Photodetectors for the SuperNEMO Demonstrator Module

中微子的振荡不仅证明了中微子有质量，而且还暗示了标准模型以外新对称性的存在。这些新的观察结果有力地推动了对中微子内在性质的进一步研究，包括测试它们是Majorana还是Dirac类型的粒子。自然猜想表明，对中微子的更深入了解可能会提供普朗克尺度能级的现象一瞥，可能会拓宽我们对基本力的知识，可能会揭示轻子和重子的最初创造，并有助于提高我们对宇宙早期演化的理解。Majorana类型的中微子导致无中微子双β衰变(NDBD)&这是一种二阶弱核过程，在这个过程中，一个原子量和原子数为(A，Z)的初态核转变为(A，Z2)核，只发射两个电子。在这个跃迁中，轻子数变化了两个单位，末态的两个电子携带的能量等于核跃迁的能量。该合同将提供资金购买200个8英寸直径的PMT，以完成第一个SuperNEMO模块--演示器的建造。未来三年是至关重要的，因此这一贡献是及时的，对这一阶段的试验的成功至关重要。在这个项目的更广泛的影响中，揭示中微子的性质将对更好地理解基本粒子及其基本相互作用具有深远的影响。在技术方面，该小组正在开发一种独特的低本底计数技术，该技术可能应用于物理学之外，并可能对社会产生普遍好处。他们在建设最先进的科学项目方面教育和培训年轻的研究人员。他们建议在德克萨斯大学校园建立一个展览馆，展示天然放射性、宇宙射线和相关亚原子现象的发现、基本物理和应用。

Neutrino oscillations not only demonstrate that neutrinos have mass but also imply the existence of new symmetries beyond the Standard Model. These new observations strongly motivate further studies of the intrinsic properties of neutrinos, including tests of whether they are Majorana or Dirac-type particles. Natural conjectures suggest that a deeper understanding of neutrinos may provide a glimpse onto phenomena at a Planck-scale energy level, could broaden our knowledge of the fundamental forces, could shed light onto the initial creation of leptons and baryons, and can help to improve our understanding of the early evolution of the Universe. Majorana-type neutrinos lead to a neutrinoless double beta decay (NDBD) − the second-order weak nuclear process for which an initial state nucleus with atomic weight and number (A, Z) is transformed into a nucleus of (A, Z + 2), with the emission of only two electrons. In this transition, the lepton number changes by two units and the two electrons in the final state carry the energy equal to the energy of nuclear transition. This award will provide funds to purchase 200 8-inch diameter PMTs to complete the construction of the first SuperNEMO module, the Demonstrator. The next three years are critical so this contribution is timely and crucial to the success of this phase of the experiment. Among the broader impacts of this project, unraveling the nature of neutrinos will have far-reaching implications for better understanding of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions. On the technical side, the group is developing a unique low background counting technique which may be applied outside of physics and can be of general benefit to society. They educate and train young researchers in building state-of-the-art science projects. They propose to build an exhibit gallery on the UT campus illustrating the discovery, the underlying physics, and applications of natural radioactivity, cosmic rays, and related subatomic phenomena.