Point contact germanium detectors for rare event searches

如果大爆炸创造了等量的物质和反物质，我们怎么可能存在？我们不应该和我们的反伙伴见面然后消失吗？如果我们只能观察到宇宙中5%的物质，那么剩下的是什么呢？这些都是重要的基本问题，该研究计划旨在通过更好地理解中微子的性质（它们是物质还是反物质？）以及开发探测“暗物质”（被认为是宇宙中失踪物质的一大部分）的方法。加拿大已表明致力于回答这些问题，最近的诺贝尔奖确认了这一点。拟议的计划将加强该国在这一研究中的领导作用，同时培养高素质的人才。这笔赠款将支持一个团队利用CFI资助的设施开发和测试由高纯锗制造的新型粒子探测器。我们的设施将通过提供这些探测器表面急需的表征测量来支持全球目前的研究工作。从长远来看，我们将沿着沿着两条途径为下一代实验开发新的探测器技术。首先是确定这些探测器可以做多大，这样我们就可以最大限度地减少研究中微子基本性质所需的单个探测器的数量。第二个是开发一个原型，它对暗物质粒子或中微子存款在探测器中的少量能量具有独特的敏感性。拟议的工作利用了我们与德克萨斯州和伯克利的团体建立的强有力的合作，以及利用皇后学院的现有设施。这使我们能够以具有竞争力的成本在技术开发方面提出重大进展。** 我的团队将参加国际MAJORANA和MINER合作，这些合作使用锗探测器来了解中微子和暗物质。我们还参与了下一代实验的设计，以使用一吨锗探测器来了解中微子（因此需要确定这些探测器可以制造多大）。因此，我们的研究计划融入了当前的知识前沿，同时开发了与加拿大粒子物理学研究重点相一致的未来技术。我们将为年轻的科学家提供一个充满活力的研究环境，他们将发展各种技能，这将有利于他们的职业生涯。通过在我们的工厂工作，他们将参与一些涉及尖端技术的硬件项目。通过开发软件来分析数据，他们将获得现代计算技能，并获得平衡硬件与软件的全面教育。他们的教育将通过作为一个庞大的多元化国际团队的一部分而得到进一步加强，这将有助于发展加拿大训练有素的劳动力。

If the Big Bang created equal amounts of matter and anti-matter, how is it possible that we exist? Should we not have met our anti-partners and disappeared? If we can only observe 5% of the matter in the universe, what makes up the rest? These are important fundamental questions that this research program aims to answer by better understanding the properties of neutrinos (are they matter or anti-matter?) and by developing ways to detect "dark matter" (thought to be a substantial fraction of the missing matter in the universe). Canada has demonstrated a commitment to answering these questions, which was recognized by the recent Nobel Prize. The proposed program will strengthen the country's leadership role in this research while training highly qualified personnel.******This grant will support a team to utilize a CFI-funded facility to develop and test novel particle detectors fabricated from high purity germanium. Our facility will support current research efforts worldwide by providing critically-needed characterization measurements of the surfaces of these detectors. In the long term, we will develop new detector technologies for the next generation of experiments along two avenues. The first is to determine how large these detectors can be made so that we can minimize the number of individual detectors required to study the fundamental nature of the neutrino. The second is to develop a prototype that is uniquely sensitive to the small amounts of energy that a dark matter particle or a neutrino would deposit in the detector. The proposed work makes use of strong collaborations that we have built with groups in Texas and in Berkeley, as well as leveraging existing facilities at Queen's. This allows us to propose significant advances in the development of technologies for a competitive cost. ******My group will participate in the international MAJORANA and MINER collaborations which are using germanium detectors to understand neutrinos and dark matter. We are also participating in the design of a next generation experiment to understand neutrinos using one tonne of germanium detectors (hence the need to determine how large these can be made). Our research program is thus integrated into the current frontier of knowledge while developing future technologies that are aligned with Canada's research priorities in particle physics.******We will provide young scientists with a dynamic research environment where they will develop a variety of skills that will benefit their careers. By working in our facility, they will participate in a number of hardware projects involving cutting-edge technologies. By developing software to analyse data, they will acquire modern computing skills and obtain a well-rounded education that balances hardware with software. Their education will be further enhanced by working as a part of a large diverse international team, which will help to develop Canada's highly trained workforce.