Phase I Loading of 130Te in SNO+

SNO 中 130Te 的 I 期加载

• 批准号: ST/L001837/1
• 负责人: Steven Biller
• 金额: $ 36.51万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2013 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FL001837%2F1
• 关键词: Phase; Loading; 130Te; SNO+

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay is recognized as one of the highest priority areas of particle physics research today. The observation of this Lepton number-violating process would establish the absolute mass scale of neutrinos, provide insight into Grand Unification and lend weight to models of leptogenesis. The particular approach taken by SNO+ involves loading a large target volume of liquid scintillator with a candidate isotope, originally 150Nd. While the energy resolution of such an experiment is not as good as for solid-state devices, the large self-shielding volumes of high purity liquids allow the potential for realising very large quantities of isotope with low levels of background. Further, the ability to easily modify the liquid configuration offers a significant advantage for probing any candidate signal and readily allowing the implementation of further improvements to purification and loading. Significant developments have taken place over the last 18 months, initiated by work at Oxford by Biller and Chen (while on sabbatical from Queen's University, Canada), which have led to the identification of a more favourable isotope to load into the liquid scintillator for high sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay. Following the subsequent development of a new metal loading technique and purification method by colleagues at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and a thorough independent internal review of the Oxford/Queen's proposal completed in March 2013, the collaboration has decided to pursue the deployment of 130Te as the primary target isotope for double beta decay. We are planning for an initial loading corresponding to ~800kg of 130Te in the detector, to begin in 2014. Our projections are that, even at this stage, SNO+ would attain sensitivity at least comparable to that of the leading proposed experiments in the field, in the region near the top of the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. This quantity of isotope was chosen based on economic considerations and the appropriateness of scale relevant to lead to an anticipated secondary phase, and does not represent a technical limitation of the approach. Thus, following a successful demonstration of this phase and pending results from the continuing R&D effort, we would then aim to increase the loading to the multi-tonne scale as soon as is feasible (potentially seeking initial funding for this as early as 2015). This would put us well ahead of any other experiment and, more importantly, would let us achieve a sensitivity that reaches to near the bottom of the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy, with discovery potential in heart of the region of interest. This proposal requests support to contribute to the additional costs associated with the first phase of this endeavour.

寻找无中微子双β衰变被认为是当今粒子物理研究的最优先领域之一。对这种轻子数违规过程的观察将建立中微子的绝对质量尺度，提供对大统一的深入了解，并为轻子发生模型提供依据。 SNO+ 采用的特殊方法包括在液体闪烁体的大目标体积中装载候选同位素（最初为 150Nd）。虽然此类实验的能量分辨率不如固态装置，但高纯度液体的大量自屏蔽体积使得有可能实现大量低背景水平的同位素。此外，轻松修改液体配置的能力为探测任何候选信号提供了显着的优势，并易于实现纯化和加载的进一步改进。在 Biller 和 Chen（在加拿大女王大学休假时）在牛津大学的工作发起下，过去 18 个月里已经取得了重大进展，从而确定了一种更有利的同位素，可以加载到液体闪烁体中以实现高效率。对无中微子双β衰变的敏感性。随后布鲁克海文国家实验室的同事开发了一种新的金属装载技术和纯化方法，并于 2013 年 3 月完成了对牛津/女王提案的彻底独立内部审查，合作决定继续部署 130Te 作为主要技术。双β衰变的目标同位素。我们计划从 2014 年开始在探测器中初始装载约 800 公斤的 130Te。我们的预测是，即使在这个阶段，SNO+ 也将获得至少与该领域领先的拟议实验相当的灵敏度，位于倒置中微子质量等级顶部附近的区域。同位素的这个数量是根据经济考虑和与导致预期第二阶段相关的规模的适当性来选择的，并且并不代表该方法的技术限制。因此，在这一阶段的成功论证以及持续研发工作的待定结果之后，我们的目标是在可行的情况下尽快将装载量增加到数吨规模（可能最早在 2015 年为此寻求初始资金）。这将使我们远远领先于任何其他实验，更重要的是，将使我们获得接近倒置中微子质量等级底部的灵敏度，并在感兴趣区域的中心具有发现潜力。该提案请求支持，以支付与这一努力第一阶段相关的额外费用。

