The LAGUNA design study- towards giant liquid based underground detectors for neutrino physics and astrophysics and proton decay searches

The feasibility of a next generation neutrino observatory in Europe is being considered within the LAGUNA design study. To accommodate giant neutrino detectors and shield them from cosmic rays, a new very large underground infrastructure is required. Seven potential candidate sites in different parts of Europe and at several distances from CERN are being studied: Boulby (UK), Canfranc (Spain), Fr\'ejus (France/Italy), Pyh\"asalmi (Finland), Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The design study aims at the comprehensive and coordinated technical assessment of each site, at a coherent cost estimation, and at a prioritization of the sites within the summer 2010.Comment: 5 pages, contribution to the Workshop "European Strategy for Future Neutrino Physics", CERN, Oct. 200

The LAGUNA design study- towards giant liquid based underground detectors for neutrino physics and astrophysics and proton decay searches

The feasibility of a next generation neutrino observatory in Europe is being considered within the LAGUNA design study. To accommodate giant neutrino detectors and shield them from cosmic rays, a new very large underground infrastructure is required. Seven potential candidate sites in different parts of Europe and at several distances from CERN are being studied: Boulby (UK), Canfranc (Spain), Fr\'ejus (France/Italy), Pyh\"asalmi (Finland), Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The design study aims at the comprehensive and coordinated technical assessment of each site, at a coherent cost estimation, and at a prioritization of the sites within the summer 2010

Salt-mudstones and rock-salt suitabilities for radioactive-waste storage systems: rheological properties

Rheological properties of salt massif are crucial factors deciding about its tightness. The purpose of this article is the comparison of stationary creep rate of salt-mudstones with salt rock. The object of the research was brown and red salt-mudstone containing 20-30% of insoluble parts. It was found that the content of insoluble parts has no significant rheological influence. On the basis of the calculated coefficients for the Norton creep law, we may state that salt-mudstone's creep rate strongly depends on the temperature and on the effective stress in the same manner as for rock salt. The boundary values of relaxation also depend on temperature. Salt-mudstone with a considerable content of rock salt is a medium suitable for the construction of a radioactive waste repository.Creep Relaxation Salty mudstones Rock salt

ISRM Suggested Methods for Determining the Creep Characteristics of Rock

It is important to note that creep is only one aspect of the time-dependent behavior of rocks. In Fig. 1, three cases are illustrated with respect to the complete stress–strain curve: creep, i.e., increasing strain when the stress is held constant; stress relaxation, i.e., decreasing stress when the strain is held constant; and a combination of both, when the rock unloads along a chosen unloading path. This ISRM suggested method deals only with the case of creep, which is particularly relevant for cases where the applied load or stress is kept constant. Creep tests have also been carried out on soft rocks such as tuff, shale, lignite, and sandstone, medium-hard rocks such as marble, limestone, and rock salt, and hard rocks such as granite and andesite (i.e., Akagi 1976; Akai et al. 1979, 1984; Ito and Akagi 2001; Berest et al. 2005; Doktan 1983; Passaris 1979; Serata et al. 1968; Wawersik 1983; Okubo et al. 1991, 1993; Masuda et al. 1987, 1988; Ishizuka et al. 1993; Lockner and Byerlee 1977; Boukharov et al. 1995; Fabre and Pellet 2006; Aydan et al. 1995; Chan 1997; Cristescu and Hunsche 1998; Hunsche 1992; Hunsche and Hampel 1999; Ito et al. 1999; Mottahed and Szeki 1982; Perzyna 1966; Slizowski and Lankof 2003; Yang et al. 1999). These experiments were mostly carried out under compressive loading conditions. There are few studies on rocks using creep tests under a tensile loading regime (Ito and Sasajima 1980, 1987; Ito et al. 2008; Aydan et al. 2011). In particular, shallow underground openings may be subjected to a sustained tensile stress regime, which requires the creep behavior of rocks under such conditions.http://link.springer.com/journal/603hb201

The LAGUNA design study- towards giant liquid based underground detectors for neutrino physics and astrophysics and proton decay searches

The feasibility of a next generation neutrino observatory in Europe is being considered within the LAGUNA design study. To accommodate giant neutrino detectors and shield them from cosmic rays, a new very large underground infrastructure is required. Seven potential candidate sites in different parts of Europe and at several distances from CERN are being studied: Boulby (UK), Canfranc (Spain), Fréjus (France/Italy), Pyhásalmi (Finland), Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The design study aims at the comprehensive and coordinated technical assessment of each site, at a coherent cost estimation, and at a prioritization of the sites within the summer 2010

The LAGUNA project: Towards the giant liquid based detectors for proton decay searches and for low energy neutrino astrophysics

A next generation European deep underground neutrino observatory is considered within the LAGUNA design study. Three detector options are presently considered: GLACIER liquid argon Time Projection Chamber; LENA liquid scintillator and MEMPHYS water Cherenkov. It will provide both: the high statistics measurement of neutrinos from variety of sources, and high sensitivity searches for matter instability. To accommodate such giant detectors a new underground laboratory is required. The LAGUNA design study considers the following seven candidate sites in Europe: Boulby (UK), Canfranc (Spain), Fréjus (France/Italy), Pyhäsalmi (Finland), Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The three detection techniques and summary of the physics potential of proposed detectors are discussed in this short paper