Phase I Loading of 130Te in SNO+

SNO 中 130Te 的 I 期加载

• 批准号: ST/L001837/1
• 负责人: Steven Biller
• 金额: $ 36.51万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2013 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FL001837%2F1
• 关键词: Phase; Loading; 130Te; SNO+

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay is recognized as one of the highest priority areas of particle physics research today. The observation of this Lepton number-violating process would establish the absolute mass scale of neutrinos, provide insight into Grand Unification and lend weight to models of leptogenesis. The particular approach taken by SNO+ involves loading a large target volume of liquid scintillator with a candidate isotope, originally 150Nd. While the energy resolution of such an experiment is not as good as for solid-state devices, the large self-shielding volumes of high purity liquids allow the potential for realising very large quantities of isotope with low levels of background. Further, the ability to easily modify the liquid configuration offers a significant advantage for probing any candidate signal and readily allowing the implementation of further improvements to purification and loading. Significant developments have taken place over the last 18 months, initiated by work at Oxford by Biller and Chen (while on sabbatical from Queen's University, Canada), which have led to the identification of a more favourable isotope to load into the liquid scintillator for high sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay. Following the subsequent development of a new metal loading technique and purification method by colleagues at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and a thorough independent internal review of the Oxford/Queen's proposal completed in March 2013, the collaboration has decided to pursue the deployment of 130Te as the primary target isotope for double beta decay. We are planning for an initial loading corresponding to ~800kg of 130Te in the detector, to begin in 2014. Our projections are that, even at this stage, SNO+ would attain sensitivity at least comparable to that of the leading proposed experiments in the field, in the region near the top of the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. This quantity of isotope was chosen based on economic considerations and the appropriateness of scale relevant to lead to an anticipated secondary phase, and does not represent a technical limitation of the approach. Thus, following a successful demonstration of this phase and pending results from the continuing R&D effort, we would then aim to increase the loading to the multi-tonne scale as soon as is feasible (potentially seeking initial funding for this as early as 2015). This would put us well ahead of any other experiment and, more importantly, would let us achieve a sensitivity that reaches to near the bottom of the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy, with discovery potential in heart of the region of interest. This proposal requests support to contribute to the additional costs associated with the first phase of this endeavour.

寻找无中微子双β衰变被认为是当今粒子物理学研究的最高优先领域之一。对这个轻子数破坏过程的观测将建立中微子的绝对质量尺度，提供对大统一的深入了解，并为轻子起源模型提供权重。SNO+采用的特定方法涉及用候选同位素（最初为150 Nd）装载大目标体积的液体闪烁体。虽然这种实验的能量分辨率不如固态装置好，但高纯度液体的大的自屏蔽体积允许实现具有低水平背景的非常大量的同位素的潜力。此外，容易地改变液体配置的能力为探测任何候选信号提供了显著的优点，并且容易地允许实现对纯化和装载的进一步改进。在过去的18个月里，由Biller和Chen（在加拿大女王大学休假期间）在牛津大学的工作发起的重大发展已经发生，这导致了一种更有利的同位素的鉴定，以加载到液体闪烁体中，对无中微子双β衰变具有高灵敏度。在布鲁克海文国家实验室的同事们随后开发了一种新的金属装载技术和纯化方法，并于2013年3月完成了对牛津/女王提案的彻底独立内部审查后，该合作决定将130 Te作为双β衰变的主要目标同位素。我们计划在2014年开始在探测器中初始装载相当于约800 kg的130 Te。我们的预测是，即使在这个阶段，SNO+将达到至少相当于该领域的领先拟议实验的灵敏度，在该地区附近的倒置中微子质量等级的顶部。该同位素量的选择是基于经济考虑和导致预期次级相的相关规模的适当性，并且不代表该方法的技术限制。因此，在这一阶段的成功示范和持续研发工作的结果之后，我们的目标是尽快将装载量增加到多吨级（可能最早在2015年为此寻求初始资金）。这将使我们远远领先于任何其他实验，更重要的是，将使我们实现接近倒置中微子质量等级底部的灵敏度，在感兴趣区域的中心具有发现潜力。这项提议要求提供支助，以分担与这项工作第一阶段有关的额外费用。

