Operation and performance of the CMS silicon strip tracker with proton-proton collisions at the CERN LHC

Salient aspects of the commissioning, calibration, andperformance of the CMS silicon strip tracker are discussed, drawingon experience during operation with proton-proton collisionsdelivered by the CERN LHC. The data were obtained with a varietyof luminosities. The operating temperature of the strip tracker waschanged several times during this period and results are shown as afunction of temperature in several cases. Details of the systemperformance are presented, including occupancy, signal-to-noiseratio, Lorentz angle, and single-hit spatial resolution. Saturationeffects in the APV25 readout chip preamplifier observed during earlyRun 2 are presented, showing the effect on various observables andthe subsequent remedy. Studies of radiation effects on the striptracker are presented both for the optical readout links and thesilicon sensors. The observed effects are compared to simulation,where available, and they generally agree well with expectations.