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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Calibration of the ProtoDUNE Horizontal-Drift position reconstruction using a laser system

Forthcoming in the next decade of neutrino physics advancements is the construction of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment which has the potential to answer fundamental questions such as why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe, and ultimately why we exist at all. A prototype of this experiment, ProtoDUNE, sits in a charged particle test beam at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and uses Liquid Argon time projection chambers to image interactions of these particles. ProtoDUNE Single-Phase (ProtoDUNESP) had positively charged hadrons as well as positrons in its initial 2018 beam data run. Because ProtoDUNE is a surface-based time projection chamber, it experiences a constant influx of cosmic rays. These cosmic rays ionize the liquid argon within the detector, resulting in an accumulation of slow moving positive ions towards the cathode. This local charge distribution results in electric field non uniformities, which can have a significant effect on the accuracy of the event reconstruction. This paper outlines a monte carlo simulation study which adapts methodology from the MicroBooNE experiment, another neutrino oscillation experiment, to derive electric field correction maps which can correct for distortions of the electric field within the detector. These correction maps accurately estimate the electric field throughout the detector volume and correct for uncertainties in reconstructed event data enabling for physics discoveries.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Status of CHIP-TRAP: The Central Michigan University High-Precision Penning Trap

Precise and accurate atomic mass data provide crucial information for applications in a wide range of fields in physics and beyond, including astrophysics, nuclear structure, particle and neutrino physics, fundamental symmetries, chemistry, and metrology. The most precise atomic mass measurements are performed on charged particles confined in a Penning trap. Here, we describe the development, status, and outlook of CHIP-TRAP: the Central Michigan University high-precision Penning trap. CHIP-TRAP aims to perform ultra-high precision (~1 part in 10 11 fractional precision) mass measurements on stable and long-lived isotopes produced with external ion sources and transported to the Penning traps. Along the way, ions of a particular m/q are selected with a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass separator (MR-TOF-MS), with further filtering performed in a cylindrical capture trap before the ions are transported to a pair of hyperbolic measurement traps. In this paper, we report on the design and status of CHIP-TRAP and present results from the commissioning of the ion sources, MR-TOF-MS, and capture trap. We also provide an outlook on the continued development and commissioning of CHIP-TRAP.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measuring Electron Diffusion and Constraining the Neutral Current $\pi^0$ Background for Single-Photon Events in MicroBooNE

Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPCs) are a rising technology in the field of experimental neutrino physics. LArTPCs use ionization electrons and scintillation light to reconstruct neutrino interactions with exceptional calorimetric and position resolution capabilities. Here, I present two analyses conducted in the MicroBooNE LArTPC at Fermilab: a measurement of the longitudinal electron diffusion coefficient, $D_L$, in the MicroBooNE detector and a constraint of the systematic uncertainty on MicroBooNE's single-photon analysis due to the dominant neutral current (NC) \piz{} background. Longitudinal electron diffusion modifies the spatial and timing resolution of the detector, and measuring it will help correct for these effects. Furthermore, current measurements of $D_L$ in liquid argon are sparse and in tension with one another, making the MicroBooNE measurement especially valuable. We report a measurement of $3.74^{+0.28}_{-0.29}$ cm$^2$/s. MicroBooNE is searchin g for si ngle-photon events as a potential explanation for the MiniBooNE low-energy excess (LEE) of electron neutrino-like events, which has been interpreted as evidence for low-mass sterile neutrinos. However, this search is overwhelmed by a large NC \piz{} background. By performing a sideband selection of NC \piz{} events, we apply a data-driven rate constraint to the single-photon analysis to reduce the systematic uncertainties. At present, this constraint improves the single-photon analysis' median sensitivity to the LEE-like signal from 0.9$\sigma$ to $1.5\sigma$. This sensitivity is expected to improve significantly as more data become available. Both of these measurements will not only benefit MicroBooNE, but also inform future LArTPC experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Snowmass Neutrino Frontier Report

This report summarizes the current status of neutrino physics and the broad and exciting future prospects identified for the Neutrino Frontier as part of the 2021 Snowmass Process.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

