CERN — the European Organization for Nuclear Research

The TOTEM detectors

The study of physics processes in the region close to the particle beam, which is complementary to the programmes of the LHC general-purpose experiments, requires appropriate detectors. In the case of elastic and (most) diffractive events, intact protons in the final state need to be detected at a small angle relative to the beam line, therefore special proton detectors must be inserted into the vacuum beam pipe of the LHC. The TOTEM Collaboration had to invest heavily in the design of sophisticated detectors characterized by a high acceptance for particles produced in the busy region close to the beam pipes. All of the three sub-detectors - Roman Pots (RPS) and two particle Telescopes, T1 and T2 - will detect charged particles emitted by the proton-proton collisions at interaction point 5 (IP5) on the LHC and will have trigger capabilities to allow an online selection of specific events.