Particle Astrophysics at Princeton: Solar Neutrino and Dark Matter Studies with Borexino and DarkSide

普林斯顿大学的粒子天体物理学：利用 Borexino 和 DarkSide 进行太阳中微子和暗物质研究

• 批准号: 1103987
• 负责人: Frank Calaprice
• 金额: $ 273.3万
• 依托单位: Princeton University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1103987&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Particle; Astrophysics; Princeton; Solar; Neutrino

This award will provide support for operations on two experimental initiatives in particle astrophysics: solar neutrinos with the Borexino liquid scintillator detector and dark matter with the DarkSide-50 liquid argon Time Projection Chamber (TPC). The nascent dark matter project will take advantage of the expertise in and facilities for low background methods accumulated by the Borexino collaboration in over two decades of research. DarkSide-50 will take advantage of the Borexino Counting Test Facility (CTF) and of the scintillator and water purification equipment built at the underground lab at Gran Sasso, Italy by the Borexino collaboration. While the Borexino and DarkSide collaborations remain two separate entities, almost all of the Borexino groups have joined the DarkSide Collaboration, and will work on both activities.Borexino is a detector designed to observe low-energy solar neutrinos. It is the most recent large-scale, real-time solar neutrino detector to become operational and has been in operation for a little more than three years, during which time it has acquired solar and terrestrial neutrino data. The solar neutrino goal is to improve the measurement of Beryllium-7 neutrinos to an uncertainty less than 5%, and to make the first real time measurements of other neutrino branches, especially the pep, and possibly also the pp and CNO neutrinos. DarkSide-50 is a 50-kg dual-phase argon detector under development for the direct detection of dark matter particles. It is designed to test innovative low background methods to ensure background-free operation. It will initiate the use of underground argon for dark matter applications. It will be deployed, enclosed in a liquid scintillator neutron veto, within the CTF water tank. The scintillator-water combined shield provides background-free operation for ton-year exposures.For Broader Impacts, the proposed activity will advance the scientific and educational mission in a variety of ways: (1) it will offer an excellent opportunity for the training of students, who will have a chance to contribute to the success of a cutting edge project in fundamental science and advanced engineering; (2) it will benefit society by developing techniques that could find application in areas ranging from national security to medical imaging; and (3) it will support continued development of successful E&O programs such as the Princeton-Abruzzo-South Dakota summer school for high school students.

该奖项将为粒子天体物理学的两项实验计划提供支持：Borexino液体闪烁体探测器的太阳中微子和DarkSide-50液体氩时间投影室（TPC）的暗物质。新生的暗物质项目将利用Borexino合作在二十多年的研究中积累的低背景方法的专业知识和设施。DarkSide-50将利用Borexino计数测试设备（CTF）以及由Borexino合作在意大利Gran Sasso地下实验室建造的闪烁体和水净化设备。虽然Borexino和DarkSide合作仍然是两个独立的实体，但几乎所有Borexino小组都加入了DarkSide合作，并将致力于这两项活动。Borexino是一种旨在观察低能太阳中微子的探测器。这是最近投入运行的大规模实时太阳中微子探测器，已经运行了三年多一点，在此期间，它获得了太阳和地球中微子数据。太阳中微子的目标是将Berg-7中微子的测量提高到不确定度小于5%，并对其他中微子分支进行首次真实的测量，特别是PEP，也可能是PP和CNO中微子。DarkSide-50是一个正在开发的50公斤双相氩探测器，用于直接探测暗物质粒子。它旨在测试创新的低背景方法，以确保无背景操作。它将开始使用地下氩暗物质的应用。它将被部署在CTF水箱内，封闭在液体闪烁体中子否决器中。对于更广泛的影响，拟议的活动将以各种方式推进科学和教育使命：（1）它将为学生培训提供一个极好的机会，他们将有机会为基础科学和先进工程的尖端项目的成功做出贡献;（2）它将通过开发可在从国家安全到医学成像等领域应用的技术而造福社会;（3）它将支持继续发展成功的&EO计划，如面向高中生的莱顿-阿布鲁佐-南达科他州暑期学校。