Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2008 Annual Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics
Volume 53, Number 12
Thursday–Sunday, October 23–26, 2008; Oakland, California
Session LC: Neutrino Physics: Instrumentation I |
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Chair: Karsten Heeger, University of Wisconsin Room: Jewett Ballroom A-B |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 8:30AM - 8:42AM |
LC.00001: Water Cerenkov Detection of Neutrinos and Neutrons Melinda Sweany, Steven Dazeley, Adam Bernstein, Nathaniel Bowden, Robert Svoboda Special Nuclear Material (SNM) emits both neutrons and high energy gamma-rays via spontaneous or induced fission. The detection of these signatures within cargo containers has recently become a high priority area of study. Both forms of radiation are highly penetrating and likely to defeat some degree of effective shielding. The advanced detector group at LLNL has been actively developing the technology for water based neutron detection as part of this effort. Key aspects of our work have grown out of R{\&}D into Gadolinium doped water Cerenkov detectors for neutrino detection. It is likely that developments made in this work will also feed back into neutrino detector development over time. We have built and deployed a small prototype Gadolinium Tri-Chloride doped water Cerenkov detector and tested it with a $^{252}$Cf fission source. We have also carried out R{\&}D on the attenuation length of GdCl$_{3}$ doped water, as well as its effects on likely detector components. We will discuss these results and our plans for the near future. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 8:42AM - 8:54AM |
LC.00002: Precision microwave detection of beta-decay electrons Benjamin Monreal, Joseph Formaggio, Asher Kaboth In order to measure the electron neutrino mass via the tritium beta-decay endpoint, we require extremely precise energy measurements of mildly relativistic electrons. In a magnetic field, these electrons emit coherent cyclotron radiation. Detecting this radiation gives a repeatable, nondestructive measurement of single electron energies and velocities; this may make possible a novel high-precision, low-background tritium experiment, and may have applications in other areas of nuclear physics. In this talk, we outline such an experiment. We discuss some practical aspects of single-electron detection at microwave frequencies, and simulations of the ultimate energy resolution and neutrino-mass sensitivity. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 8:54AM - 9:06AM |
LC.00003: A review of the characterization KATRIN detector section Brandon Wall A short review of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment's detector section and preliminary data from the characterization of the focal plane detector will be presented. KATRIN's goal is to attain a mass sensitivity of .2 eV by measuring the shape of the tritium beta decay spectrum at the end point. There are essentially three main sections to the KATRIN's detector: a tritium source, spectrometers, and a detector section. The beta decay electrons are emitted from a gaseous tritium source and magnetically guided to a pre-spectrometer then to the main spectrometer. The pre-spectrometer removes the electrons 100 eV below the endpoint energy. The main spectrometer, with an energy resolution of .93 eV, allows us to achieve the .2 eV sensitivity. Finally a silicon PIN diode array detects the analyzed electrons. The array is 94 millimeters in diameter, 500 microns thick and segmented into 144 sections of equal area. I will discuss the performance front-end electronics and of the characterization of the array with a precision electron gun. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 9:06AM - 9:18AM |
LC.00004: Characterization of the KATRIN Focal Plane Detector Laura Bodine, Michelle Leber, Allan Myers, Kazumi Tolich, Brent VanDevender, Brandon Wall The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) Experiment is a next generation tritium beta decay experiment designed to measure directly the electron neutrino mass with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV. In the experiment, electrons from tritium decay of a gaseous source are magnetically guided through analyzing solenoidal retarding electrostatic spectrometers and detected via a focal plane detector. The focal plane detector is a 90mm diameter, 500 micron thick monolithic silicon pin-diode array with 148 pixels. The diode contacts have a titanium nitride overlayer and are connected to preamplifiers via an array of spring-loaded pogo pins. This novel connection scheme minimizes backgrounds from radioactive materials near the detector, facilitates characterization and replacement of the detector wafer, but requires a unique mounting design. The force of the pins strains the silicon, possibly altering the detector properties and performance. Results on the mechanical, thermal and electrical performance of a prototype detector under stress from pogo pin readouts will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 9:18AM - 9:30AM |
