Deep Underground Science And Engineering Laboratory Research Articles

Liquid Argon Neutrino Detector Development at Fermilab

Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LAr TPCs) are ideally suited for the study of neutrino interactions thanks to their combination of scalability and precision detection capability. In this talk I will highlight work in the development of this technology at Fermilab, focusing on the details of the ArgoNeuT project and the MicroBooNE experiment. ArgoNeuT is a 175 liter LArTPC that was recently operated in the NuMI beamline, and MicroBooNE is a 90 ton LArTPC that will begin operations in the Booster neutrino beam beginning in 2013. I will conclude with preliminary ideas for the ultimate LArTPC experiment that could be conducted at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) in South Dakota.

The Homestake Interim Laboratory and Homestake DUSEL

The former Homestake gold mine in Lead South Dakota is proposed for the National Science Foundationʼs Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). The gold mine provides expedient access to depths in excess of 8000 feet below the surface (>7000 mwe). Homestakeʼs long history of promoting scientific endeavours includes the Davis Solar Neutrino Experiment, a chlorine-based experiment that was hosted at the 4850 Level for more than 30 years. As DUSEL, Homestake would be uncompromised by competition with mining interests or other shared uses. The facilityʼs 600-km of drifts would be available for conversion for scientific and educational uses. The State of South Dakota, under Governor Roundsʼ leadership, has demonstrated exceptionally strong support for Homestake and the creation of DUSEL. The State has provided funding totalling $46M for the preservation of the site for DUSEL and for the conversion and operation of the Homestake Interim Laboratory. Motivated by the strong educational and outreach potential of Homestake, the State contracted a Conversion Plan by world-recognized mine-engineering contractor to define the process of rehabilitating the facility, establishing the appropriate safety program, and regaining access to the facility. The State of South Dakota has established the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority to oversee the transfer of the Homestake property to the State and the rehabilitation and preservation of the facility. The Homestake Scientific Collaboration and the State of South Dakotaʼs Science and Technology Authority has called for Letters of Interest from scientific, educational and engineering collaborations and institutions that are interested in hosting experiments and uses in the Homestake Interim Facility in advance of the NSFʼs DUSEL, to define experiments starting as early as 2007. The Homestake Program Advisory Committee has reviewed these Letters and their initial report has been released. Options for developing the Homestake Interim Laboratory and evolving this facility into DUSEL are presented.

Henderson Deep Underground Science and Engineering Lab: Unearthing the secrets of the Universe, underground

The Henderson Mine near Empire, Colorado is proposed to be the site to host a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL), which will have a rich program for forefront research in physics, biology, geosciences, and mining engineering. The mine is owned by the Climax Molybdenum Company (CMC). It is located about 50 miles west of Denver and is easily accessible via major highways. The mine is modern and has extensive infrastructure with reserve capacity well-suited to the demands of DUSEL. CMC owns all land required for DUSEL, including the tailings site. It also has all environmental and mining permits required for DUSEL excavation, core drilling, and rock disposal. The mine owners are enthusiastic supporters of this initiative. In support of the Henderson DUSEL project, the State of Colorado has pledged substantial funding for surface construction.

The Cascades Proposal for the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory

One of the options for creating a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) is a site in the Mt. Stuart batholith, a granodiorite and tonalite rock mass in the Cascade mountain range in Washington State. The batholithʼs 100-year history in hard-rock tunneling includes the construction of the longest and deepest tunnels in the U.S., the parallel Cascade and Pioneer tunnels. The laboratory plan would utilize these two tunnels to produce a laboratory that has many desirable features, including dedicated, clean, horizontal access, container-module transport, and low operations costs. Various aspects of the site help to reduce geotechnical, environmental, and safety risks.

DUSEL (Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory) and LBNE (Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment)

The proposed Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) will explore the interactions and oscillations of a high-intensity neutrino beam sent from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) more than 1,000 kilometers away through the earth to DUSEL at the Homestake mine. DUSEL will be one of the worldʼs deepest underground laboratories and shield the LBNE neutrino detectors from cosmic particles at a depth of 4300 meters-water-equivalent. Two detector technologies are being considered: a 300 kTon Water Cherenkov detector deployed deep underground and a 50kT Liquid Argon Time-Projection Chamber (TPC). The physics sensitivities of the proposed experiments are summarized.

