Search for diffuse supernova background in Gd based water Cherenkov experiments

我打算做一个重要的测量中微子的速度和能量，从遥远的超新星到达整个星系。这些中微子的性质将告诉我们更多关于宇宙更广泛的组成以及中微子本身的信息。这种测量将使我们能够测试宇宙中黑洞形成的速度，测试我们的超新星模型，并告诉我们重元素的起源和星系的金属丰度。这种测量以前是不可能的，但现在由于对称为水切伦科夫的检测方法的新适应而可以实现。这种调整将金属盐添加到水中，这将提高检测中微子相互作用中存在的中子的效率。这将使我们能够大大减少测量的背景。然而，为了使这一最终结果成为可能，我将创建新的检测软件、粒子识别和校准系统，用于装载这种金属盐的检测器。我还将开发新的分析工具，并进行初步测量，以量化中微子与介质的相互作用。这是一个非常令人兴奋的领域，在其中进行这样一个项目，不仅因为它对理解我们宇宙的性质和结构的影响，而且还因为中微子天文学领域的活动正在迅速升级，仅在去年就对太阳系外的中微子源进行了一些新的观测。这项研究可以加速这种增长，并使我们能够探测新的星系物体。正在研究的新型中子校准设备可能会对医学物理学产生更广泛的影响，以及在未来5年内启用的4个使用该探测方法的新实验。作为该项目一部分开发的世界领先的DAQ和触发系统将在这4个探测器中的3个上实施，其中最值得注意的是WATCHMAN，这是一项新的英美倡议，旨在帮助打击核不扩散。我预计，通过我开发必要的在线（DAQ和触发）和离线（校准和分析）系统，该奖学金将在未来4 + 3年内为这些探测器的开发和操作做出贡献。这项工作将允许测量弥漫超新星中微子背景进行和完善。我将建立一个小组来承担这个项目的任务，并将继续在沃里克的学术地位，以进一步发展该领域后奖学金。

I intend to make a vital measurement of the rate and energy of neutrinos that arrive from distant supernovae throughout thegalaxy. The properties of these neutrinos will tell us much about about the wider composition of the universe as well as neutrinos themselves. This measurement will allow us to test the rate of black hole formation in the universe, test our models of supernova and tell us about the origin of heavy elements and metallicity of the galaxies. This measurement has not been possible before but is now within reach due to a new adaptation to the detection method known as water Cherenkov. This adaptation adds a metal salt to the water which will increase the efficiency of detection of neutrons present with the neutrino interactions. This will allow us todramatically reduce the backgrounds of the measurement. However in order to make this final result possible, I will create new detection software, particle identification and calibration systems for use with detectors loaded with this metal salt. I will also develop novel analysis tools and make preliminary measurements to quantify the interactions of neutrinos with the medium. This is a very exciting area in which to undertake such a project, not only because it of its impact in understanding the nature andstructure of our universe, but also because activity in the field of neutrino astronomy is rapidly escalating, with a number of new observations of neutrino sources outside oursolar system in the last year alone. This study could accelerate that growth and allow us to probe new galactic objects. The novel neutron calibration devices that are being studied could have wider impact in medical physics as well as the 4 new experiments using the detection method which turn on in the next 5 years.The world leading DAQ and triggering systems developed as part of this project will be implemented on 3 of these 4 detectors, with the most notable being WATCHMAN, a new UK-US initiative to help combat nuclear non proliferation. I envisage that the fellowship will contribute to the development and operation of these detectors over the next 4 + 3 years through my development of the necessary online (DAQ and triggering) and offline (calibration and analysis) systems. This work will allow a measurement of the diffuse supernova neutrino background to be undertaken and perfected. I will build a group to undertake the tasks of this project and will continue in an academic position at Warwick to develop the field further post-Fellowship.