PIRE: Advanced Germanium Detectors and Technologies for Underground Physics

PIRE：用于地下物理的先进锗探测器和技术

• 批准号: 1743790
• 负责人: Dongming Mei
• 金额: $ 435.2万
• 依托单位: University of South Dakota Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1743790&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PIRE; Advanced; Germanium; Detectors; Technologies

PI: Dongming Mei (University of South Dakota)co-PIs: Harlan Harris (Texas A&M University)John Wilkerson (University of North Carolina)Nontechnical abstract:Understanding how the Universe works at its fundamental level is key to harnessing its power here on Earth. Observations of gravitational phenomena indicate that 80% of the matter in the Universe is dark matter (DM). Novel direct-detection strategies to probe non-gravitational interactions between DM and ordinary matter are needed to discover DM. In addition to DM, neutrinos also play an important role in understanding the Universe. The discovery of neutrino mass has created a potential tantalizing connection between the observed asymmetry of matter over antimatter in our Universe and postulated neutrino properties. If neutrinos are their own anti-particles, this might offer an explanation of the prevalence of matter over anti-matter. The only experimentally feasible way to answer this question is to look for neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay, a proposed form of nuclear decay. Observation of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS) indicates several important properties of neutrinos. Testing these properties could lead to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe. Therefore, the nature of dark matter and key properties of neutrinos are two of the most important questions in fundamental physics. PIRE-GErmanium Materials And Detectors Advancement Research Consortium (PIRE- GEMADARC) is a global partnership created to accelerate the germanium (Ge) material platform used in research and development for ton-scale DM and 0νββ decay experiments while educating the next generation of scientists. PIRE-GEMADARC also develops innovative approaches to constructing new types of low threshold and high-resolution Ge detectors with applications in homeland security, environmental monitoring, and medical imaging. Technical abstract:PIRE-GEMADARC leverages the research expertise, training capabilities, and world-renowned facilities of eleven institutions in the United States, Canada, China, Germany, and Taiwan. Specifically, PIRE-GEMADARC will: (1) advance techniques in zone refinement and crystal growth to guarantee the purity and appropriate gradient of large-size Ge (LGe) detector-grade crystals; (2) develop LGe detectors to achieve low energy thresholds for DM and CEνNS detection and better particle discrimination for 0νββ decay; (3) improve detector performance by gaining a better understanding of charge collection efficiency, background reduction methods, and systematic uncertainties; and (4) enhance education and training for young scientists in the field. Direct detection of DM and observation of 0νββ decay requires deep underground laboratories, extremely pure detectors, and well-established expertise in crystal growth. This Consortium provides access to the deepest underground laboratories - SNOLAB (Canada) and China Jinping Underground Laboratory (China), and includes world-class international expertise in developing Ge detectors from Max-Planck-Institut für Physik (Germany) and the Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica (Taiwan). Equally important is the work of the Consortium to develop the next generation of diverse scientists and engineers through its integrated research and education program. At the end of this five-year award, the Consortium will have trained more than 170 undergraduate and graduate students and K-12 teachers, plus 5 postdoctoral fellows - a majority of whom will have practical international research experiences, and a significant fraction of which will be from underrepresented groups. The Consortium's comprehensive Junior Faculty Development plan will prepare six early career faculty members for academic leadership.

