Track Based Alignment of Composite Detector Structures

An iterative algorithm for track based alignment is presented. The algorithm can be applied to rigid composite detector structures or to individual modules. The iterative process involves track reconstruction and alignment, in which the chi-2 function of the hit residuals of each alignable object is minimized. Six alignment parameters per structure or per module, three for location and three for orientation, can be computed. The method is computationally light and easily parallelizable. The performance of the method is demonstrated with simulated tracks in the CMS pixel detector and tracks reconstructed from experimental data recorded with a test beam setup.