PROSPECT-II physics opportunities

We report the precision reactor oscillation and spectrum experiment, PROSPECT, has made world-leading measurements of reactor antineutrinos at short baselines. In its first phase, conducted at the high flux isotope reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PROSPECT produced some of the strongest limits on eV-scale sterile neutrinos, made a precision measurement of the reactor antineutrino spectrum from 235 U, and demonstrated the observation of reactor antineutrinos in an aboveground detector with good energy resolution and well-controlled backgrounds. The PROSPECT collaboration is now preparing an upgraded detector, PROSPECT-II, to probe yet unexplored parameter space for sterile neutrinos and contribute to a full resolution of the reactor antineutrino anomaly, a longstanding puzzle in neutrino physics. By pressing forward on the world’s most precise measurement of the 235 U antineutrino spectrum and measuring the absolute flux of antineutrinos from 235 U, PROSPECT-II will sharpen a tool with potential value for basic neutrino science, nuclear data validation, and nuclear security applications. Following a two-year deployment at HFIR, an additional PROSPECT-II deployment at a low enriched uranium reactor could make complementary measurements of the neutrino yield from other fission isotopes. PROSPECT-II provides a unique opportunity to continue the study of reactor antineutrinos at short baselines, taking advantage of demonstrated elements of the original PROSPECT design and close access to a highly enriched uranium reactor core.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Us participation in the construction of the T2k superfgd detector as part of the T2k ND280 upgrade

The neutrino physics field as a whole has made astonishing advances during the last two decades. Before 1998, there was no neutrino oscillation, meaning no neutrino mass and mixing. Today, neutrino oscillation is firmly established and we have measured all three mixing parameters and two mass parameters. Furthermore, these findings pave the way to determine the mass ordering/hierarchy and to explore Charge-Parity (CP) violation in the lepton sector, which may hold a critical key to our understanding of the matter−antimatter asymmetry in the universe, one of the most profound mysteries in science. In fact, T2K, a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment based in Japan, has recently released the results that show initial hint of CP violation making the prospects of DUNE, a next generation long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment based in the US, discovering CP violation in neutrinos very bright.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Measurement of the Total Hadronic $\pi^-$ on Argon Cross Section in the Kinetic Energy Range from 0.2-1 Giga-Electron Volts in a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber

The liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) technology offers fine-grained tracking along with excellent calorimetric and particle identification capabilities, making it a powerful tool for experimental neutrino physics. Thus, the LArTPC has become the technology of choice for studying neutrino oscillations over short ( 1000 km) baselines by experiments such as MicroBooNE, SBND, ICARUS, and DUNE. The LArIAT (Liquid Argon in a Test-beam) experiment exposes a LArTPC to a controlled beam of charged particles at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility to perform calibration studies and measurements of charged hadron-argon cross sections, with the goal of helping to reduce systematic uncertainties in LArTPC-based neutrino experiments. This work presents a measurement of the total hadronic π⁻-Ar cross section in the kinetic energy range from 0.2 GeV to 1 GeV, using data from the LArIAT experiment.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Meld: Exploring the Feasibility of a Framework-less Framework

HEP data-processing frameworks are essential ingredients in getting from raw data to physics results. But they are often tricky to use well, and they present a significant learning barrier for the beginning HEP physicist. In addition, existing frameworks typically support rigid, collider-based data models, which do not map well to neutrino-physics experiments like DUNE. Neutrino physicists thus expend significant effort working around framework limitations instead of using a framework that directly supports their needs. Presented here is Meld, a Fermilab R&D project, which intends to address these limitations. By leveraging modern C++ capabilities, state-of-the-art concurrency libraries, and a flexible data model, it is possible for beginning (and seasoned) HEP physicists to execute framework programs easily and efficiently, with minimal coupling to framework-specific constructs. Meld aims to directly support the frameworks needs of neutrino experiments like DUNE as well as the more common collider-based experiments.

Knoepfel, Kyle J.↗
DOE OSTI2024

ML-Based Reconstruction in a Pixelated LArTPC

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will address open issues in neutrino physics such as the measurement of the CP-violating phase in neutrino oscillations and the neutrino mass ordering. DUNE is expected to have the most energetic neutrino beam in the world. The 2x2 demonstrator is a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC), with four modules, operated as a prototype for the DUNE Liquid Argon Near Detector (ND-LAr). Each module in the 2x2 demonstrator is 0.67m x 0.67m x 1.8m. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, the 2x2 features a novel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. Machine learning can be used to form a complete reconstruction pipeline for physics interactions in the 2x2 detector. This poster will describe the workings of a package under development called SPINE and its current performance.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Direct experimental constraints on the spatial extent of a neutrino wavepacket

