The LHCb VELO upgrade

The LHCb experiment at the LHC plans to massively increase its data taking capabilities by running at a higher luminosity with a fully upgraded detector around 2016. This scheme is independent of (but compatible with) the plans for the SLHC upgrades. The silicon detector will be upgraded to provide a 40 MHz readout and to be able to cope with the increased radiation environment. This paper describes the options currently under consideration. A highlight of the R&D so far undertaken is a beam test during summer 2009 using the Timepix chip to track charged particles. Preliminary results are presented, including a measurement of the resolution achieved by the 55μm pitch pixel array of better than 9.5μm for perpendicular tracks and 55μm for angled tracks.