353 research outputs found
The liquid Argon TPC: a powerful detector for future neutrino experiments and proton decay searches
We discuss the possibility of new generation neutrino and astroparticle
physics experiments exploiting the liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr
TPC) technique, following a graded strategy that envisions applications with
increasing detector masses (from 100 ton to 100 kton). The ICARUS R&D program
has already demonstrated that the technology is mature with the test of the
T600 detector at surface. Since 2003 we have been working with the conceptual
design of a very large LAr TPC with a mass of 50-100 kton to be built by
employing a monolithic technology based on the use of industrial, large volume,
cryogenic tankers developed by the petro-chemical industry. Such a detector, if
realized, would be an ideal match for a Super Beam, Beta Beam or Neutrino
Factory, covering a broad physics program that includes the detection of
atmospheric, solar and supernova neutrinos, and searches for proton decay, in
addition to the rich accelerator neutrino physics program. A "test module" with
a mass of the order of 10 kton operated underground or at shallow depth would
represent a necessary milestone towards the realization of the 100 kton
detector, with an interesting physics program on its own. In parallel, physics
is calling for a shorter scale application of the LAr TPC technique at the
level of 100 ton mass, for low energy neutrino physics and for use as a near
station setup in future long baseline neutrino facilities. We outline here the
main physics objectives and the design of such a detector for operation in the
upcoming T2K neutrino beam. We finally present the result of a series of R&D
studies conducted with the aim of validating the design of the proposed
detectors.Comment: 16 pages, 18 figures, Invited talk at High Intensity Physics HIF05,
La Biodola, Isola d'Elba (Italy), June 200
Electron-hadron shower discrimination in a liquid argon time projection chamber
By exploiting structural differences between electromagnetic and hadronic showers in a multivariate analysis we present an efficient Electron-Hadron discrimination algorithm for liquid argon time projection chambers, validated using Geant4 simulated data
WARP: a WIMP double phase Argon detector
The WARP programme for dark matter search with a double phase argon detector
is presented. In such a detector both excitation and ionization produced by an
impinging particle are evaluated by the contemporary measurement of primary
scintillation and secondary (proportional) light signal, this latter being
produced by extracting and accelerating ionization electrons in the gas phase.
The proposed technique, verified on a 2.3 liters prototype, could be used to
efficiently discriminate nuclear recoils, induced by WIMP's interactions, and
measure their energy spectrum. An overview of the 2.3 liters results and of the
proposed 100 liters detector is shown.Comment: Proceeding for IDM200
Study of ionization signals in a TPC filled with a mixture of liquid Argon and Nitrogen
In this paper we report on the evidence for ionization track signals from
cosmic ray muons and Compton electrons in a Time Projection Chamber (TPC)
filled with liquid Argon and doped with different fractions of Nitrogen. This
study has been conducted in view of the possible use of liquid Argon/Nitrogen
TPCs for the detection of gamma rays in the resonant band of the Nitrogen
absorbtion spectrum, a promising technology for security and medical
applications.Comment: v2: minor content change and picture improvement
A new, very massive modular Liquid Argon Imaging Chamber to detect low energy off-axis neutrinos from the CNGS beam. (Project MODULAr)
The paper is considering an opportunity for the CERN/GranSasso (CNGS)
neutrino complex, concurrent time-wise with T2K and NOvA, to search for
theta_13 oscillations and CP violation. Compared with large water Cherenkov
(T2K) and fine grained scintillators (NOvA), the LAr-TPC offers a higher
detection efficiency and a lower backgrounds, since virtually all channels may
be unambiguously recognized. The present proposal, called MODULAr, describes a
20 kt fiducial volume LAr-TPC, following very closely the technology developed
for the ICARUS-T60o, and is focused on the following activities, for which we
seek an extended international collaboration:
(1) the neutrino beam from the CERN 400 GeV proton beam and an optimised horn
focussing, eventually with an increased intensity in the framework of the LHC
accelerator improvement program;
(2) A new experimental area LNGS-B, of at least 50000 m3 at 10 km off-axis
from the main Laboratory, eventually upgradable to larger sizes. A location is
under consideration at about 1.2 km equivalent water depth;
(3) A new LAr Imaging detector of at least 20 kt fiducial mass. Such an
increase in the volume over the current ICARUS T600 needs to be carefully
considered. It is concluded that a very large mass is best realised with a set
of many identical, independent units, each of 5 kt, "cloning" the technology of
the T600. Further phases may foresee extensions of MODULAr to meet future
physics goals.
The experiment might reasonably be operational in about 4/5 years, provided a
new hall is excavated in the vicinity of the Gran Sasso Laboratory and adequate
funding and participation are made available.Comment: Correspondig Author: C. Rubbia (E-mail: [email protected]), 33
pages, 11 figure
Neutrino oscillation physics with a neutrino factory
Data from atmospheric and solar neutrinos indicate that there are at least
three neutrino types involved in oscillation phenomena. Even if the
corresponding neutrino mass scales are very different, the inevitable reference
to mixing between more than two neutrino types has profound consequences on the
planning of the accelerator experiments suggested by these results. We discuss
the measurement of mixing angles and CP phases in the context of the neutrino
beam emanating from a {\it neutrino factory}: the straight sections of a muon
storage ring. We emphasize the importance of charge identification. The
appearance of wrong sign muons in a long baseline experiment may provide a
powerful test of neutrino oscillations in the mass-difference range indicated
by atmospheric-neutrino observations.Comment: Superkamiokande-allowed domains corrected in figure
Topical Review on "Beta-beams"
Neutrino physics is traversing an exciting period, after the important
discovery that neutrinos are massive particles, that has implications from
high-energy physics to cosmology. A new method for the production of intense
and pure neutrino beams has been proposed recently: the ``beta-beam''. It
exploits boosted radioactive ions decaying through beta-decay. This novel
concept has been the starting point for a new possible future facility. Its
main goal is to address the crucial issue of the existence of CP violation in
the lepton sector. Here we review the status and the recent developments with
beta-beams. We discuss the original, the medium and high-energy scenarios as
well as mono-chromatic neutrino beams produced through ion electron-capture.
The issue of the degeneracies is mentioned. An overview of low energy
beta-beams is also presented. These beams can be used to perform experiments of
interest for nuclear structure, for the study of fundamental interactions and
for nuclear astrophysics.Comment: Topical Review for Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle
Physics, published version, minor corrections, references adde
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