项目成果

Current Status and Future Prospects of the SNO+ Experiment

• DOI: 10.1155/2016/6194250
• 发表时间: 2015-08
• 期刊: Advances in High Energy Physics
• 影响因子: 1.7
• 作者: S. Andringa;E. Arushanova;S. Asahi;M. Askins;D. Auty;A. R. Back;Z. Barnard;N. Barros;E. Beier;A. Bialek;S. Biller;E. Blucher;R. Bonventre;D. Braid;E. Caden;E. Callaghan;J. Caravaca;J. Carvalho;L. Cavalli;D. Chauhan;M. Chen;O. Chkvorets;K. Clark;B. Cleveland;I. Coulter;D. Cressy;X. Dai;C. Darrach;B. Davis-purcell;R. Deen;M. M. Depatie-M.;F. Descamps;F. Lodovico;N. Duhaime;F. Duncan;J. Dunger;E. Falk;N. Fatemighomi;R. Ford;P. Gorel;C. Grant;S. Grullon;E. Guillian;A. Hallin;D. Hallman;S. Hans;J. Hartnell;P. Harvey;M. Hedayatipour;W. Heintzelman;R. Helmer;B. Hreljac;J. Hu;T. Iida;C. Jackson;N. Jelley;C. Jillings;C. Jones;P. Jones;K. Kamdin;T. Kaptanoglu;J. Kaspar;P. Keener;P. Khaghani;L. Kippenbrock;J. Klein;R. Knapik;J. Kofron;L. Kormos;S. Korte;C. Kraus;C. Krauss;K. Labe;I. Lam;C. Lan;B. Land;S. Langrock;A. Latorre;I. Lawson;G. Lefeuvre;E. Leming;J. Lidgard;X. Liu;Y. Liu;V. Lozza;S. Maguire;A. Maio;K. Majumdar;S. Manecki;J. Maneira;E. Marzec;A. Mastbaum;N. McCauley;A. McDonald;J. Mcmillan;P. Mekarski;C. Miller;Y. Mohan;E. Mony;M. Mottram;V. Novikov;H. O'Keeffe;E. O’Sullivan;G. O. Gann;M. Parnell;S. Peeters;T. Pershing;Z. Petriw;G. Prior;J. Prouty;S. Quirk;A. Reichold;A. Robertson;J. Rose;R. Rosero;P. Rost;J. Rumleskie;M. Schumaker;M. Schwendener;D. Ścisłowski;J. Secrest;M. Seddighin;L. Segui;S. Seibert;T. Shantz;T. Shokair;L. Sibley;J. Sinclair;K. Singh;P. Skensved;A. Soerensen;T. Sonley;R. Stainforth;M. Strait;M. Stringer;R. Svoboda;J. Tatar;L. Tian;N. Tolich;J. Tseng;H. Tseung;R. Berg;E. V'azquez-J'auregui;C. Virtue;B. Krosigk;J. Walker;M. Walker;O. Wasalski;J. Waterfield;R. White;J. Wilson;T. Winchester;A. Wright;M. Yeh;T. Zhao;K. Z. L. D. I. E. F. E. Part'iculas-K.-Z.-L.-D.-I.-E.-F.-E.-Part'iculas-1388793916;Lisboa;Portugal;Queen Mary;U. O. London;S. O. Physics;Astronomy;London;UK.;Queen's University;D. Physics;E. Physics;Kingston;on;Canada.;U. California;Davis;Ca;Usa;U. Alberta;Edmonton;Ab;U. Sussex;Physics;Falmer;Brighton;Laurentian University;Sudbury;U. Pennsylvania;Philadelphia.;Pa;U. Oxford;The Denys Wilkinson Building;Oxford;The Enrico Fermi Institute;T. Chicago;Chicago.;Il;Berkeley;L. B. N. Laboratory;Nuclear Science Division;Universidade de Coimbra;Laborat'orio de Instrumentaccao e F'isica Experimental de Part'iculas-Laborat'orio-de-Instrumentaccao-e-F'isica-de-1388470540;D. D. F'isica-D.;Coimbra;Snolab;Triumf;Vancouver.;Bc;Brookhaven National Laboratory;C. Department;Upton;Ny;U. Washington;Center for High Energy Physics;Astrophysics;Seattle;Wa;N. University;Northfield;Vt;L. University;Physics Department;Lancaster;T. U. Dresden;Institut fur Teilchenphysik;Dresden.;H Germany;Universidade de Lisboa;F. Ciencias;U. Liverpool;Liverpool;U. Sheffield;Sheffield;A. A. S. University-A.;Savannah;Ga;Universidad Nacional Aut'onoma de M'exico;I. D. F'isica;M'exico D.F.;M'exico.

Probing Majorana neutrinos in the regime of the normal mass hierarchy

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.87.071301
• 发表时间: 2013-04
• 期刊: Physical Review D
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: S. Biller

Purification of telluric acid for SNO+ neutrinoless double-beta decay search

纯化碲酸用于 SNO 无中微子双 β 衰变研究

• 发表时间: 2015

SNO+ with Tellurium

碲 SNO

• 发表时间: 2015