Low mass mechanics for sensors’ support and thermal management represents a major challenge for future tracking detectors that will have to cope with stringent requirement on material budget in the innermost layers and large surface coverage for the outermost layers. Whether it is to dissipate the heat generated by readout sensors and other electronic components, or to extend the service life of sensors in a radiation environment, integrated cooling will drive the structural design criteria.
In parallel, low mass mechanics for the reduction of cryostat thickness both for future liquid argon based electromagnetic calorimeters and for helium cooled detector magnets shall be investigated by considering alternative production technologies and materials. Material investigations shall be extended to cheaper carbon composites that can be processed more cheaply for large detector volumes, especially relevant for the new, increased detector dimensions.
A further topic is the development of low mass composite cryostats, which is inspired by impressive progress in the aerospace industry. Such structures based on CF-reinforced polymers could find applications in cryogenic calorimeters and detector magnets and in both cases reduce the amount of non-active material in front of the electromagnetic calorimeter.