New development of a Radiation-Hard Polycrystalline CdTe Detector for LHC Luminosity Monitoring

Detectors presently considered for monitoring and control of the LHC luminosity will sample the hadronic/electromagnetic showers produced by neutrons and photons in copper absorbers designed to protect the superconducting magnets from quenching. At this location the detectors will have to withstand extreme radiation levels and their long term operation will have to be assured without requiring human intervention. For this application we have successfully tested thick polycrystalline-CdTe detectors. The paper summarizes the results obtained on rise-times, sensitivity and resistance to neutron irradiation up to a dose of 10 ^15/cm 2.