1. Status of European Scanning System (Bari, Bern, Bologna, Lyon, Napoli, Neuchatel, Roma, Salerno) The final fast version is ready and working up to 20 cm 2 /h New CMOS camera up to 500 fps New Image processor Matrox Odyssey and more powerful PCI-X workstation Same Optics ( Nikon) and Mechanics ( Micos ), now as industrial productions New asyncronous DAQ software S. Simone Hamburg, OPERA collaboration meeting

2. Fast microscope

3. CameraMikrotron MC 1310 1280x1024 pixel Tested up to 480 fr/s

4. Mechanics Fully tested -> provide good performance Good settling time (60 ÷ 80 ms on X) Good positioning (0,2 ÷ 0,7 mm on X,Y,Z) Good linearity in constant velocity movement (Z)

5. Optics (Light system) custom realization provided by Nikon Italy Condenser support adjustable (X,Y and Z) Lamp + optic, diafram and filters housing

6. Vacuum chamber Acknowledgement: mechanical service of INFN Bologna (A. Margotti, M. Fabianelli, G. Pancaldi) plexiglass plate 5 mm thickness Rectangular channel for vacuum 1 mm width

7. Objectives Standard used : Objective: Nikon CFI 50X oilObjective: Nikon CFI 50X oil (N.A.: 0,9 - Working distance: 0,4 mm) Under test ( Bern, Lyon ) Objective: CFI 50X dryObjective: CFI 50X dry (N.A. 0.8 - Working distance: 1/0.4mm)

8. Plate changer

10. New DAQ software using much more powerful Image Processor ( Matrox Odyssey - Xpro) and Workstation ( PCI-X double Xeon 3 GHz) allows : Asynchronous high speed data taking Light compensation CMOS noise subtraction Equalisation of digital clustering threshold Self alignment of frames (see Cristiano’s Talk )

11. Scanning performance ( see Marilisa’s talk ): “Stable” Scanning with the fast microscope is in progress in Bari, Bern and Salerno, other microscopes are already in tuning in Bologna, Lyon, Napoli, Neuchatel, Roma Old “slow” microscopes will be upgraded soon First scanning performances of the fast microscope are at the same level than the old one Software is continuously improving with the contributions of all Labs

12. A total of ~ 15 microscopes will be available for the OPERA brick scanning, distributed among the various European Labs To improve the scanning software we need to use the final OPERA emulsions production (2 boxes ordered and received the last month ) Tests foreseen in 2004: LNGS (background, in progress ) DESY( electron ID) PSI ( muon ID) CERN ( microscope tuning and vertex location)

14. END