Tracking and Alignment with the Silicon Strip Tracker at the CMS Magnet Test Cosmic Challenge

Data were collected with a custom-built sub-structure of the silicon strip tracker, both during the preparation of the Magnet Test Cosmic Challenge and during the challenge itself. These data were used to evaluate performance of track reconstruction and detector alignment algorithms, both with and without magnetic field. The track reconstruction algorithm is described in detail and its performance presented, in terms of its efficiency, resolution and consistency with the results from other sub-detectors. A study of detector alignment is shown, including the use tracker construction information. The effect of alignment on track quality is discussed.