DUSEL R&D: Development of Bolometric Detectors for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and Neutrino Mass Experiments

杜塞尔R

• 批准号: 0704995
• 负责人: Karsten Heeger
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-08-01 至 2012-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0704995&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DUSEL; R& Development; Bolometric; Detectors

This proposal addresses two fundamental questions in neutrino physics: Are neutrinos Majorana or Dirac particles, and what is the absolute neutrino mass? The only practical experimental technique currently available to address the first question is to search for neutrinoless double beta decay; the second can be answered by measuring the distortion near the endpoint of a single beta decay energy spectrum. A limited number of technologies are available to investigate these questions and cryogenic bolometers is the only detection method that may offer answers to both.The proposed research will investigate ways to improve on the sensitivity levels achievable with current bolometers for neutrino experiments. Specifically, we will pursue studies to understand and discriminate sources of radioactive backgrounds by making use of multiple signal characteristics available from bolometers such as heat and scintillation. In addition, R&D on the signal extraction from bolometers will be carried out to improve the detector speed. The readout and scalability of microcalorimeters is crucial for the next generation of direct neutrino mass measurement using bolometers.Cryogenic bolometers are being used extensively in astronomy and astrophysics research. They have also found application in a few neutrino experiments (double beta decay and single beta decay endpoint mass measurements), but the expertise currently resides mostly in Europe. The research proposed here will help develop the expertise of this promising technology in the neutrino community so that we are ready to pursue sensitive neutrino mass and/or double beta decay experiments using bolometers when DUSEL becomes available.

这个提议解决了中微子物理学中的两个基本问题：中微子是Majorana粒子还是Dirac粒子，以及中微子的绝对质量是多少？ 目前解决第一个问题的唯一可行的实验技术是寻找无中微子的双β衰变;第二个问题可以通过测量单β衰变能谱端点附近的畸变来回答。 有限数量的技术可用于调查这些问题和低温测辐射热计是唯一的检测方法，可能会提供答案both.拟议的研究将探讨如何提高目前的中微子实验测辐射热计可实现的灵敏度水平。 具体而言，我们将继续研究，通过利用测辐射热计提供的多种信号特征，如热量和闪烁，了解和区分放射性背景的来源。此外，还将对辐射热计的信号提取进行研发，以提高探测器的速度。微热量计的读数和可测量性对于下一代利用测辐射热计直接测量中微子质量至关重要。低温测辐射热计在天文学和天体物理学研究中得到广泛应用。他们也在一些中微子实验（双β衰变和单β衰变终点质量测量）中找到了应用，但专业知识目前主要集中在欧洲。 这里提出的研究将有助于发展这种有前途的技术在中微子社区的专业知识，使我们准备追求敏感的中微子质量和/或双β衰变实验时，DUSEL成为可用的测辐射热计。