Project
ProtoDUNE at CERN: the path towards the DUNE neutrino experiment

Code 2024.00258.CERN

Beneficiary Entity

LIP - Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas

Project summary

The observation of neutrino oscillations [R1] is one of the most compelling signs of new physics beyond the Standard Model. There is ample evidence that neutrino oscillations are due to mixing between three flavor and mass eigenstates, and governed by the respective mass splittings and a unitary mixing matrix (parameterized by three independent angles and a CP-violating phase δCP). Still, several questions remain: Is the θ23 angle maximal? Is the mass ordering (MO) of neutrinos normal (m1<m2<m3) or inverted (m3<m1<m2)? Is there violation of the charge-parity (CP) symmetry in the lepton sector? The answer to these questions, together with whether neutrinos are Dirac or Majorana particles, are expected to shed light on the underlying physics mechanism behind neutrino masses. Furthermore, if indeed neutrinos are Majorana fermions and have a sizeable CP violation phase they can provide an explanation for the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe through a mechanism of leptogenesis. [R2,R3]. The European and US Particle Physics Strategies [R4,R5] have identified these questions and the experiments that pursue them as high priority and essential activities.  The strategy of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) [R8, R29] is to observe beams of neutrinos and antineutrinos with a wide energy band covering two oscillation maxima at an unprecedented long distance, allowing the observation of CP violation (CPV) and MO [R9,R10] with the same experiment, a significant advantage.  The general goals of this project are to provide DUNE with systems and methods capable of providing far detector calibration measurements necessary for its optimal performance, maximizing its sensitivity to neutrino oscillation physics objectives. Leveraging on the varied expertise of the group members, our long-term plan is to either lead or make strong contributions across all levels of this effort, starting from mechanical and electronics construction, development of operational software, calibration data taking and analysis and ultimately using the calibration information to improve the detector performance models used in the neutrino oscillation analysis. In the context of the present project, which ends in October 2025, the overall focus will be on ProtoDUNE and the preparations for the far detectors, both with hardware and analysis tasks.  This proposal includes both a strong instrumentation development component and a solid set of analysis objectives. By drawing from the vast and varied expertise of all the group's members, this project will substantially contribute to constraining the systematic uncertainties of the DUNE experiment, leading to an improvement in its physics capabilities.  The development of calibration instrumentation represents a very substantial contribution of the group to ProtoDUNE and eventually to the DUNE experiment. This effort is combined with a robust analysis plan, both of the calibration data (for characterization of the detector) and with the calibration data (to use as testbench for analyses that aim to propagate systematics into the DUNE far detector sensitivity).   group members, our long-term plan is to either lead or make strong contributions across all levels of this effort, starting from mechanical and electronics construction, development of operational software, calibration data taking and analysis and ultimately using the calibration information to improve the detector performance models used in the neutrino oscillation analysis. In the context of the present project, which ends in October 2025, the overall focus will be on ProtoDUNE and the preparations for the far detectors, both with hardware and analysis tasks.  This proposal includes both a strong instrumentation development component and a solid set of analysis objectives. By drawing from the vast and varied expertise of all the group's members, this project will substantially contribute to constraining the systematic uncertainties of the DUNE experiment, leading to an improvement in its physics capabilities.  The development of calibration instrumentation represents a very substantial contribution of the group to ProtoDUNE and eventually to the DUNE experiment. This effort is combined with a robust analysis plan, both of the calibration data (for characterization of the detector) and with the calibration data (to use as testbench for analyses that aim to propagate systematics into the DUNE far detector sensitivity).  

---

Support under

Reforçar a investigação, o desenvolvimento tecnológico e a inovação

Region of Intervention

...

 

Funding

---

---

---

 

Dates

---

---