Aging in the LHCb Outer Tracker

The detector modules of the LHCb Outer Tracker have shown to suffer from gain loss after irradiation. This process is referred to as aging. The purpose of this thesis is to study and to try to solve this problem. We have analyzed the parameters that affect the aging, and compared our aging effects with those seen in other experiments. Using a special chamber, we were also able to determine that the glue used in the construction of the OT modules cause the aging. We have tested several possible solutions to the aging problem. Extensive flushing, low gas flow during operation, the addition of oxygen to the counting gas, high voltage training of the anode wires, and finally heating of the modules all showed beneficial effects. Further research will be necessary to investigate the long term behavior.