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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2009

Low Cost Rapid Response Spacecraft, (LCRRS): A Research Project in Low Cost Spacecraft Design and Fabrication in a Rapid Prototyping Environment

The Low Cost Rapid Response Spacecraft (LCRRS) is an ongoing research development project at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, California. The prototype spacecraft, called Cost Optimized Test for Spacecraft Avionics and Technologies (COTSAT) is the first of what could potentially be a series of rapidly produced low-cost satellites. COTSAT has a target launch date of March 2009 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The LCRRS research system design incorporates use of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf), MOTS (Modified Off The Shelf), and GOTS (Government Off The Shelf) hardware for a remote sensing satellite. The design concept was baselined to support a 0.5 meter Ritchey-Chretien telescope payload. This telescope and camera system is expected to achieve 1.5 meter/pixel resolution. The COTSAT team is investigating the possibility of building a fully functional spacecraft for $500,000 parts and $2,000,000 labor. Cost is dramatically reduced by using a sealed container, housing the bus and payload subsystems. Some electrical and RF designs were improved/upgraded from GeneSat-1 heritage systems. The project began in January 2007 and has yielded two functional test platforms. It is expected that a flight-qualified unit will be finished in December 2008. Flight quality controls are in place on the parts and materials used in this development with the aim of using them to finish a proto-flight satellite. For LEO missions the team is targeting a mission class requiring a minimum of six months lifetime or more. The system architecture incorporates several design features required by high reliability missions. This allows for a true skunk works environment to rapidly progress toward a flight design. Engineering and fabrication is primarily done in-house at NASA Ames with flight certifications on materials. The team currently employs seven Full Time Equivalent employees. The success of COTSATs small team in this effort can be attributed to highly cross trained engineering team. The engineers on the team are capable of functioning in two to three engineering disciplines which allows highly efficient interdisciplinary engineering collaboration. NASA Ames is actively proposing mission concepts to use the COTSAT platform to accomplish science. If the COTSAT team validates this approach, it will allow the possibility for remote sensing missions to produce a high science yield for minimal cost and reduced schedule. Another aim of this approach is to yield an accelerated pathway from a Phase A study to mission launch. Leaders in the aerospace industry have shown interest in this methodology. Several visits and tours have been given in the lab. Although the concept of low-cost development is initially met with skepticism from some within the prohibitive aerospace industry, the project's efforts have been highly praised for the accomplishments met within a limited time and budget. Overall the development has progressed tremendously well and the team is answering critical questions for current and future low-cost small satellite developments. COTSAT subsystems are not limited to a specific weight class and could be adapted to produce smaller platforms and to fit various launch vehicles.

Spremo, Stevan↗

DOE OSTI2022

Building Initial Dynamic System Models for Digital Twins of the Cryogenic Moderator System at the ORNL Spallation Neutron Source

This work describes the initial development of dynamic system models of the cryogenic moderator system (CMS) of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at ORNL as a part of the ORNL LDRD funded project Building TRANSFORM to Accelerate Digital Twin Applications for Nuclear Systems, LOIS 10563. The goal of the work is to start the dynamic system modeling effort with the end goal of using them for real-time applications as digital twins. The CMS is a cryogenic liquid hydrogen flow loop that provides moderation of the neutrons that are generated by the SNS. For optimal neutron production, the CMS needs to maintain a steady and controlled density of cryogenic hydrogen in the moderator section thus requiring precise temperature and pressure control. Due to the varied time scales and system characteristics, control of the system is complex, and diagnostics are also difficult. Difficulty in accessing the flow loop during operations, limited instrumentation and unknown design details of the equipment combine to make the case for having sophisticated digital twin models of the system. Operationally the CMS also provides a strong use case for digital twins due to the constant need of optimization and for troubleshooting/diagnostics. The large amount of data collected which are freely available for using in building the model and verifying and validating the model also makes it a great candidate for a proof-of-concept for digital twins. The project extends ORNL's capacity of development and implementation of the open-source dynamic system modeling tool TRANSFORM for engineering design and digital twin/real-time applications. Specific system configuration data for the CMS have been gathered and an initial dynamic model was created in the TRANSFORM library using Dymola as the solution platform. Models of increasing complexity are created to demonstrate the need for a multi-layered approach in digital twin modeling depending on the scale and phenomena being focused on. The dynamic modeling is shown to bring the dynamic operational aspects to the design process for systems as well as serve as a digital twin to the hardware and allow for models to be tuned and compared against real time operational data. These aims should help to push forward strategic goals of application of digital twins and increase the impact of ORNL systems modeling capabilities with TRANSFORM/Modelica for various advanced energy systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS2017

