} = 2 \times 10^{16}$$ cm $$^{-2}$$ , and an ionising dose of $${\approx } 5$$ MGy after an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb $$^{-1}$$ . Thin, planar silicon sensors are good candidates for this application, since the degradation of the signal produced by traversing particles is less severe than for thicker devices. In this paper, the results obtained from the characterisation of 100 and 200 $$\upmu $$ m thick p-bulk pad diodes and strip sensors irradiated up to fluences of $$\Phi _{eq} = 1.3 \times 10^{16}$$ cm $$^{-2}$$ are shown.

A new CMS Tracker is under development for operation at the High Luminosity LHC from 2026 onwards. It includes an outer tracker based on dedicated modules that will reconstruct short track segments, called stubs, using spatially coincident clusters in two closely spaced silicon sensor layers. These modules allow the rejection of low transverse momentum track hits and reduce the data volume before transmission to the first level trigger. The inclusion of tracking information in the trigger decision is essential to limit the first level trigger accept rate. A customized front-end readout chip, the CMS Binary Chip (CBC), containing stub finding logic has been designed for this purpose. A prototype module, equipped with the CBC chip, has been constructed and operated for the first time in a 4 GeV/c positron beam at DESY. The behaviour of the stub finding was studied for different angles of beam incidence on a module, which allows an estimate of the sensitivity to transverse momentum within the future CMS detector. A sharp transverse momentum threshold around 2 GeV/c was demonstrated, which meets the requirement to reject a large fraction of low momentum tracks present in the LHC environment on-detector. This is the first realistic demonstration of a silicon tracking module that is able to select data, based on the particle's transverse momentum, for use in a first level trigger at the LHC . The results from this test are described here.

The analysis of the LHC data at the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment requires the production of a large number of simulated events. During the RunI of LHC (20102012), CMS has produced over 12 Billion simulated events, organized in approximately sixty different campaigns each emulating specific detector conditions and LHC running conditions (pile up). In order to aggregate the information needed for the configuration and prioritization of the events production, assure the book-keeping of all the processing requests placed by the physics analysis groups, and to interface with the CMS production infrastructure, the web- based service Monte Carlo Management (McM) has been developed and put in production in 2013. McM is based on recent server infrastructure technology (CherryPy + AngularJS) and relies on a CouchDB database back-end. This contribution covers the one and half year of operational experience managing samples of simulated events for CMS, the evolution of its functionalities and the extension of its capability to monitor the status and advancement of the events production.

Abstract Depending on various assumptions on the energy scale of inflation and assuming a primordial power spectrum of a step‐like structure, we explore new possibilities for Primordial Black Holes (PBH) and Planck relics to contribute substantially to Cold Dark Matter in the Universe. A recently proposed possibility to produce Planck relics in four‐dimensional string gravity is considered in this framework. Possible experimental detection of PBHs through gravitational waves is also explored. We stress that inflation with a low energy scale, and also possibly when Planck relics are produced, leads unavoidably to relics originating from PBHs that are not effectively classical during their formation, rendering the usual formalism inadequate for them.

In 2017 a new pixel detector was installed in the CMS detector. This so-called Phase-1 pixel detector features four barrel layers in the central region and three disks per end in the forward regions. The upgraded pixel detector requires an upgraded data acquisition (DAQ) system to accept a new data format and larger event sizes. A new DAQ and control system has been developed based on a combination of custom and commercial microTCA parts. Custom mezzanine cards on standard carrier cards provide a front-end driver for readout, and two types of front-end controller for configuration and the distribution of clock and trigger signals. Before the installation of the detector the DAQ system underwent a series of integration tests, including readout of the pilot pixel detector, which was constructed with prototype Phase-1 electronics and operated in CMS from 2015 to 2016, quality assurance of the CMS Phase-1 detector during its assembly, and testing with the CMS Central DAQ. This paper describes the Phase-1 pixel DAQ and control system, along with the integration tests and results. A description of the operational experience and performance in data taking is included.

Experience at high luminosity hadrons collider experiments shows that tracking information enhances the trigger rejection capabilities while retaining high efficiency for interesting physics events. The design of a tracking based trigger for the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) is an extremely challenging task, and requires the identification of high-momentum particle tracks as a part of the Level 1 Trigger. Simulation studies show that this can be achieved by correlating hits on two closely spaced silicon strip sensors, and reconstructing tracks at L1 by employing an Associative Memory approach. The progresses on the design and development of this micro-strip stacked prototype modules and the performance of few prototype detectors will be presented. Preliminary results of a simulated tracker layout equipped with stacked modules are discussed in terms of pT resolution and triggering capabilities. Finally, a discussion on the L1 architecture will be given.

Abstract The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN will undergo major upgrades to increase the instantaneous luminosity up to 5–7.5×10 34 cm -2 s -1 . This High Luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL-LHC) will deliver a total of 3000–4000 fb -1 of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13–14 TeV. To cope with these challenging environmental conditions, the strip tracker of the CMS experiment will be upgraded using modules with two closely-spaced silicon sensors to provide information to include tracking in the Level-1 trigger selection. This paper describes the performance, in a test beam experiment, of the first prototype module based on the final version of the CMS Binary Chip front-end ASIC before and after the module was irradiated with neutrons. Results demonstrate that the prototype module satisfies the requirements, providing efficient tracking information, after being irradiated with a total fluence comparable to the one expected through the lifetime of the experiment.

