Sensor Alignment by Tracks

Good geometrical calibration is essential in the use of high resolution detectors. The individual sensors in the detector have to be calibrated with an accuracy better than the intrinsic resolution, which typically is of the order of 10 um. We present an effective method to perform fine calibration of sensor positions in a detector assembly consisting of a large number of pixel and strip sensors. Up to six geometric parameters, three for location and three for orientation, can be computed for each sensor on a basis of particle trajectories traversing the detector system. The performance of the method is demonstrated with both simulated tracks and tracks reconstructed from experimental data. We also present a brief review of other alignment methods reported in the literature.