Low and High-Power Inductive Pulsed Plasma Thruster Development Testing at NASA-MSFC

The inductive pulsed plasma thruster (IPPT) is an electromagnetic plasma accelerator that has been identified in NASA roadmaps as an enabling propulsion technology for some niche low-power missions and for high-power in-space propulsion needs. The IPPT is an electrodeless space propulsion device where a capacitor is charged to an initial voltage and then discharged producing a high current pulse through a coil. The field produced by this pulse ionizes propellant, inductively driving current in a plasma located near the face of the coil. Once the plasma is formed it can be accelerated and expelled at a high exhaust velocity by the electromagnetic Lorentz body force arising from the interaction of the induced plasma current and the magnetic field produced by the current in the coil. Thrusters of this type possess many demonstrated and potential benefits that make them worthy of continued investigation. The electrodeless nature of these thrusters eliminates the lifetime and contamination issues associated with electrode erosion in conventional electric thrusters. Also, a wider variety of propellants are accessible when compatibility with metallic electrodes in no longer an issue. IPPTs have been successfully operated using propellants like ammonia, hydrazine, and CO2, and there is no fundamental reason why they would not operate on other in situ propellants like H2O. It is well-known that pulsed accelerators can maintain constant specific impulse (I(sub sp)) and thrust efficiency (eta(sub t)) over a wide range of input power levels by adjusting the pulse rate to hold the discharge energy per pulse constant. It has also been demonstrated that an inductive pulsed plasma thruster can operate in a regime where eta(sub t) is relatively constant over a wide range of I(sub sp) values (3000-8000 s). Finally, thrusters in this class have operated in single-pulse mode at high energy per pulse, and by increasing the pulse rate they offer the potential to process very high levels of power using a single thruster. There has been significant previous research on IPPTs designed around a planar-coil (flat-plate) geometry. The most notable of these was the Pulsed Inductive Thruster (PIT), with the PIT MkV presently representing the state-of- the-art in pulsed high-power IPPT technological development. In this paper, we focus on two planar-geometry devices that operate at significantly different power levels. Most work performed at NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has, to date, focused on lower power thruster operation (approx. = 10s to 100s of J/pulse, up to 2-2.5 kW average power throughput) and previously described. The most recent work aimed to assemble a device that could be tested in cyclic mode on a thrust-stand, and which could augment the existing data set for IPPTs. In addition, the thruster was designed to serve as a test-bed for solid state switching circuitry and pulsed gas valves, with the modular design of the device allowing for variation in or upgrades to test configuration. Recently, MSFC obtained on loan from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA) the PIT MkVI, successor to the PIT MkV. The MkV and MkVI are similar in design with much of the hardware from the former, specifically the capacitors and spark-gap switches, being reused in the latter. The coil is similar in geometry but has bent copper rods used in the latest iteration in place of the Litz wire windings found in the MkV. The MkVI master switch for the spark gaps is located in the vacuum chamber contained within a sealed, pressurized vessel fastened to the back of the thruster. This is different from the MkV where many capacitor charging lines and spark gap-triggering delay lines ran to the thruster from a master trigger located outside the vacuum chamber. The MkVI was damaged during testing soon after its fabrication was completed. The thruster arrived at MSFC still-damaged and mostly disassembled into many individual pieces. The device has been repaired, with a few additional design changes implemented after discussions with the late Prof. Lovberg regarding the initial testing results and issues encountered. In the present work, we present results from testing of both the small IPPT and the larger MkVI thruster. The smaller device (Fig. 1) is tested on a thrust stand on multiple gases to demonstrate its capability to operate in a repetition-rate mode and serve as a IPPT technology-development testbed. The larger MkVI (Fig. 2) is operated for the first time in its newly reconstituted state, demonstrating full-power pulsed operation and, for the first time, repetition-rate operation of a high-power IPPT. The additional upgrades required for synchronous operation of all the pulsed systems in single-pulse and repetition-rate mode are described in detail.