项目成果

Current Status and Future Prospects of the SNO+ Experiment

• DOI: 10.1155/2016/6194250
• 发表时间: 2015-08
• 期刊: Advances in High Energy Physics
• 影响因子: 1.7
• 作者: S. Andringa;E. Arushanova;S. Asahi;M. Askins;D. Auty;A. R. Back;Z. Barnard;N. Barros;E. Beier;A. Bialek;S. Biller;E. Blucher;R. Bonventre;D. Braid;E. Caden;E. Callaghan;J. Caravaca;J. Carvalho;L. Cavalli;D. Chauhan;M. Chen;O. Chkvorets;K. Clark;B. Cleveland;I. Coulter;D. Cressy;X. Dai;C. Darrach;B. Davis-purcell;R. Deen;M. M. Depatie-M.;F. Descamps;F. Lodovico;N. Duhaime;F. Duncan;J. Dunger;E. Falk;N. Fatemighomi;R. Ford;P. Gorel;C. Grant;S. Grullon;E. Guillian;A. Hallin;D. Hallman;S. Hans;J. Hartnell;P. Harvey;M. Hedayatipour;W. Heintzelman;R. Helmer;B. Hreljac;J. Hu;T. Iida;C. Jackson;N. Jelley;C. Jillings;C. Jones;P. Jones;K. Kamdin;T. Kaptanoglu;J. Kaspar;P. Keener;P. Khaghani;L. Kippenbrock;J. Klein;R. Knapik;J. Kofron;L. Kormos;S. Korte;C. Kraus;C. Krauss;K. Labe;I. Lam;C. Lan;B. Land;S. Langrock;A. Latorre;I. Lawson;G. Lefeuvre;E. Leming;J. Lidgard;X. Liu;Y. Liu;V. Lozza;S. Maguire;A. Maio;K. Majumdar;S. Manecki;J. Maneira;E. Marzec;A. Mastbaum;N. McCauley;A. McDonald;J. Mcmillan;P. Mekarski;C. Miller;Y. Mohan;E. Mony;M. Mottram;V. Novikov;H. O'Keeffe;E. O’Sullivan;G. O. Gann;M. Parnell;S. Peeters;T. Pershing;Z. Petriw;G. Prior;J. Prouty;S. Quirk;A. Reichold;A. Robertson;J. Rose;R. Rosero;P. Rost;J. Rumleskie;M. Schumaker;M. Schwendener;D. Ścisłowski;J. Secrest;M. Seddighin;L. Segui;S. Seibert;T. Shantz;T. Shokair;L. Sibley;J. Sinclair;K. Singh;P. Skensved;A. Soerensen;T. Sonley;R. Stainforth;M. Strait;M. Stringer;R. Svoboda;J. Tatar;L. Tian;N. Tolich;J. Tseng;H. Tseung;R. Berg;E. V'azquez-J'auregui;C. Virtue;B. Krosigk;J. Walker;M. Walker;O. Wasalski;J. Waterfield;R. White;J. Wilson;T. Winchester;A. Wright;M. Yeh;T. Zhao;K. Z. L. D. I. E. F. E. Part'iculas-K.-Z.-L.-D.-I.-E.-F.-E.-Part'iculas-1388793916;Lisboa;Portugal;Queen Mary;U. O. London;S. O. Physics;Astronomy;London;UK.;Queen's University;D. Physics;E. Physics;Kingston;on;Canada.;U. California;Davis;Ca;Usa;U. Alberta;Edmonton;Ab;U. Sussex;Physics;Falmer;Brighton;Laurentian University;Sudbury;U. Pennsylvania;Philadelphia.;Pa;U. Oxford;The Denys Wilkinson Building;Oxford;The Enrico Fermi Institute;T. Chicago;Chicago.;Il;Berkeley;L. B. N. Laboratory;Nuclear Science Division;Universidade de Coimbra;Laborat'orio de Instrumentaccao e F'isica Experimental de Part'iculas-Laborat'orio-de-Instrumentaccao-e-F'isica-de-1388470540;D. D. F'isica-D.;Coimbra;Snolab;Triumf;Vancouver.;Bc;Brookhaven National Laboratory;C. Department;Upton;Ny;U. Washington;Center for High Energy Physics;Astrophysics;Seattle;Wa;N. University;Northfield;Vt;L. University;Physics Department;Lancaster;T. U. Dresden;Institut fur Teilchenphysik;Dresden.;H Germany;Universidade de Lisboa;F. Ciencias;U. Liverpool;Liverpool;U. Sheffield;Sheffield;A. A. S. University-A.;Savannah;Ga;Universidad Nacional Aut'onoma de M'exico;I. D. F'isica;M'exico D.F.;M'exico.

Probing Majorana neutrinos in the regime of the normal mass hierarchy

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.87.071301
• 发表时间: 2013-04
• 期刊: Physical Review D
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: S. Biller

Purification of telluric acid for SNO+ neutrinoless double-beta decay search

纯化碲酸用于 SNO 无中微子双 β 衰变研究

• 发表时间: 2015

SNO+ with Tellurium

碲 SNO

• 发表时间: 2015