LC.00005: Electromagnetic Field Simulation in the KATRIN experiment Thomas Corona The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a tritium beta decay experiment designed to make a direct, model independent measurement of the electron neutrino mass. To accomplish this task, the experiment employs precisely defined electric and magnetic fields for particle transport and mass spectroscopy. In order to simulate particle trajectories in the experiment, it is essential to have methods for calculating these fields quickly and accurately. The application of the methods of direct elliptic integral calculation, zonal harmonic expansion and interpolation from an adaptive-refinement field mesh is described, as well as an analysis of their comparative strengths and weaknesses in reproducing the electromagnetic fields found in KATRIN. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 9:30AM - 9:42AM |
LC.00006: Calibration Techniques used for the KATRIN Neutrino Mass Experiment Joseph Formaggio Over the past decade, experiments studying neutrinos from atmospheric, solar, and reactor sources have shown conclusively that neutrinos change flavor and, as a consequence, have a small but finite mass. Yet, the scale of neutrino masses remains an open question that is of great importance for many areas of physics. The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is the next generation tritium beta decay experiment with sub-eV sensitivity to make a direct, model independent measurement of the electron neutrino mass, with a projected sensitivity of 200 meV. This measurement requires a high level of stability in all spectrometer systems, including the source, the electromagnetic filter, and the detector, as well as a detailed measurement of the scattering cross sections of electrons on molecular tritium. We will give an overview of the some of the calibration techniques employed by the experiment necessary to attain its final sensitivity. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 9:42AM - 9:54AM |
LC.00007: Basic Technologies for MiniLENS and LENS Steven D. Rountree This talk will cover key aspects of the LENS detector that will be tested by MiniLENS, an $\sim $100L indium loaded detector. The key aspects that will be tested in MiniLENS are the novel scintillation lattice (SL), the Indium loaded liquid scintillator (InLS) production and the background suppression techniques made viable the SL. In addition to background suppression, the \textit{pp signal} will be tested by ``proxy'' events using muon pretagged (p,n) reactions which have the same post tag cascade as In115 (nu, e). LENS requires spatial resolution of $\sim $10cm to exploit the signature from neutrino capture on In115 and suppress the background due to In115 beta decay. To obtain this spatial resolution we have developed an optically segmented cubic lattice (the SL) of low index foils in a relatively high index scintillator. This system creates a pixilated light output on the sides of the detector which allows for digital event location instead of the usual time of flight method. LENS requires approximately 10 tons of Indium to be loaded into 100,000 L of organic scintillator, through liquid-liquid extraction. The key properties of the InLS are high metal loading (8-10{\%}), long attenuation length at 430nm ($>$8m), high scintillation yield, stability on the scale of 5 years, and low environmental and health hazards in an underground ambience. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 9:54AM - 10:06AM |
LC.00008: A Novel Point Contact HPGe Detector for Searching for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Victor M. Gehman The M{\sc ajo\-ra\-na} collaboration is investigating a new design for high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors that could increase the physics reach and decrease the cost of our next generation neutrinoless double-beta decay (0$\nu\beta\beta$) search. The p-type, point-contact (PPC) HPGe detector (that is, a detector with a very compact central contact geometry), has a number of very attractive characteristics which could do much to help the field of 0$\nu\beta\beta$, as well as the search for many other types of rare events. This new detector design allows for very low energy thresholds (potentially as low as 0.1 keV), and powerful background rejection through comparatively simple pulse shape analysis algorithms using only the digitized signal from the central contact. As with any new technology however, the PPC detectors must be characterized for reliability, robustness and reproducible fabrication. We present the current status of our efforts, with emphasis on one such detector, ``MJ70'' procured for the M{\sc ajo\-ra\-na} collaboration from PHDs Co. This detector is currently undergoing careful evaluation. This presentation will focus on the characterization program for PPCs, as well as how these detectors fit into the broader M{\sc ajo\-ra\-na} R\&D program. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 10:06AM - 10:18AM |
LC.00009: Geant4 simulation of backgrounds in a p-type point contact Ge detector array M. Boswell Plans are currently underway to construct an array of P-type Point Contact (PPC) Ge detectors for the {\sc{Majo\-ra\-na}} neutrinoless double beta decay experiment. An important aspect of any ultra-low background detector design is estimating the background due to the detectors, associated small parts and cables, and the cryostat components. To this end, the current detector array design has been implemented in Geant4, and a detailed analysis of these backgrounds is underway. In the simulation, the individual components are activated with normal levels of impurities. The response of the detector array to these components provides an estimate of background contributions to the region of interest. Furthermore, analyzing the individual detector response to these various components will provide useful information for background cuts. [Preview Abstract] |
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