Experience with the silicon strip detector of ALICE

The Silicon Strip Detector (SSD) forms the two outermost layers of the ALICE Inner Track- ing System (ITS), connecting the TPC with the inner layers of the ITS. The SSD consists of 1698 double-sided silicon microstrip modules, 95 μm pitch, distributed in two cylindrical bar- rels, whose radii are 38 cm and 43 cm, respectively. With 4.8 square meters it is today’s largest installed double-sided strip detector. The design and construction will be discussed, both in view of the requirements of a decade ago and in the light of today’s achieved performance. Like the other LHC detectors, the SSD is waiting for beam after extensive commissioning with cosmics. These commissioning results will be presented. Cosmics data without magnetic field were used for alignment and for relative gain calibration. Together with the measured noise this allowed the signal-to-noise ratio to be determined as well as the charge matching quality. Cosmics data collected with magnetic field were used for energy-loss calibratio