Speaker
Description
Low-mass tracking is a key requirement for future lepton-collider detectors, where material within the tracking volume contributes to multiple scattering and can limit momentum resolution. Gaseous drift chambers (DCHs) offer large tracking volumes with intrinsically low material budgets; however, conventional tungsten-based sense wires contribute to the overall DCH material budget. Carbon-fiber-based wire configurations offer a promising alternative for further reducing this contribution, provided their electrical, mechanical, and signal-formation characteristics can satisfy the requirements of practical chamber operation.
This development builds on our group's broader research program in advanced composite materials and detector mechanics, including the design, fabrication, and characterization of lightweight carbon-fiber structures for large-scale particle detectors such as CMS and ePIC. Our R&D encompasses structural optimization, thermal management, material characterization, and precision manufacturing, with an emphasis on minimizing material while maintaining mechanical stability and detector performance. These activities provide a foundation for extending composite technologies beyond passive support structures toward functional detector components.
This contribution presents initial results from the development of a carbon-fiber wire DCH for future lepton-collider tracking, including material-budget simulations comparing alternative carbon-fiber-based wire configurations with a conventional tungsten-wire baseline. The status of a small-scale prototype, simulations corresponding to its geometry, and ongoing studies of detector response will also be presented.