Prospects of Measuring Lepton CP-violation with LBNE at DUSEL

Excellent measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters achieved in recent years has set the scene for probing the size of the leptonic CP-violation angle. The Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) will have an unprecedented sensitivity to CP-violation angle and a range of other physics questions. LBNE will be a massive neutrino detector located at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) in the Homestake mine in the town of Lead, South Dakota, USA. Two independent detector technologies have been utilized for detector design: water Cherenkov and liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) type of detector and both technologies have similar sensitivity to the main physics questions to be answered. The experiment will measure the value of CP-violation phase δ in lepton sector, ordering of neutrino masses and value of the angle θ13. In addition, the LBNE will be able to search for proton decay, get a detailed energy spectrum in the case of galactic supernovae, detect solar and atmospheric neutrinos, possibly geoneutrinos and even measure the relic supernovae neutrino flux. In order to address most of the aforementioned physics questions, the detector will be placed at large depth of 1480 m (WC). The scientific goals require a minimal size of 2×100 kton equivalent water Cherenkov fiducial volume or 2×17 kton LArTPC, or the combination of the both. The LBNE will obtain 3σ C.L. measurement of θ13 at the 0.001 level, for any value of CP-δ phase. In addition LBNE will resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy at 3σ C.L. measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy if sin22θ13 ≥ 0.01 for any value of CP-δ phase and measure about 50% of all CP-δ phases with 3σ C.L. for sin2 2θ13 ≥ 0.01. The experiment will make these measurements using an electron neutrino appearance signal in the muon neutrino beam sent to LBNE from Fermilab, 1300 km away. The beam will be 700 kW and then 2 MW. The experiment will run in both neutrino and anti-neutrino mode. In addition to detectors at DUSEL, a near detector complex at Fermilab is foreseen for beam normalization measurement. The report on the physics reach, design status and current undergoing research and development toward construction of the LBNE.

Exploring neutrino parameters with a beta-beam experiment from FNAL to DUSEL

We discuss in detail the physics reach of an experimental set-up where electron neutrinos (anti-neutrinos) produced in a beta-beam facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) are sent, over a distance of L≃1300 km, to the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). A 300 kt Water Cherenkov (WC) detector and a 50 kt Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) are considered as possible detector choices. We propose to use 18Ne and 6He as source ions for νe and ν¯e beams respectively. The maximum Lorentz boost factor, γ, available for these ions using the Tevatron are γNe=585 and γHe=350. This particular set-up provides the opportunity to probe the first oscillation maximum using νe beam and the second oscillation maximum using the ν¯e beam which helps to evade some parameter degeneracies. The resulting physics sensitivities for θ13, CP violation and the mass hierarchy are compared to those of a conventional superbeam from FNAL to DUSEL.

The Sanford Laboratory at Homestake and the Path to DUSEL

The former Homestake gold mine in Lead, South Dakota is currently being transformed into a laboratory to pursue underground research in biology, geology, engineering and physics. An early science program is well underway with research activities on many levels, including plans to host the LUX and Majorana physics experiments on the 1480-m (4850-ft) level. With federal funding anticipated in 2013, the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) is developing a preliminary design for infrastructure to support large-scale science at several underground levels. The main physics areas on the 1480-m (4850-ft) level and the 2255-m (7400-ft) level will accommodate a number of next-generation experiments to further define the properties of neutrinos and intensify the search for dark matter among other programs. The status and opportunities at both the interim Sanford Laboratory and DUSEL will be presented.

CUBED: South Dakota 2010 Research Center For Dusel Experiments

With the selection of the Homestake Mine in western South Dakota by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as the site for a national Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL), the state of South Dakota has sought ways to engage its faculty and students in activities planned for DUSEL. One such effort is the creation of a 2010 Research Center focused on ultra-low background experiments or a Center for Ultra-low Background Experiments at DUSEL (CUBED). The goals of this center include to 1) bring together the current South Dakota faculty so that one may begin to develop a critical mass of expertise necessary for South Dakota's full participation in large-scale collaborations planned for DUSEL; 2) to increase the number of research faculty and other research personnel in South Dakota to complement and supplement existing expertise in nuclear physics and materials sciences; 3) to be competitive in pursuit of external funding through the creation of a center which focuses on areas of interest to experiments planned for DUSEL such as an underground crystal growth lab, a low background counting facility, a purification/depletion facility for noble liquids, and an electroforming copper facility underground; and 4) to train and educate graduate and undergraduate students as a way to develop the scientific workforce of the state. We will provide an update on the activities of the center and describe in more detail the scientific foci of the center.

Probing the Underground Science beyond the Standard Model with Ultra-Low Background Experiments at Sanford Lab/DUSEL

We show that an improved sensitivity on effective neutrino mass to the atmospheric neutrino mass scale with the next generation germanium-based double-beta decay experiment together with results from cosmology survey, θ 13 measurements and neutrino oscillation experiments may be able to determine the absolute mass scale of the neutrino, and answer the question of the neutrino nature. To achieve such a sensitivity of 45 meV, the next generation germanium experiment must reduce background by a factor of 440 comparing to the existing results. The planned germanium experiment at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) in western South Dakota aims at achieving such a sensitivity. Sanford Lab supported by the state of South Dakota and a private donor, Mr. T. Denny Sanford, will be up and running within the next year to pave the way for the creation of DUSEL in five years.