Polzin, Kurt A.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Inductive Pulsed Plasma Thruster Development Testing at NASA-MSFC

The inductive pulsed plasma thruster (IPPT) is an electromagnetic plasma accelerator that has been identified in NASA roadmaps as an enabling propulsion technology for some niche low-power missions and for high-power in-space propulsion needs. The IPPT is an electrodeless space propulsion device where a capacitor is charged to an initial voltage and then discharged producing a high current pulse through a coil. The field produced by this pulse ionizes propellant, inductively driving current in a plasma located near the face of the coil. Once the plasma is formed it can be accelerated and expelled at a high exhaust velocity by the electromagnetic Lorentz body force arising from the interaction of the induced plasma current and the magnetic field produced by the current in the coil. Thrusters of this type possess many demonstrated and potential benefits that make them worthy of continued investigation. The electrodeless nature of these thrusters eliminates the lifetime and contamination issues associated with electrode erosion in conventional electric thrusters. Also, a wider variety of propellants are accessible when compatibility with metallic electrodes in no longer an issue. IPPTs have been successfully operated using propellants like ammonia, hydrazine, and CO2, and there is no fundamental reason why they would not operate on other in situ propellants like H2O. It is well-known that pulsed accelerators can maintain constant specific impulse (I(sub sp)) and thrust efficiency (η(sub t)) over a wide range of input power levels by adjusting the pulse rate to hold the discharge energy per pulse constant. It has also been demonstrated that an inductive pulsed plasma thruster can operate in a regime where η(sub t) is relatively constant over a wide range of I(sub sp) values (3000-8000 s). Finally, thrusters in this class have operated in single-pulse mode at high energy per pulse, and by increasing the pulse rate they offer the potential to process very high levels of power using a single thruster. There has been significant previous research on IPPTs designed around a planar-coil (flat-plate) geometry. The most notable of these was the Pulsed Inductive Thruster (PIT), with the PIT MkV presently representing the state of- the-art in pulsed high-power IPPT technological development. In this paper, we focus on two planar-geometry devices that operate at significantly different power levels. Most work performed at NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has, to date, focused on lower power thruster operation (≈ 10s to 100s of J/pulse, up to 2-2.5 kW average power throughput) and previously described in Refs. [5,6]. The most recent work aimed to assemble a device that could be tested in cyclic mode on a thrust-stand, and which could augment the existing data set for IPPTs. In addition, the thruster was designed to serve as a test-bed for solid state switching circuitry and pulsed gas valves, with the modular design of the device allowing for variation in or upgrades to test configuration. Recently, MSFC obtained on loan from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA) the PIT MkVI, successor to the PIT MkV. The MkV and MkVI are similar in design with much of the hardware from the former, specifically the capacitors and spark-gap switches, being reused in the latter. The coil is simliar in geometry but has bent copper rods used in the latest iteration in place of the Litz wire windings found in the MkV. The MkVI master switch for the spark gaps is located in the vacuum chamber contained within a sealed, pressurized vessel fastened to the back of the thruster. This is different from the MkV where many capacitor charging lines and spark gap-triggering delay lines ran to the thruster from a master trigger located outside the vacuum chamber. The MkVI was damaged during testing soon after its fabrication was completed. The thruster arrived at MSFC still-damaged and mostly disassembled into many individual pieces. The device has been repaired, with a few additional design changes implemented after discussions with the late Prof. Lovberg regarding the initial testing results and issues encountered.

Polzin, Kurt A.↗

NASA NTRS2018

NASA Additive Manufacturing Initiatives for Deep Space Human Exploration

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is being infused into aerospace industries at an accelerated pace. Reasons for this rapid adoption include: (1) Innovation Capability e.g. design features such as topology optimization, integrated fluid passages, and mesh structures; (2) Rapid Development and Optimization - ability to quickly iterate the design, development, and test cycle; (3) Affordability - reductions in part counts, cost, and schedule. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has taken a leadership role in application of AM technologies for deep space human exploration, leading the Agency's In Space Manufacturing (ISM) initiative and the application of AM for a broad variety of space propulsion systems. MSFC has championed the development of ISM capabilities since our first reduced-gravity aircraft experiment flew in 1999. Partnering with Made In Space, MSFC placed the first 3D Printer on ISS in 2014 and the second generation printer, the Additive Manufacturing Facility, in 2016. The next ISS technology demonstration will be the Refabricator, a recycler/basic printer scheduled to launch in late Fall 2018. Ground-based development is progressing in common use materials, metals 3D printing, printed electronics, and the new cornerstone of ISM, the FabLab. The latest developments in each area will be described. An overview of NASA's In Space Robotic Manufacturing and Assembly (IRMA) ground-based risk reduction projects will also be presented. MSFC has aggressively incorporated AM capabilities for design and development of space propulsion components. The capabilities have been rapidly matured and extensively exercised to produce and hot-fire test the Additive Manufacturing Demonstrator Engine, an in-space class prototype engine. This experience base has been extended to support Aerojet Rocketdyne in the application of AM to the RS-25, the Space Launch System Core Stage engine, and to small propulsion systems and thrusters for small satellites and cubesats. The latest developments will be described. In responding to a request from NASA's Commercial Crew Program for a consistent methodology for evaluation of AM processes and parts, MSFC began development of a draft standard for AM space flight hardware in late 2014. The draft was broadly disseminated for comments in mid-2015, and subsequently revised into two documents, a standard and a specification for AM space flight hardware, which were formally released by MSFC in October 2017. An overview of the key elements of these documents will be presented.

