RII Track-4:NSF: Exploring the Potential of ANNIE Physics Phase and Beyond

加速器中微子中子相互作用实验（ANNIE）是一个26吨重的掺钆水切伦科夫探测器，位于费米实验室的中微子束助推器上，按粒子物理标准来看很小，但雄心勃勃。目标是利用先进的光传感器和新的实验技术开发下一代中微子探测器，同时进行重要的测量以了解中微子-核相互作用。ANNIE的结果将对未来大型中微子探测器的系统不确定性的降低和信号背景辨别的改进产生直接影响，这对于长基线振荡物理、质子衰变搜索和超新星探测至关重要。拟议的研究将开发新的分析算法，以提高ANNIE的中微子探测能力，并进行基本的模拟和测试，以探索超出当前阶段的物理潜力。该奖学金将促进南达科他州矿业与技术学院（SD Mines）与费米实验室之间的合作。它还将为PI和一名研究生提供全面的培训，以提高该小组在开发下一代中微子探测器方面的研究能力。研究结果将显著促进对中微子探测新技术的认识和理解。ANNIE将对用于中微子探测器的新技术进行几项基本测试，比如一种名为大面积皮秒光电探测器（LAPPD）的新型光电探测器和一种新开发的探测介质——水基液体闪烁体（WbLS）。ANNIE探测器背后的技术将对未来大型水切伦科夫探测器以及中微子物理探测技术的发展产生重大影响。该奖学金支持PI和一名研究生访问费米实验室六个月，与他们在费米实验室的ANNIE合作者密切合作。该研究旨在(1)开发分析算法，以推动ANNIE探测器充分发挥其潜力，展示其对未来实验的承诺；(2)通过将目标容器部署到现有水箱中，测试一种新的中微子探测介质WbLS；(3)进行模拟，以研究利用ANNIE基础设施测量中微子-氩相互作用产生的最终状态中子数量的可行性。拟议的研究将提供一个优化的基于快速时序的重建包，以促进物理分析并探索ANNIE在当前阶段之外的潜力。WbLS的部署和液氩目标部署的可行性研究将ANNIE与未来更大规模的中微子实验联系起来，对该领域产生更广泛的影响。这项研究奖学金将为PI提供新的中微子探测技术的专业知识，并使PI能够长期维持他在实验中微子物理方面的职业生涯。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is a 26-ton gadolinium-doped water Cherenkov detector at the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam, small by particle physics standards but with big ambitions. The goal is to develop a next-generation neutrino detector using advanced photosensors and new experimental techniques while making important measurements to understand neutrino-nucleus interactions. The ANNIE result will have a direct impact on the reduction of the systematic uncertainties and the improvement of the signal-background discrimination in future large neutrino detectors, which is essential for long-baseline oscillation physics, proton decay searches, and supernova detection. The proposed research will develop new analysis algorithms to improve the neutrino detection capability in ANNIE and perform fundamental simulations and tests to explore the physics potential beyond the current phase. The fellowship will advance the collaboration between South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SD Mines) and Fermilab. It will also provide comprehensive training for the PI and a graduate student to enhance the group's research capability in developing next-generation neutrino detectors. The results of the research will significantly advance knowledge and understanding of new technologies for neutrino detection.ANNIE will perform several fundamental tests of new technologies to be used in neutrino detectors, such as a novel kind of photodetectors called Large-Area Picosecond PhotoDetector (LAPPD) and Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS) that is a newly-developed detection medium. The technology behind the ANNIE detector will have a high impact on the development of future large water Cherenkov detectors as well as on detection techniques for neutrino physics. This fellowship supports the PI and a graduate student to visit Fermilab for six months to work closely with their ANNIE collaborators onsite at Fermilab. The proposed research aims at (1) developing analysis algorithms to push the ANNIE detector to its full potential demonstrating its promise for future experiments, (2) testing a new neutrino detection medium WbLS by deploying a target vessel into the existing water tank, and (3) performing simulations to investigate the feasibility of measuring the number of final state neutrons from neutrino-argon interaction using the ANNIE infrastructure. The proposed research will deliver an optimized fast-timing-based reconstruction package to facilitate the physics analysis and explore the ANNIE's potential beyond the current phase. The WbLS deployment and the feasibility study of liquid argon target deployment connect ANNIE to future larger-scale neutrino experiments with broader impacts on the field. This research fellowship would provide the PI with expertise on new neutrino detection technologies and enable the PI to sustain his career in experimental neutrino physics in the long term.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.