Contribution, technology and applications

Indian Hardware and Software Contribution to LHC

Type Objects
Accelerator related contribution to CERN
  1. High-precision jack
  2. Superconducting magnets
  3. Normal-conducting magnets
  4. HV Klystron modulator
  5. Solid-state wide band amplifier
Accelerator related contribution to CERN
  1. Klystron
  2. Circulators
  3. Wave guides
Indian Participation in accelerator related physics and engineering level design at CERN
  1. Beam-line design
  2. 3 MeV RFQ design
  3. 100 KeV bouncer Klystron modulator design
  4. Vacuum system design
Indian Participation in accelerator related software at CERN
  1. Development of JMT-II software
  2. Slow control software
  3. Superconducting magnet measurement system
  4. Survey systems for ALICE experiment at CERN
Computer Technology
  1. Two tier-2 centres of Grid computing at VECC-Kolkata and TIFR-Mumbai
  2. LHC grid centres are the major users of NKN
  3. 3. A direct fallout of participation in CERN computing is the recognition of CDAC-India as the “Indian Grid certifying authority (IGCA)”, that is empowered to testify any user for any grid related activities.
  4. GEANT3(4)
  5. India’s contribution in terms of software development worth 7.5M CHF
Detector and Electronics technology
  1. Photon Multiplicity Detector (PMD): high granularity large area gaseous detector
  2. Muon Chamber: Large area cathode chamber
  3. Hadron calorimeter: Scintillator detector with SiPM readout
  4. Resistive Plate Chamber
  5. Si-Pad Preshower detector
  6. Indian graphite industry built ALICE muon absorber system.
  7. MANAS ASIC: The readout multiplex ASIC is a flagship development for reading out two major ALICE subsystems. The ASIC has been designed and developed in the country involving Saha Institute Nuclear Physics and SCL-Chandigarh as collaborating institutes
  8. Silicon Photomultilier based readout: Si-PM is one of the newest readout devices ]with wider applications. Indian CMS collaborators have mastered the use of this technology in their use in Hadronic Calorimeter
  9. Micro-TCA card: An FPGA based board assembled at the Indian industry has wider applications at CMS
  10. Common Readout Unit (CRU): The 14-layer PCB houses high-end FPGA with about 1700 connections. The boards being fabricated by the Indian industry will be used for ALICE TPC readout, the main upgrade of ALICE

Major Contributions to ALICE at CERN, LHC


ALICE Photon Multiplicity Detector (PMD)


Station-2 of ALICE Muon Spectrometer


MANAS: 16 channel Amplifier, shaper, track and hold for ALICE


Silicon-Tungsten Calorimeter


Graphite component of the front muon absorber


Graphite component of the front muon absorber


  • Running 24/7 with >90% availability
  • Comprises > 1500 cores with > 11 teraflops of compute power
  • 1 Gbps NKN network and 10 Gbps internal backbone


ALICE: Grid Computing facility at VECC, Kolkata

Use of CERN based technology in India

Name Application Industry Involved Remarks
GEM (Gas electron multiplier) chambers A gaseous detector Technology developed at CERN is being widely used for fabrication of detectors with high position resolution. In India, GEM chambers of varying sizes have been developed for experiments at FAIR-Germany and accelerator application in India. ECIL-Hyderabad (fabrication of GEM foils), Micropack- Bangalore (multi-layer chamber PCB and GEM foil) This technology has wide-ranging applications in imaging both in experiments and societal applications.
NINO ASIC for RPC A custom-built ASIC at CERN is being used to readout the RPCs for INO and other applications. The low-noise NINO-ASIC is designed with parameters suitable for high time-resolution applications like in RPC. The use of these ASICs in RPC chambers in prototype Iron- Calorimeter of INO has made the related R&D possible
Data analysis software CERN has developed several data analysis, simulation and visualization packages like ROOT, GEANT-IV. These environments are being used widely in inhouse applications. Accelerator labs in India, INO and other areas have been using these packages The packages are adopted to suitable in-house applications.
FPGA based GBTx-Emulator An emulator using FPGA has been developed in collaboration with CERN to emulate the large volume data transfer from electrical to optical link. This development is being used as an alternative to the classified ASIC technology not open to India. This has potential applications in any high-rate data transfer area.

Spin-off of CERN technology

Name Details
X-ray imaging GEM detectors with high position resolution has potential applications in X-ray imaging
TOF-PET MRPC with high time resolution has the potential to be used as TOF-PET imaging
Muon tomography High resolution and large area RPCs can be used to track atmospheric muons and therefore can be used for cargo tracking
Neutron Imaging GEM detectors with coated foils using neutron-sensitive materials can be used for neutron imaging

Partial list of industries involved in CERN participation

Sl. No Name Item Experiment
1 Gladstone Engineering Industries, Kolkata Fabrication of honeycomb structures for PMD modules ALICE and STAR
2 Micropack-Bangalore Readout PCBs for PMD, GEM foil ALICE and CMS
3 HiQ-Bangalore Readout PCBs for muon station ALICE
4 SCL-ISRO, Chandigarh Fabrication of MANAS ASIC ALICE
5 Shogini Technoarts, Pune Readout PCB ALICE
6 Graphite-India Ltd, Bangalore Fabrication and supply of the high-density graphite component of the front absorber of ALICE muon system ALICE
7 BEL-Bangalore Silicon sensors, Si- Preshower ALICE and CMS
8 Focustech Ltd, Gurgaon CROCUS assembly ALICE
9 Steel Authority Of India, Ranchi Fabrication and supply of the non-magnetic stainless steel ingot for the front absorber of ALICE muon system. ALICE
10 FlexTech Ltd, Hyderabad Fabrication of rigid and flexible PCBs for the Muon chambers of the 2nd tracking station ALICE
11 Magnacon Pvt Ltd, Kolkata Machining of PEEK GF- 30 for the frames of the muon chambers ALICE
12 Narendra & Narendra, Howrah Machining of SS ingots ALICE
13 IGTR, Indore Accelerator equipment CERN Accelerator
14 Avasarala Industries, B’lore Accelerator equipment CERN Accelerator
15 ECIL-Hyderabad Accelerator equipment CERN Accelerator