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Experiment Proposal - opera - Infn

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Figure 33: Thickness distribution for the lead plates of the ATLAS calorimeter. The result was obtained<br />

by measuring the attenuation of 100 keV X-rays, giving an accuracy of about 4 µm. The measurements<br />

have been taken every 150 mm along the 1800 mm plate length, by averaging the measurement of 7<br />

gauges distributed in the transverse direction.<br />

Since emulsion films have a very small distortion even at the edge, the mechanical properties of lead<br />

plates at their edges must be accordingly good. These properties depend on the cutting method and<br />

post-cutting treatment. Several cutting procedures (shearing, punching, laser or water jet cutting) are<br />

under investigation.<br />

The total number of lead plates needed for OPERA is about 13 × 10 6 . In order to produce them in<br />

two years, a production rate of about 25000 plates per day is required. The process includes laminating<br />

the lead, slicing to rolls, cutting to plates and cleaning. Normally, large smelter companies provide leads<br />

in rolls of the requested width and thickness. Cutting and cleaning should not take a long time, since a<br />

speed of about 1 plate/s can be achieved by automatic machines.<br />

After machining and cleaning the 56 lead plates of a brick are set in a box (or package) which is<br />

the basic unit for transportation and assembly. The storage place can be at a surface laboratory. The<br />

required amount of lead needed for assembly are transported to the underground laboratory daily or<br />

weekly.<br />

The absence of radioactivity, a lower price and better mechanical properties would make iron a possible<br />

option for the brick plates. However, if one wishes to keep the same number of neutrino interactions,<br />

about 30% more emulsions are needed to compensate for the difference in density, making the iron<br />

option globally more expensive. In addition, iron gives a worse performance for the brick event analysis<br />

(momentum measurement and electron identification) and is corroded by water and air, implying the<br />

need for adequate surface treatment. Stainless steel could be used, but with a cost about three times<br />

51

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