Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) is setting up an exclusive centre on its premises for research, and to develop a silicon tracker detector that will go into upgrading the massive 14,000 tonne CMS (compact muon solenoid) detector, which is studying a wide range of physics including the dark matter that makes up the universe.

IITM

The CMS detector is installed by CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, in France.

The dedicated Silicon Detector Research and Development and Application Centre to be set up at IIT Madras at a cost of Rs 6 crore, will be part of India-CMS collaboration. The Centre is expected to be operational by end of 2018.

“The main purpose of this centre is to work with other Indian collaborating institutes to build a ‘2000 silicon detector module’ that will be part of the CMS detector at CERN,” said Prafulla Kumar Behera, associate professor, department of physics, IIT-Madras.

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The main CMS detector in France will undergo upgradation in 2025 when the existing silicon tracker detector dies out. The silicon tracker detector is one of the four subdetectors in the main CMS detector. Data from the main detector installed 100m below ground may help scientists understand the evolution of the universe better.

Prof Behera said the centre not only aims at conducting cutting-edge research with advanced machine tools but will also train students in the process. “IIT-Madras is also offering summer internships at CERN for our undergraduate students since 2015,” he said.

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Scientists said the sensor that goes into the detector a technology for which is available only in a few countries has several potential spinoff applications like medical imaging that can help the Indian healthcare sector. “If we could get such technologies, may be in the future we can use them if we are going to build such detectors in our country,” Behera said.

IIT-M became the first IIT to be made a full member of the CMS experiment at CERN in 2014. India became as associate member of CERN in 2016.