Viability Assessment of a Scintillating Fibre Tracker for the LHCb Upgrade

This document describes the parameters and qualities of scintillating fibres and silicon photodetectors for a central tracking detector for the LHCb upgrade and discusses the viability of the proposals for a tracking detector set forth in the Framework Technical Design Report and Letter of Intent. It summarizes experimental, simulation and literature studies to assess the viability of the baseline components with a particular emphasis being put on their tolerance to damage from radiation. The specifications of the fibre and photodetector will have strong impact on the design of the front- end electronics and vice versa. Some of the results for this are also reported here. Finally, we will present a conclusion based on the results of our studies and other collaborations, regarding the suitability of a scintillating fibre based tracker with a Silicon Photo-Multiplier (SiPM) read out in the higher luminosity environment of the upgrade scenario.