A proposed silicon vertex tracker for the PHENIX detector at forward rapidity

The current physics reach of the PHENIX detector in the forward rapidity region would be significantly enhanced with the addition of a fine-grained precision tracker near the collision vertex. We are proposing an upgrade to the PHENIX detector that will allow precision measurements of the displaced vertices of heavy quark decays to be used in conjunction with the current muon spectrometers to probe new physics not currently accessible. The new device will enable advanced studies of QGP formation using heavy flavor, improved study of the gluon structure functions in protons, and robust measurements of shadowing in nuclei via measurements of open charm and beauty. We have studied the requirements of such a detector through detailed simulations. Based on these requirements a conceptual mechanical design and a proposed electronic readout have been developed. The concepts include a specially modified ASIC designed to readout ministrips of 2-13 mm in length that will be matched to the occupancy. We will describe the simulations and the mechanical and electronic concepts.