Charged Particle Tracking and Vertex Detection Group summary report

Charged particle tracking is essential in order to investigate the new physics expected at the SSC. The Tracking Group studied radiation damage and rate limitations to tracking devices, vertex detectors, and central tracking. The Group concluded that silicon strips and large wire tracking chambers with small cells can probably survive at the design luminosity of 1033 cm-2 sec-1; however, the presently designed electronics for silicon strip vertex detectors can withstand a luminosity of only 1031 cm-2 sec-1. Wire chambers at a radius of less than about 25 cm can withstand a luminosity of less than or equal to 1032 cm-2 sec-1 only. Actual tracking and pattern recognition in central tracking chambers at a luminosity of 1033 cm-2 sec-1 will be very difficult because of multiple interactions within the resolving time of the chambers; detailed simulations are needed in order to decide whether tracking is indeed possible at this luminosity. Scintillating glass fibers are an interesting possibility both for vertex detectors and for central trackers, but much research and development is still needed both on the fibers themselves and on the readout