A prototype of the AMS Cherenkov imager (RICH) has been tested at CERN by means of a low intensity 20 GeV/c per nucleon ion beam obtained by fragmentation of a primary beam of Pb ions. Data have been collected with a single beam setting, over the range of nuclear charges 2

The fluxes of light antinuclei A⩽ 4 induced near earth by Cosmic Ray (CR) interactions with the interstellar matter (ISM) in the Galaxy are calculated in a phenomenological framework. The hadronic production cross‐section for antinucleons is based on a recent parametrization of a wide set of accelerator data. The production of light nuclei is calculated using coalescence models. The non annihilating inelastic scattering process for the antideuterons is discussed and taken into account for the first time via a more realistic procedure than used so far for antiprotons.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment to be installed on the International Space Station will be equipped with a Proximity Focusing Ring Imaging Cerenkov detector for ion identification. A prototype (2nd generation) has been constructed, which performances have been evaluated both with Cosmic Ray particles and beam ions. A test bench (PMT and Front End Electronics selection) was developed for the testing of the photodetector modules of the flight model. It is described in this contribution.

Abstract The Short Strip ASIC (SSA) is one of the four front-end chips designed for the upgrade of the CMS Outer Tracker for the High Luminosity LHC. Together with the Macro-Pixel ASIC (MPA) it will instrument modules containing a strip and a macro-pixel sensor stacked on top of each other. The SSA provides both full readout of the strip hit information when triggered, and, together with the MPA, correlated clusters called stubs from the two sensors for use by the CMS Level-1 (L1) trigger system. Results from the first prototype module consisting of a sensor and two SSA chips are presented. The prototype module has been characterized at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility using a 120 GeV proton beam.

Gamma-rays are, with antiprotons, a very efficient way to derive upper limits on the density of evaporating black holes. They have been successfully used in the last decades to severely constrain the amount of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) in our Universe. This article suggests a little refinement, based on the expected background, to improve this limit by a factor of three. The resulting value is : Omega_PBH &lt; 3.3E-9.

Gamma-rays are, with antiprotons, a very efficient way to derive upper limits on the density of evaporating black holes. They have been successfully used in the last decades to severely constrain the amount of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) in our Universe. This article suggests a little refinement, based on the expected background, to improve this limit by a factor of three. The resulting value is : ΩPBH < 3.3× 10−9.

A prototype of the AMS Cherenkov imager (RICH) has been tested at CERN by means of a low intensity 20 GeV/c per nucleon ion beam obtained by fragmentation of a primary beam of Pb ions. Data have been collected with a single beam setting, over the range of nuclear charges 2

A search for massive resonances decaying to a Z boson and a photon is performed in events with a hadronically decaying Z boson candidate, separately in light-quark and b quark decay modes, identified using jet substructure and advanced b tagging techniques. Results are based on samples of proton-proton collisions collected with the CMS detector at the LHC at center-of-mass energies of 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 19.7 and 2.7 inverse femtobarns, respectively. The results of the search are combined with those of a similar search in the leptonic decay modes of the Z boson, based on the same data sets. Spin-0 resonances with various widths and with masses in a range between 0.2 and 3.0 TeV are considered. No significant excess is observed either in the individual analyses or the combination. The results are presented in terms of upper limits on the production cross section of such resonances and constitute the most stringent limits to date for a wide range of masses.

The inelastic hadronic cross section in proton-lead collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV is measured with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 12.6 +/- 0.4 inverse nanobarns, has been collected with an unbiased trigger for inclusive particle production. The cross section is obtained from the measured number of proton-lead collisions with hadronic activity produced in the pseudorapidity ranges 3<abs(eta)<5 and/or -5<abs(eta)<-3, corrected for photon-induced contributions, experimental acceptance, and other instrumental effects. The inelastic cross section is measured to be sigma[inel,pPb]=2061 +/- 3 (stat) +/- 34 (syst) +/- 72 (lum) mb. Various Monte Carlo generators, commonly used in heavy ion and cosmic ray physics, are found to reproduce the data within uncertainties. The value of sigma[inel,pPb] is compatible with that expected from the proton-proton cross section at 5.02 TeV scaled up within a simple Glauber approach to account for multiple scatterings in the lead nucleus, indicating that further net nuclear corrections are small.

Small black holes should have formed in the early Universe if the density contrast was high enough. This article aims at giving a - biased and partial - short overview of the latest breakthroughs in this field. It first deals with tentative experimental detections thanks to gamma-rays and cosmic-rays. Primordial black holes (PBHs) are then considered as probes of the very small cosmological scales, far beyond any other classical observable. Finally, some possible "new physics" effects are considered, especially in the framework of higher dimensions.