Despite their high relative abundance in our Universe, neutrinos are the least understood fundamental particles of nature. In fact, the quantum properties of neutrinos emitted in experimentally relevant sources are theoretically contested and the spatial extent of the neutrino wavepacket is only loosely constrained by reactor neutrino oscillation data with a spread of 13 orders of magnitude. Here we present a method to directly access this quantity by precisely measuring the energy width of the recoil daughter nucleus emitted in the radioactive decay of beryllium-7. The final state in the decay process contains a recoiling lithium-7 nucleus, which is entangled with an electron neutrino at creation. The lithium-7 energy spectrum is measured to high precision by directly embedding beryllium-7 radioisotopes into a high-resolution superconducting tunnel junction that is operated as a cryogenic sensor. Under this approach, we set a lower limit on the Heisenberg spatial uncertainty of the recoil daughter of 6.2 pm, which implies that the final-state system is localized at a scale more than a thousand times larger than the nucleus itself. From this measurement, the first, to our knowledge, direct lower limit on the spatial extent of a neutrino wavepacket is extracted. These results may have implications in several areas including the theoretical understanding of neutrino properties, the nature of localization in weak nuclear decays and the interpretation of neutrino physics data.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tau neutrinos in the next decade: from GeV to EeV

Tau neutrinos are the least studied particle in the standard model. This whitepaper discusses the current and expected upcoming status of tau neutrino physics with attention to the broad experimental and theoretical landscape spanning long-baseline, beam-dump, collider, and astrophysical experiments. This whitepaper was prepared as a part of the NuTau2021 Workshop.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of the light yield response of the Gd-compatible water-based liquid scintillator with the Brookhaven one-ton testbed

The water-based liquid scintillator (WbLS) enables hybrid detection by combining scintillation and Cherenkov signals, providing superior event reconstruction capabilities compared to conventional neutrino detectors. For this work, we measured the light yield of Gd-compatible WbLS at varying concentrations from 0.35% to 1% by mass, using cosmic-ray muons in a 1-ton scale detector at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The light yield is measured as (69.2 ± 6.9) ph/MeV at 0.35% concentration, which increased to (87.3 ± 8.7) ph/MeV at 1%. These results establish a quantitative basis for optimizing future WbLS-based detectors in neutrino physics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Studies on the scintillation light detection in the ProtoDUNE Dual Phase liquid-argon TPC and its capability for the supernova trigger in DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that aims at addressing key questions in neutrino physics in the next decades. Its scientific program includes the detection of the neutrino flux from a core-collapse supernova. The DUNE far detector will have four 17-kt mass liquid-argon (LAr) time-projection chamber (TPC) modules. ProtoDUNE Dual Phase (DP), a dual-phase LAr TPC with 300 t of active mass and 6 m of drift distance, was operated with cosmic muons in 2019-2020 as part of an R&D program at the CERN Neutrino Platform to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology at such a large scale. In a LAr TPC, the photon detection system (PDS) provides fun- damental timing information and trigger capabilities. The PDS of ProtoDUNE-DP, which consisted of 36 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), counted on a dedicated light calibration system (LCS) to monitor the PMT response. In this dissertation, the characterization and validation of the ProtoDUNE-DP PDS and LCS components before their installation will be reviewed, highlighting the results of general interest for experiments that use liquid noble gasses as target medium. The results from the stable performance of both systems in the detector during 15 months will be presented next as well as the studies on the scintillation light detection in ProtoDUNE-DP, where the collection of light produced in LAr at 7 m from the photosensors has been achieved for the first time. It is worth pointing out that the excellent LAr purity and the large size of the detector have enabled to develop a unique data-driven investigation on aspects that are critical for LAr- based experiments but that are not completely understood. The analyses cover the characterization of the low-energy background detected by the PDS, the quantification of the electric field impact on the light yield, the evaluation of the Rayleigh scattering affecting the light propagation, and the analysis of the PMT detection efficiency. The effect of the VUV reflectivity of the detector materials will be also discussed. In addition, the estimation of the cosmic muon flux crossing the TPC and the study of the observed light yield by the PDS will be reported. Finally, the results from the simulation-based study of the supernova burst trigger capability with the PDS of a 12.1-kt active mass dual-phase LAr TPC as the one proposed for DUNE will be summarized. Several configurations of reflective foils installed in the TPC to enhance the light collection will be compared

