The group is also involved in the building and upgrade of the LHCb experiment's RICH (Ring Imaging CHerenkov) detectors.

RICH detectors measure the velocity of the particles produced in the beam collisions. This is done through the measurement of the angle formed by the Cherenkov photons with respect to the trajectory of the particle that produced them.

Chernkov photon are the electromagnetic equivalent of the "sonic boom", and they are produced any time a particle crosses a material at a speed that is faster than the speed of light in the material itself (which depends on the refraction index). By choosing carefully the refraction index of the material to be traversed, it is possible to gain sensitivity to a specific range of particle velocities. 

This velocity measurement, combined with the momentum and energy information recorded by other detectors, allow to measure the mass of the particles and identify them. RICH detectors are therefore a mean of particle identification (PID).

The Bicocca group is involved in the development of new technologies for the upgrade of the electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL). The electromagnetic calorimeter is one of the LHCb sub-detectors, and is optimized for the identification of neutral pions, electrons and gamma rays in the 1-100 GeV energy range. It is located about 12 meter far from the proton-proton interaction point in LHCb, and it consists of a wall of about 50 squared meters, made by 3312 modules, each with section 12x12 centimeters, and 50 centimeters long.

Calorimeters employ high electron-dense materials, or combinations of materials, to absorb electromagnetic radiation. The passage of a particle in these materials gives rise to a deposition of energy and to the formation of a cascade of secondary particles (shower). If the calorimeter is long enough, the incoming particle is completely stopped and all its energy absorbed. This energy in general is measured with the use of scintillating materials (i.e. materials that emit light when hit by radiation) properly alternated with dense materials.

The current modules of the LHCb ECAL are based on a technology, called Shashlik (“skewer” in Russian), that by construction cannot deliver adequate performance in the upcoming high-luminosity phase of LHC. For this reason, new modules are under development, based on the Spacal technology (Spaghetti-calorimeter). In a Spacal module, fibers of scintillating materials are inserted into a high electron-dense material, called absorber.

The Bicocca group takes part to the design, construction and testing of module prototypes based on the Spacal technology. In particular, modules based on the combination of lead and plastic scintillators have been produced, as well as modules coupling tungsten absorbers to GAGG (Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Garnet) scintillators. The prototypes have been characterized in test beams at CERN and DESY accelerators. In parallel, a Monte-Carlo simulation framework has been developed by the group, dedicated both to the development of Spacal prototypes and to the simulation of the performance of the entire LHCb electromagnetic calorimeter.