Clinton, Raymond↗

NASA NTRS2005

CFD Multiphysics Tool

The recent bold initiatives to expand the human presence in space require innovative approaches to the design of propulsion systems whose underlying technology is not yet mature. The space propulsion community has identified a number of candidate concepts. A short list includes solar sails, high-energy-density chemical propellants, electric and electromagnetic accelerators, solar-thermal and nuclear-thermal expanders. For each of these, the underlying physics are relatively well understood. One could easily cite authoritative texts, addressing both the governing equations, and practical solution methods for, e.g. electromagnetic fields, heat transfer, radiation, thermophysics, structural dynamics, particulate kinematics, nuclear energy, power conversion, and fluid dynamics. One could also easily cite scholarly works in which complete equation sets for any one of these physical processes have been accurately solved relative to complex engineered systems. The Advanced Concepts and Analysis Office (ACAO), Space Transportation Directorate, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, has recently released the first alpha version of a set of computer utilities for performing the applicable physical analyses relative to candidate deep-space propulsion systems such as those listed above. PARSEC, Preliminary Analysis of Revolutionary in-Space Engineering Concepts, enables rapid iterative calculations using several physics tools developed in-house. A complete cycle of the entire tool set takes about twenty minutes. PARSEC is a level-zero/level-one design tool. For PARSEC s proof-of-concept, and preliminary design decision-making, assumptions that significantly simplify the governing equation sets are necessary. To proceed to level-two, one wishes to retain modeling of the underlying physics as close as practical to known applicable first principles. This report describes results of collaboration between ACAO, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), to begin building a set of level-two design tools for PARSEC. The "CFD Multiphysics Tool" will be the propulsive element of the tool set. The name acknowledges that space propulsion performance assessment is primarily a fluid mechanics problem. At the core of the CFD Multiphysics Tool is an open-source CFD code, HYP, under development at ERAU. ERAU is renowned for its undergraduate degree program in Aerospace Engineering the largest in the nation. The strength of the program is its applications-oriented curriculum, which culminates in one of three two-course Engineering Design sequences: Aerospace Propulsion, Spacecraft, or Aircraft. This same philosophy applies to the HYP Project, albeit with fluid physics modeling commensurate with graduate research. HYP s purpose, like the Multiphysics Tool s, is to enable calculations of real (three-dimensional; geometrically complex; intended for hardware development) applications of high speed and propulsive fluid flows.

Perrell, Eric R.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Work on Planetary Atmospheres and Planetary Atmosphere Probes