The Long Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Experiment at DUSEL

Rapid progress in neutrino physics in recent years has brought us closer to realization of a massive neutrino detector at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) in the Homestake mine in the town of Lead, South Dakota, USA. The detector is being designed with the following scientific goals in mind: value of CP-violation phase S in lepton sector, neutrino mass hierarchy and value of the angle θ13. In addition, the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) will be able to search for proton decay, get a detailed energy spectrum in the case of galactic supernovae, detect solar and atmospheric neutrinos, possibly geoneutrinos and even relic supernovae neutrinos that have never been successfully detected before. The physics goals dictate the minimal size of 300 kton fiducial volume, and the plan is to realize it with three 100 kton fiducial volume modules that will be placed at the depth of 1480 m. LBNE will be able to obtain 3σ C.L. measurement of θ13 if the value of sin2 2θ13 ≥ 0.005 for any value of CP-δ phase; 3σ C.L. measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy if sin2 2θ13 ≥ 0.012 for any value of CP-δ phase and measure 50% of all CP-δ phases with 3σ C.L. for sin2 2θ13 ≥ 0.012. This is all under the assumption that an upgraded neutrino beam is sent to LBNE from Fermilab, 1300 km away and experiment is run for 6 years. This paper describes physics reach, status and current undergoing research and development effort toward construction of the LBNE.

The Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory at Homestake

The National Science Foundation and the international underground science community are well into establishing a world-class, multidisciplinary Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) at the former Homestake mine in Lead South Dakota. The NSF's review committee, following the first two NSF solicitations, selected the Homestake Proposal and site as the prime location to be developed into an international research facility. Homestake DUSEL will provide much needed underground research space to help relieve the worldwide shortage, particularly at great depth, and will develop research campuses at several different depths to satisfy the research requirements for the coming decades. The State of South Dakota has demonstrated remarkable support for the project and has secured the site with the transfer from the Homestake Mining Corp. The State, through its Science and Technology Authority with state funds and those of a philanthropic donor has initiated rehabilitation of the surface and underground infrastructure including the Ross and Yates hoists accessing the 4850 Level (feet below ground, 4100 to 4200 mwe). The scientific case for DUSEL and the progress in establishing the preliminary design of the facility and the associated suite of experiments to be funded along with the facility by the NSF are presented.

Deep underground lab design team picked

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on 10 July 2007 the selection of a University of California‐Berkeley proposal to produce a technical design for a U.S. Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) at the former Homestake gold mine near Lead, S.D. NSF also will begin working with researchers to identify initial experiments that might be deployed in DUSEL, according to Tony Chan, assistant director for NSF's Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.NSF concurred with a panel of external experts who had determined that the proposal offered the greatest potential for developing a DUSEL. Any decision to construct and operate this laboratory needs further approvals by NSF and the U.S. National Science Board. An interdisciplinary “deep science” laboratory could shield sensitive physics experiments from background activity and could provide scientists with direct access to geological structures, tectonic processes, and life forms that are best studied deep underground. A Homestake DUSEL, if built as envisioned by its supporters, would be the largest and deepest facility of it kind in the world.

Clean room design considerations for deep-underground science and engineering laboratories

This paper presents the factors that affect the clean room shielding design at the deep-underground science and engineering laboratory (DUSEL), for enhancing detection of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP), neutrino or double beta decay signals. The goal of the shielded clean room is to minimize the neutron and gamma-ray background and spurious signals, including secondary particles generated within shielding materials, permitting increased probability of detection of signals arising from WIMP and other particles of interest. Various arrangement options of shielded blocks made of paraffin and lead are examined to reduce the background from intrinsic uranium/thorium trace sources and high energy charged cosmic particles that interact with passive shielding material. A new shield block material is proposed and compared with other ordinary shield block arrangements currently used in detector passive shielding designs.

Environmental Biotech

Environmental Biotech

NSF Reopens Competition for Site to Build Underground Lab

The long, strange quest to build a U.S. underground lab has taken another unexpected turn. A year ago, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that only two locations remained in the running to house the proposed Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL)—which would conduct experiments in particle physics, geology, microbiology, and other fields (Science, 29 July 2005, p. 682). But last month, NSF reopened the site competition to all comers. The reversal was prompted by an appeal from a losing group, but that group has now decided not to reapply.

South Dakota Digs In

One state made a preemptive move this week in the competition to host the proposed $300 million national Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) ( Science , 29 July, p. [682][1]). South Dakota announced it has struck a deal to open the upper levels of the abandoned Homestake gold mine in Lead as soon as 2007 as an interim underground laboratory. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is currently deliberating whether to build DUSEL at Homestake or at the Henderson Mine in Empire, Colorado. South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds, a Republican, says scientists have an “open invitation” to use the space, which at 1500 meters deep would be the second deepest lab in the world. “We're available, and the resources are there,” Rounds says. But Henderson bid spokesperson Chang Kee Jung, a physicist at Stony Brook University in New York, called the move “not kosher.” He fears that a working lab would hand NSF what amounts to a fait accompli, as well as put the foundation in a tough position if a researcher were to propose work at Homestake before a DUSEL decision is finalized. NSF says it will maintain its standards during the DUSEL process. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.309.5735.682a