Engineering topics

Foguel, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Foguel, A..

3 records

DOE OSTI2019

Results from 2015 and the 2016 upgrade of the CONNIE experiment for detecting coherent neutrino nucleus scattering

The CONNIE Experiment (Coherent Neutrino Nucleus Interaction Experiment) is currently collecting reactor neutrino data to search for the undiscovered standard model process of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering (CNNS). The detector is composed of a silicon target of thick, fully-depleted, low-noise CCD detectors. Results from data collected in 2015 indicate backgrounds are controlled, and allow an estimate of sensitivity to be presented for a larger scale detector. A 2016 upgrade, adding additional target mass, and reducing readout noise, has been performed, increasing the total yield of signal events by a factor of 30, and already yielding science-quality data. Low-energy nuclear calibrations have been performed, enabling calibration down to the device energy threshold. An estimate of the sensitivity expected for measuring the coherent neutrino process is presented. Future prospects with improved detector energy thresholds are estimated.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2016

The CONNIE experiment

Here, the CONNIE experiment uses fully depleted, high resistivity CCDs as particle detectors in an attempt to measure for the first time the Coherent Neutrino-Nucleus Elastic Scattering of antineutrinos from a nuclear reactor with silicon nuclei.This talk, given at the XV Mexican Workshop on Particles and Fields (MWPF), discussed the potential of CONNIE to perform this measurement, the installation progress at the Angra dos Reis nuclear power plant, as well as the plans for future upgrades.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2016

Results of the engineering run of the Coherent Neutrino Nucleus Interaction Experiment (CONNIE)

The CONNIE detector prototype is operating at a distance of 30 m from the core of a 3.8 GW(th) nuclear reactor with the goal of establishing Charge-Coupled Devices (CCD) as a new technology for the detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. We report on the results of the engineering run with an active mass of 4 g of silicon. The CCD array is described, and the performance observed during the first year is discussed. A compact passive shield was deployed around the detector, producing an order of magnitude reduction in the background rate. The remaining background observed during the run was stable, and dominated by internal contamination in the detector packaging materials. The in-situ calibration of the detector using X-ray lines from fluorescence demonstrates good stability of the readout system. The event rates with the reactor ON and OFF are compared, and no excess is observed coming from nuclear fission at the power plant. The upper limit for the neutrino event rate is set two orders of magnitude above the expectations for the standard model. The results demonstrate the cryogenic CCD-based detector can be remotely operated at the reactor site with stable noise below 2 e – RMS and stable background rates. In conclusion, the success of the engineering test provides a clear path for the upgraded 100 g detector to be deployed during 2016.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