Gas Electron Multiplier Technology in the CMS

The forward region of the end-caps of the muon system of the CMS currently contain only Cathode Strip Chambers, which my face significant performance degradation after the high-luminosity upgrades of the LHC. The GEM Laboratory has researched and developed a solution to this problem that involves implementing the CMS muon system with Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors. My research in the GEM Laboratory focused on developing and testing a GEM detector prototype with the same capabilities but reduced size of a regular GEM detector to serve as a tool for continued outgassing studies. This work included completing the standard quality control tests on the prototype to verify satisfactory functionality. With its performance verified, the prototype can be used for future outgassing and longevity tests. Not all parameters of the GEM technology are completely understood, so these tests provide important data without jeopardizing any full-size detectors that are reserved for the CMS.