Utilisation du krypton comme frigorigène pour le refroidissement des trajectographes dans les futurs détecteurs de particules du CERN.

Future silicon-based particle detectors at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider will be exposed to higher radiation levels, requiring the silicon sensors to be kept at lower temperatures than the ones provided by the current cooling systems, using CO2. Aiming to approach temperature levels unattainable by CO2 and ranging between -60 to -80°C while maintaining the system environmentally friendly, the use of Krypton appears promising for the thermal management of future high energy physics detectors. Although studies about using noble gases for refrigeration purposes outside of deep cryogenic applications are extremely rare, the thermodynamic and transport properties of Krypton suggest its great potential as a coolant in detector applications. Since silicon detectors are characterized by ultra-light and fragile structures requiring a controlled cooldown to avoid thermal shocks, a new cooling system was developed. This work presents the concept and the strategies to be implemented to fulfill the harsh requirements imposed by detector cooling.