A summary final report of work accomplished is presented. Work was performed in the following areas: (1) Galileo Probe science analysis, (2) Galileo probe Atmosphere Structure Instrument, (3) Mars Pathfinder Atmosphere Structure/Meteorology instrument, (4) Mars Pathfinder data analysis, (5) Science Definition for future Mars missions, (6) Viking Lander data analysis, (7) winds in Mars atmosphere Venus atmospheric dynamics, (8) Pioneer Venus Probe data analysis, (9) Pioneer Venus anomaly analysis, (10) Discovery Venus Probe Titan probe instrument design, and (11) laboratory studies of Titan probe impact phenomena. The work has resulted in more than 10 articles published in archive journals, 2 encyclopedia articles, and many working papers. This final report is organized around the four planets on which there was activity, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Titan, with a closing section on Miscellaneous Activities. A major objective was to complete the fabrication, test, and evaluation of the atmosphere structure experiment on the Galileo probe, and to receive, analyze and interpret data received from the spacecraft. The instrument was launched on April 14, 1989. Calibration data were taken for all experiment sensors. The data were analyzed, fitted with algorithms, and summarized in a calibration report for use in analyzing and interpreting data returned from Jupiter's atmosphere. The sensors included were the primary science pressure, temperature and acceleration sensors, and the supporting engineering temperature sensors. Computer programs were written to decode the Experiment Data Record and convert the digital numbers to physical quantities, i.e., temperatures, pressures, and accelerations. The project office agreed to obtain telemetry of checkout data from the probe. Work to extend programs written for use on the Pioneer Venus project included: (1) massive heat shield ablation leading to important mass loss during entry; and (2) rapid planet rotation, which introduced terms of motion not needed on Venus. When the Galileo Probe encountered Jupiter, analysis and interpretation of data commenced. The early contributions of the experiment were to define (1) the basic structure of the deep atmosphere, (2) the stability of the atmosphere, (3) the upper atmospheric profiles of density, pressure, and temperature. The next major task in the Galileo Probe project was to refine, verify and extend the analysis of the data. It was the verified, and corrected data, which indicated a dry abiabatic atmosphere within measurement accuracy. Temperature in the thermosphere was measured at 900 K. Participation in the Mars atmospheric research included: (1) work as a team member of the Mars Atmosphere Working Group, (2) contribution to the Mars Exobiology Instrument workshop, (3) asssistance in planning the Mars global network and (4) assitance in planning the Soviet-French Mars mission in 1994. This included a return to the Viking Lander parachute data to refine and improve the definition of winds between 1.5 and 4 kilometer altitude at the two entry sites. The variability of the structure of Mars atmosphere was addressed, which is known to vary with season, latitude, hemisphere and dust loading of the atmosphere. This led to work on the Pathfinder project. The probe had a deployable meteorology mast that had three temperature sensors, and a wind sensor at the tip of the mast. Work on the Titan atmospheric probe was also accomplished. This included developing an experiment proposal to the European Space Agency (ESA), which was not selected. However, as an advisor in the design and preparation of the selected experiment the researcher interacted with scientist on the Huygens Probe Atmosphere Structure Experiment. The researcher also participated in the planning for the Venus Chemical Probe. The science objectives of the probe were to resolve unanswered questions concerning the minor species chemistry of Venus' atmosphere that control cloud formation, greenhouse effectiveness, and the thermal structure. The researcher also reviewed problems with the Pioneer Venus Probe, that caused anomalies which occurred on the Probes at and below 12.5 km level of the Venus' atmosphere. He convened and participated in a workshop that concluded the most likely hardware cause was insulation failure in the electrical harness outside the Probes' pressure vessels. It was discovered that the shrink tubing material failed at 600K. This failure could explain the anomalies experienced by the probes. The descent data of the Pioneer probes, and the Soviet Vega Lander was analyzed to evaluate the presence of small scale gravity waves in and below the Venus cloud layer.

Lester, Peter↗

DOE OSTI2025

Operation of the trigger system for the ICARUS detector at Fermilab

The ICARUS liquid argon TPC detector is taking data on the Booster (BNB) and Main Injector (NuMI) Neutrino beam lines at Fermilab with a trigger system based on the scintillation light produced by charged particles in coincidence with the proton beam extraction from the accelerators. The architecture and the deployment of the trigger system in the first two runs for physics are presented, as well as the triggered event rates. The event recognition efficiency has been evaluated as a function of the deposited energy and the position of cosmic muons stopping inside the detector.

Neutrino detectors↗

DOE OSTI2026

Constellation: The autonomous control and data acquisition system for dynamic experimental setups

The operation of instruments and detectors in laboratory or beamline environments presents a complex challenge, requiring stable operation of multiple concurrent devices, often controlled by separate hardware and software solutions. These environments frequently undergo modifications, such as the inclusion of different auxiliary devices depending on the experiment or facility, adding further complexity. The successful management of such dynamic configurations demands a flexible and robust system capable of controlling data acquisition, monitoring experimental setups, enabling seamless reconfiguration, and integrating new devices with limited effort. This paper presents Constellation, a flexible and network-distributed control and data acquisition software framework tailored to laboratory and beamline environments, that addresses the limitations of existing solutions. The framework is designed with a focus on extensibility, providing a streamlined interface for instrument integration. It supports efficient system setup via network discovery mechanisms, promotes stability through autonomous operational features, and provides comprehensive documentation and supporting tools for operators and application developers such as controllers and logging interfaces. At the core of the architectural design is the autonomy of the individual components, called satellites, which can make independent decisions about their operation and communicate these decisions to other components. This paper introduces the design principles and framework architecture of Constellation, presents the available graphical user interfaces, shares insights from initial successful deployments, and provides an outlook on future developments and applications.

