Common Research and Development consortia provide CERN and CERN member institutions with many benefits. For many detector developments significant R&D is needed in order to bring new detector concepts to a state where they are mature enough to be proposed as part of a future experiment. Common R&D projects allow sharing and pooling of expenses and resources in the initial phase of a development, assemble talent and expertise, and engage industries in prototyping and development at an early stage. In addition such projects provide excellent training and opportunities for students and young researchers. Furthermore, CERN-monitored R&D projects help to guide and prioritize generic and applied detector research activities towards feasible detector solutions for future applications with high relevance for CERN’s scientific programme.

PH-DT is currently involved in two R&D projects approved by the LHCC, both in detector technology areas where the group has traditionally been a key player and has unique expertise.

RD50 was established in 2002 to collectively develop radiation hard semiconductor devices for very high luminosity colliders, exploring different strategies such as material and device engineering, operational conditions and simulations. The project has established itself a world reference and knowledge pool for these studies, being crucial in particular for LHC detectors and upgrade plans.

RD51 began in 2008 with the main objective to facilitate and advance the technological development of Micro-pattern Gas Detectors (MPGD) and associated systems for applications in basic and applied research. Such devices are becoming part of almost any large detector system being considered for future projects in our field, as this technology is becoming more and more established. 

These collaborations serve as a very visible and well-defined access point to two specific detector technologies and studies for the worldwide community. PH-DT has a very central role in RD50 and RD51. DT staff act as spokesperson and resource coordinator for the two collaborations, maintains key lab infrastructure and provides a host lab environment for the external partners. In addition the group provides valuable resources to the community not only through the development of the technology but also through support of common developments such as readout systems, simulation packages, instrumentation of test beam and irradiation facilities and their coordination, and active transfer of technology to industry.

M.Moll and L.Ropelewski, spokespersons of RD50 and RD51 respectively, describe the achievements of the two research collaborations in the following two articles:  The RD50 Collaboration - Radiation tolerant silicon detectors and the The RD51 Collaboration: Development of Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors Technologies.