[en] We report the results of test beams performed at CERN using irradiated microstrip silicon detectors. The detectors were single- and double-sided devices, produced by different manufacturers and irradiated with neutrons at various fluences up to 3.6 x 10¹³ n/cm². Signal-to-noise ratio, resolution and efficiency were studied for different values of the incidence angle, of the detector temperature and of the read-out pitch, as a function of the detector bias voltage. The goal of these tests was to optimize the design of the final prototypes for the CMS Silicon Strip Tracker. (author)

[en] Pixel sensors have been calibrated using both fluorescence X-ray photons and an X-ray beam obtained by the transmission technique. The X-rays were generated by an Amptek EDIX 40 X-ray tube (maximum voltage 40 kV). During the fluorescence calibration the pixel sensor was placed in front of the target in an off-beam position; the resulting photons hitting the detector were emitted by fluorescence in all directions with an energy which is typical of the fluorescence lines of the target material. During the calibration in the transmission mode the detector was placed behind the target, acting now as a filter, and the energy of the photons was tuned by adjusting the voltage of the tube and the thickness of the target. In this paper the comparison between the two methods will be shown. From the results of this test, it is possible to infer that transmission is more efficient (higher photon yield) and flexible (more energy points are possible) but produces broader spectral lines while fluorescence has a better energy definition. A reasonable strategy to benefit from both methods is using fluorescence to calibrate a spectrometer that will be used to evaluate the energy of the X-rays emitted in the transmission mode. The results of this calibration will be shown in this paper

[en] The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a large acceptance (0.65 sr m²) detector designed to operate in the International Space Station (ISS) for three years. The purposes of the experiment are to search for cosmic antimatter and dark matter and to study the composition and energy spectrum of the primary cosmic rays. A 'scaled-down' version has been flown on the Space Shuttle Discovery for 10 days in June 1998. The complete AMS is programmed for installation on the ISS in October 2003 for an operational period of 3 yr. This contribution reports on the experimental configuration that will be installed on the ISS