Autonomy↗

DOE OSTI2024

Commissioning of the Mu2e tracker DAQ, planning for the Vertical Slice Test and pre-pattern recognition studies

The primary objective of the Mu2e experiment at Fermilab is to search for the neutrino-less coherent $\mu \rightarrow e$ conversion in the field of an aluminum nucleus ($\mu^- \text{Al} \rightarrow e^- \text{Al}$). The signature of this process is a monochromatic Conversion Electron (CE) with an energy of approximately 104.97 MeV \cite{bartoszek2015mu2e}. Within the Standard Model (SM), the branching ratio for this process, including neutrino masses and oscillation, is expected to be less than $\mathcal{O}(10^{-50})$. This value is far beyond current experimental capabilities. However, models of physics beyond the SM predict much higher relative rates, approaching an observable level. The SINDRUM II experiment set an upper limit on muon conversion at $7 \times 10^{-13}$ (90\% CL) on Au target \cite{SINDRUMII:2006dvw}, and the Mu2e collaboration aims to improve this limit by four orders of magnitude. Observing this process would provide a clear evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model. A brief discussion of the theoretical and experimental aspects is provided in Chapter \ref{intr}. Mu2e adopts a sophisticated experimental setup to achieve its goals, further described in Chapter \ref{mu2echapter}. The central part of the Mu2e detector is the tracker, that consists of 18 tracking stations. The tracker must provide excellent momentum resolution, approximately 1 MeV/c, to distinguish the monochromatic CE signal from the background. To minimize the energy losses, a straw tube tracker will be used \cite{bobbb}. Chapter \ref{chaptertrk} provides an overview of the straw tracker design and its working principles. This Thesis presents a comprehensive study of the Mu2e tracker, covering complementary aspects from initial commissioning to optimization and first steps of the calibration processes. My work at Fermilab has been focused on the complete Data Acquisition (DAQ) testing from both hardware and software perspectives. I was involved in the commissioning of the Mu2e DAQ system and the Vertical Slice Test (VST) of the tracker. The VST encompasses the entire testing chain, from the straws to the readout, and to processed data on disk. I was also focused on the offline analysis, especially on pre-pattern recognition studies, to explore the best methods for identifying $\delta$-electrons during the data taking. Chapter \ref{commissioning} details the commissioning of the tracker DAQ system, emphasizing the importance of understanding of the readout process before the data acquisition. This includes validating the readout logic and firmware through Monte Carlo simulations to confirm functionality and buffering, monitoring the quality of the data from the tracker preamplifiers and front-end electronics, and assessing overall DAQ performance to ensure reliability during future calibration and data-taking. Chapter \ref{planning} discusses the initial steps towards the tracker calibration. The ultimate goal is to perform a time calibration of the first assembled station of the tracker using cosmic muons, aiming for a longitudinal hit position resolution better than 4 cm. This involves determining the signal propagation times and channel-to-channel delays. I performed a Monte Carlo study to determine the impact of the station orientation on the quality of the calibration, in particular on the cosmic track reconstruction, focusing on potential biases that could arise. These studies provide essential insights into the operation, optimization, and calibration of the Mu2e tracker system. Given the high data volume expected during Mu2e operations, estimated at approximately 7 PBytes per year, optimizing memory usage and minimizing CPU consumption are critical. A significant challenge lies in effectively flagging $\delta$-electron hits, which are the primary source of hits in the tracker, without compromising the efficiency of CE hit detection and track reconstruction. A detailed study of pre-pattern recognition and a thorough comparison of two $\delta$-electron flagging algorithms is provided in Chapter \ref{delta}. In Chapter \ref{conclusions}, the findings are concisely summarized, offering a comprehensive synthesis of the research and emphasizing the key insights derived from this study.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2020

ATLAS data quality operations and performance for 2015–2018 data-taking

The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider reads out particle collision data from over 100 million electronic channels at a rate of approximately $100$ kHz, with a recording rate for physics events of approximately 1 kHz. Before being certified for physics analysis at computer centres worldwide, the data must be scrutinised to ensure they are clean from any hardware or software related issues that may compromise their integrity. Prompt identification of these issues permits fast action to investigate, correct and potentially prevent future such problems that could render the data unusable. This is achieved through the monitoring of detector-level quantities and reconstructed collision event characteristics at key stages of the data processing chain. This paper presents the monitoring and assessment procedures in place at ATLAS during 2015-2018 data-taking. Through the continuous improvement of operational procedures, ATLAS achieved a high data quality efficiency, with 95.6% of the recorded proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV certified for physics analysis.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