A measurement of the ttbar production cross section at sqrt(s)=13 TeV is presented using proton-proton collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. Final states with one isolated charged lepton (electron or muon) and at least one jet are selected and categorized according to the accompanying jet multiplicity. From a likelihood fit to the invariant mass distribution of the isolated lepton and a jet identified as coming from the hadronization of a bottom quark, the cross section is measured to be sigma(ttbar)= 835 +/- 3 (stat) +/- 23 (syst) +/- 23 (lum) pb, in agreement with the standard model prediction. Using the expected dependence of the cross section on the pole mass of the top quark (m[t]), the value of m[t] is found to be 172.7+2.4-2.7 GeV.

The two CMS Tracker End-Caps (TECs) consist of nine disks each, totalling 6400 silicon modules mounted on 288 intermediate sub-structures: the “petals”, a carbon fiber plated honeycomb support which carries up to 28 modules arranged in seven radial rings. One of the TECs has been integrated at CERN by IPN Lyon, while the second one was assembled in RWTH-Aachen I. This contribution describes in detail the integration procedures, including: the qualification of petals before insertion, the sector by sector (18 petals) mechanical integration inside the TEC structure and the commissioning at room temperature and in the cold at -20∘. The problems encountered during the whole assembly procedure and their solutions will be reported as well as the final performance of the two TECs. Both are now integrated in the CMS Tracker tube together with the Inner and Outer Barrel part. We will show the noise performance obtained under these conditions.

Abstract We present a flexible and scalable approach to address the challenges of charged particle track reconstruction in real-time event filters (Level-1 triggers) in collider physics experiments. The method described here is based on a full-mesh architecture for data distribution and relies on the Associative Memory approach to implement a pattern recognition algorithm that quickly identifies and organizes hits associated to trajectories of particles originating from particle collisions. We describe a successful implementation of a demonstration system composed of several innovative hardware and algorithmic elements. The implementation of a full-size system relies on the assumption that an Associative Memory device with the sufficient pattern density becomes available in the future, either through a dedicated ASIC or a modern FPGA. We demonstrate excellent performance in terms of track reconstruction efficiency, purity, momentum resolution, and processing time measured with data from a simulated LHC-like tracking detector.

We report on the performance of the (alpha magnetic spectrometer) AMS Cerenkov counter prototype under a beam of light ions at CERN SPS. In particular the efficiency to determine the velocity and the charge of the incoming particles is studied for different radiators.

The production and propagation of light antimatter nuclei has been calculated using inclusive antiproton production cross sections from a new data analysis, and coalescence models for the production of composite particles. Particles were propagated using recently proven phenomenological approaches. The atmospheric secondary flux is evaluated for the first time. The Galactic flux obtained are larger than those obtained previously in similar calculations. The non-annihilating scattering contributions of the propagated particles are introduced. The preliminary results are shown and discussed.

L'experience AMS sera mise en orbite a partir de 2006 pour une duree de 3 ans afin d'etudier le rayonnement cosmique et d'ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives pour la recherche d'antimatiere et de matiere noire. Cette these presente d'abord le travail mene pour les developpements du detecteur Tcherenkov (RICH) d'AMS qui conduira a une mesure precise de la vitesse et de la charge des particules le traversant. Nous exposons le choix des photodetecteurs, les tests de l'electronique, les caracteristiques generales du compteur ainsi que la mise en oeuvre de l'analyse des donnees obtenues avec deux prototypes (incluant des mesures au CERN). La seconde partie du travail est consacree a l'etude theorique du rayonnement cosmique et d'un signal exotique potentiel pour AMS : les trous noirs en evaporation. Les consequences astrophysiques, cosmologiques et gravitationnelles de l'existence de ces objets sont considerees en details.

Some aspects of Cosmology with primordial black holes are briefly reviewed

The production and propagation of light antimatter nuclei p, d, t, 3 He, 4 He has been calculated using inclusive p production cross sections from a new data analysis, and coalescence models for the production of composite particles. Particles were propagated using recently proven phenomenological approaches. The atmospheric secondary flux is evaluated for the first time. The Galactic flux obtained are larger than those obtained previously in similar calculations. The non-annihilating scattering contributions of the propagated particles are introduced. The preliminary results are shown and discussed.

The AMS spectrometer will be installed at the International Space Station in 2005. Among other improvements over the first version of the instrument, a ring imaging Cherenkov detector will be added and should open a new window for cosmic-ray physics, allowing isotope separation up to A≈25 between 1 and 10GeV/c and element identification up to Z≈25 between threshold and 1TeV/c/nucleon. It should also contribute to the high level of redundancy required for AMS and reject efficiency albedo particles. A second generation prototype has been operated for a few months: the architecture and the first results are presented.

The AMS spectrometer will be installed on the International Space Station at the end of 2003. Among other improvements over the first version of the instrument, a ring imaging Cherenkov detector (RICH) will be added which latter should open a new window for cosmic-ray physics, allowing isotope separation up to A~25 between 1 and 10 GeV/c and elements identification up to Z~25 between threshold and 1 TeV/c/nucleon. It should also contribute to the high level of redundancy required for AMS and reject efficiency albedo particles. The results of the first generation prototype and the expected results of the new one are discussed.