Gallego-Ros, Ana↗
DOE OSTI2021

Studies on the scintillation light detection in the ProtoDUNE Dual Phase liquid-argon TPC and its capability for the supernova trigger in DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that aims at addressing key questions in neutrino physics in the next decades. Its scientific program includes the detection of the neutrino flux from a core-collapse supernova. The DUNE far detector will have four 17-kt mass liquid-argon (LAr) time-projection chamber (TPC) modules. ProtoDUNE Dual Phase (DP), a dual-phase LAr TPC with 300 t of active mass and 6 m of drift distance, was operated with cosmic muons in 2019-2020 as part of an R&D program at the CERN Neutrino Platform to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology at such a large scale. In a LAr TPC, the photon detection system (PDS) provides fundamental timing information and trigger capabilities. The PDS of ProtoDUNE-DP, which consisted of 36 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), counted on a dedicated light calibration system (LCS) to monitor the PMT response. In this dissertation, the characterization and validation of the ProtoDUNE-DP PDS and LCS components before their installation will be reviewed, highlighting the results of general interest for experiments that use liquid noble gasses as target medium. The results from the stable performance of both systems in the detector during 15 months will be presented next as well as the studies on the scintillation light detection in ProtoDUNE-DP, where the collection of light produced in LAr at 7 m from the photosensors has been achieved for the first time. It is worth pointing out that the excellent LAr purity and the large size of the detector have enabled to develop a unique data-driven investigation on aspects that are critical for LAr-based experiments but that are not completely understood. The analyses cover the characterization of the low-energy background detected by the PDS, the quantification of the electric field impact on the light yield, the evaluation of the Rayleigh scattering affecting the light propagation, and the analysis of the PMT detection efficiency. The effect of the VUV reflectivity of the detector materials will be also discussed. In addition, the estimation of the cosmic muon flux crossing the TPC and the study of the observed light yield by the PDS will be reported. Finally, the results from the simulation-based study of the supernova burst trigger capability with the PDS of a 12.1-kt active mass dual-phase LAr TPC as the one proposed for DUNE will be summarized. Several configurations of reflective foils installed in the TPC to enhance the light collection will be compared.

Gallego Ros, Ana↗
DOE OSTI2026

DAMSA Experiment Conceptual Design White Paper

DAMSA (DArk Messenger Searches at an Accelerator) is a novel short-baseline accelerator experiment aimed at probing short-lived physics processes, including searches for evidence of a dark sector of particle physics and well-motivated Standard Model signals. Motivated by open questions in neutrino physics and the absence of conclusive evidence for conventional weakly interacting massive particles, DAMSA targets MeV-to-sub-GeV dark-sector messengers with feeble couplings that can be produced in abundance at the PIP-II LINAC. By employing an ultra-short baseline of order one meter, DAMSA is uniquely positioned to overcome the beam-dump "ceiling" that limits sensitivity to promptly decaying particles in longer-baseline experiments. The conceptual design emphasizes a beam-dump production scheme combined with a compact detector optimized for rare decays while mitigating intense neutron-induced backgrounds inherent to high-power proton beams. To validate the experimental strategy and detector technologies, the Little DAMSA Path-Finder (LDPF) proof-of-concept experiment is proposed, focusing on axion-like particles decaying to two photons and operating with 300 MeV electron beams at FAST. Successful realization of LDPF will establish the feasibility of the DAMSA approach, enabling a broad and powerful program to explore short-lived new physics and precision Standard Model processes in a previously inaccessible regime. This conceptual design document outlines the technical details of DAMSA's physics goals, the beam facility proposals, key experimental challenges and how to overcome them, and the proposed experimental staging campaigns.

Bhattarai, Prithak [Texas U., Arlington]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploiting the PRISM Feature and Purity Monitors of the SBND Neutrino Detector

The Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab will pursue neutrino properties searches, exploiting three Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) experiments to investigate neutrino oscillations with neutrinos from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB). SBND will be the near detector in the program, measuring the un-oscillated flux. It is anticipated to begin operating in 2023. Thanks to its peculiar proximity to the neutrino source of about 110 meters, SBND will collect extremely high statistics data of the flux in the GeV energy range, providing unprecedented precision measurements. SBND particular setting also allows to take measurements at different distances from BNB’s center maintaining statistics high enough at each range. LArTPC and the cold electronics technologies, as well as the argon-neutrino interaction studies, will play a key role in future neutrino physics. In this prospect, this work was focused on two SBND features: SBND PRISM tool, with the aim of investigating neutrino flux at different distances from the beam axis, and Purity Monitors, which provide a clever measurement of argon purity in the detector, whose value is fundamental in neutrino-argon interaction.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Research in Elementary Particle Physics

The Experimental High Energy Physics group in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University (LSU) is composed of faculty, postdocs and students. We perform research in experimental neutrino physics at the Intensity Frontier (DUNE, ProtoDUNE and T2K). The group continues their principal research efforts on the T2K and DUNE projects to measure neutrino oscillation parameters and study neutrino properties.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