PI：Dongming Mei（南达科他大学）co-PI：Harlan Harris（德克萨斯农工大学）John Wilkerson（北卡罗来纳大学）非技术摘要：了解宇宙在其基本层面上如何运作是在地球上利用其力量的关键对引力现象的观测表明，宇宙中 80% 的物质是暗物质 (DM)，用于探测 DM 和暗物质之间的非引力相互作用。除了DM之外，中微子在理解宇宙中也发挥着重要作用。中微子质量的发现在我们宇宙中观察到的物质相对于反物质的不对称性和假设的中微子特性之间建立了潜在的诱人联系。如果中微子是它们自己的反粒子，这可能可以解释物质相对于反物质的普遍存在。回答这个问题的唯一实验上可行的方法是寻找。无中微子双β（0ββ）衰变，一种拟议的核衰变形式，对相干弹性中微子核散射（CEνNS）的观察表明了中微子的几个重要特性。这些特性可以帮助我们更好地了解宇宙的起源和演化，因此，暗物质的性质和中微子的关键特性是两个最重要的问题。 PIRE-GErmanium Materials And Detectors Advancement Research Consortium (PIRE-GEMADARC) 是一个全球合作伙伴关系，旨在加速用于吨级 DM 和 0 的研究和开发的锗 (Ge) 材料平台。 ;β 在教育下一代科学家的同时，PIRE-GEMADARC 还开发了构建新型低阈值和高分辨率 Ge 的创新方法。技术摘要：PIRE-GEMADARC 利用美国、加拿大、中国、德国和台湾 11 个机构的研究专业知识、培训能力和世界知名的设施。 PIRE-GEMADARC 将：(1) 推进区域细化和晶体生长技术，以保证大尺寸 Ge (LGe) 探测器特定级晶体的纯度和适当的梯度；(2) 开发 LGe 探测器以实现低能量阈值用于 DM 和 CEνNS 检测以及更好的 0β&#946 衰减粒子辨别 (3) 通过更好地了解电荷收集效率、背景降低方法和系统性来提高检测器性能；不确定性；（4）加强对DM领域年轻科学家的教育和培训，并观察0--衰变需要深入的地下实验室。该联盟提供最深处的地下实验室 - SNOLAB（加拿大）和中国锦屏地下实验室（中国），并包括马克斯普朗克开发Ge探测器的世界一流的国际专业知识。 - 物理研究所（德国）和中央研究院物理研究所（台湾）同样重要的是该联盟在培养下一代多元化科学家和人才方面的工作。通过其综合研究和教育计划，该联盟将培训 170 多名本科生和研究生以及 K-12 教师，以及 5 名博士后研究员，其中大多数将拥有实用的国际学位。研究经验，其中很大一部分将来自代表性不足的群体，该联盟的综合初级教师发展计划将为六名早期职业教师做好学术领导的准备。

项目成果

Observation of time-dependent internal charge amplification in a planar germanium detector at cryogenic temperature

• DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-023-11432-y
• 发表时间: 2022-11
• 期刊: The European Physical Journal C
• 作者: P. Acharya;M. Fritts;Dongbin Mei;V. Mandic;C.-J. Wang;R. Mahapatra;M. Platt

Low-energy solar neutrino detection utilizing advanced germanium detectors

利用先进的锗探测器进行低能太阳中微子探测

• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6471/acc751
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics
• 作者: Bhattarai, S;Mei, D-M;Raut, M S
• 通讯作者: Raut, M S

Fabrication and characterization of high-purity germanium detectors with amorphous germanium contacts

• DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/14/02/p02019
• 发表时间: 2019-02-01
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF INSTRUMENTATION
• 影响因子: 1.3
• 作者: Meng, X-H;Wang, G-J;Mei, D-M
• 通讯作者: Mei, D-M

Temperature-dependent charge barrier height of amorphous germanium contact detector

非晶锗接触探测器随温度变化的电荷势垒高度

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2022.166862
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Detectors and Associated Equipment
• 作者: Panth, Rajendra;Wei, Wenzhao;Mei, Dongming;Liu, Jing;Bhattarai, Sanjay;Mei, Hao;Raut, Mathbar;Acharya, Pramod;Kooi, Kyler;Wang, Guojian
• 通讯作者: Wang, Guojian

The decay Q value of neutrinoless double beta decay revisited

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2023.122623
• 发表时间: 2022-06
• 期刊: Nuclear Physics A
• 影响因子: 1.4
• 作者: D. Mei;Wenzhao Wei