Optimizing Tracking Software for a Time Projection Chamber

Authors

Wilson H. Howe, University of Arkansas at Little RockFollow
Christine A. Byrd, University of Arkansas at Little RockFollow
Amber D. Climer, University of Arkansas at Little RockFollow
Wilfred J. Braithwaite, University of Arkansas at Little RockFollow
Jeffrey T. Mitchell, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Abstract

International research collaborations will be using accelerators in the U.S. and Europe to produce and detect t5 phase transition in high-density nuclear matter called the Quark-Gluon Plasma, formed in collisions between pairs of A=200 nuclei, for projectiles with kinetic energies large compared to their rest mass energies. Each collaboration will use time projection chambers (TPC) to track thousands ofsecondary charged particles formed in the aftermath ofeach central primary collision. Creating and optimizing TPC tracking software is difficultinsuch a high multiplicity environment, particularly for particles with a low momentum (below 300 MeV/C). A thigh momenta, energy loss is low enough for particle-tracking to use unchanging helix parameters. However, at low momenta, tracking requires changing helix parameters as energy is lost along the path. Tracking software, written for particles of high momenta, may identify the track of a single low momentum particle as two or three separate tracks. This tracking problem was corrected by changing the main tracking algorithm to merge together these two-or-three fragmented, low-momentum particle tracks. Event displays were found exceedingly helpful in diagnosing the problems and optimizing the algorithms.

Recommended Citation

Howe, Wilson H.; Byrd, Christine A.; Climer, Amber D.; Braithwaite, Wilfred J.; and Mitchell, Jeffrey T. (1995) "Optimizing Tracking Software for a Time Projection Chamber," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 49, Article 18.

Available at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol49/iss1/18