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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Experiment Simulation Configurations Approximating DUNE TDR

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment consisting of a high-power, broadband neutrino beam, a highly capable near detector located on site at Fermilab, in Batavia, Illinois, and a massive liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) far detector located at the 4850L of Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The long-baseline physics sensitivity calculations presented in the DUNE Physics TDR, and in a related physics paper, rely upon simulation of the neutrino beam line, simulation of neutrino interactions in the near and far detectors, fully automated event reconstruction and neutrino classification, and detailed implementation of systematic uncertainties. The purpose of this posting is to provide a simplified summary of the simulations that went into this analysis to the community, in order to facilitate phenomenological studies of long-baseline oscillation at DUNE. Simulated neutrino flux files and a GLoBES configuration describing the far detector reconstruction and selection performance are included as ancillary files to this posting. A simple analysis using these configurations in GLoBES produces sensitivity that is similar, but not identical, to the official DUNE sensitivity. DUNE welcomes those interested in performing phenomenological work as members of the collaboration, but also recognizes the benefit of making these configurations readily available to the wider community.

Abi, B↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sensor Co-design for $\textit{smartpixels}$

Pixel tracking detectors at upcoming collider experiments will see unprecedented charged-particle densities. Real-time data reduction on the detector will enable higher granularity and faster readout, possibly enabling the use of the pixel detector in the first level of the trigger for a hadron collider. This data reduction can be accomplished with a neural network (NN) in the readout chip bonded with the sensor that recognizes and rejects tracks with low transverse momentum (p$_T$) based on the geometrical shape of the charge deposition (``cluster''). To design a viable detector for deployment at an experiment, the dependence of the NN as a function of the sensor geometry, external magnetic field, and irradiation must be understood. In this paper, we present first studies of the efficiency and data reduction for planar pixel sensors exploring these parameters. A smaller sensor pitch in the bending direction improves the p$_T$ discrimination, but a larger pitch can be partially compensated with detector depth. An external magnetic field parallel to the sensor plane induces Lorentz drift of the electron-hole pairs produced by the charged particle, broadening the cluster and improving the network performance. The absence of the external field diminishes the background rejection compared to the baseline by $\mathcal{O}$(10%). Any accumulated radiation damage also changes the cluster shape, reducing the signal efficiency compared to the baseline by $\sim$ 30 - 60%, but nearly all of the performance can be recovered through retraining of the network and updating the weights. Finally, the impact of noise was investigated, and retraining the network on noise-injected datasets was found to maintain performance within 6% of the baseline network trained and evaluated on noiseless data.

Shekar, Danush [Illinois U., Chicago]↗
DOE OSTI2022

GPU-based optical simulation of the DARWIN detector

Abstract Understanding propagation of scintillation light is critical for maximizing the discovery potential of next-generation liquid xenon detectors that use dual-phase time projection chamber technology. This work describes a detailed optical simulation of the DARWIN detector implemented using Chroma, a GPU-based photon tracking framework. To evaluate the framework and to explore ways of maximizing efficiency and minimizing the time of light collection, we simulate several variations of the conventional detector design. Results of these selected studies are presented. More generally, we conclude that the approach used in this work allows one to investigate alternative designs faster and in more detail than using conventional Geant4 optical simulations, making it an attractive tool to guide the development of the ultimate liquid xenon observatory.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2025

Muon Time-of-Flight studies for cosmic background rejection in the Short Baseline Near Detector

The Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab is a cutting-edge project in experimental neutrino physics. One of its main goals is to systematically investigate the possible existence of eV-scale sterile neutrinos. This phenomenon has been hypothesized to explain some anomalies found in short-range experiments and, if confirmed, would imply a substantial extension of the Standard Model. SBN also offers an important opportunity to deepen the understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions in the GeV energy range, through the use of Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPC) detectors, a fundamental technology also for the future DUNE experiment. The SBN experimental infrastructure consists of three detectors aligned along the Booster Neutrino Beamline at Fermilab. Among them, the detector located closest to the neutrino source, SBND (Short-Baseline Near Detector), positioned approximately 110 meters from the target, plays a key role in directly characterizing the initial neutrino flux. This allows for a direct comparison with the measurements from the far detector, ICARUS, located about 600 meters from the source, in order to search for potential signs of anomalous neutrino oscillations. My master's thesis focuses on the commissioning and characterization activities of the SBND detector, with particular reference to the Cosmic Ray Tagger (CRT). The CRT is a subsystem for identifying and rejecting events produced by cosmic rays, which constitute the main source of background for surface experiments like SBND. The activity began with the commissioning of the final components of the detector, as well as their validation to verify their correct functioning and signal acquisition. A central part of my work involved studying the veto efficiency of the CRT system, analyzing the rate of cosmic ray-induced events to quantify any loss of neutrino-induced events caused by cosmic background. This allowed for a more precise evaluation of the systematic impact of the CRT on the useful physics sample. A further phase of my analysis involved an in-depth study of the temporal correlation between the CRT signals and those acquired by the LArTPC's internal photodetector system, consisting of photomultiplier tubes and X-ARAPUCA devices. The objective is to explore the possibility of using combined temporal information as an additional criterion for discriminating between cosmic signals and signals genuinely due to neutrino interaction. Preliminary results indicate the presence of characteristic temporal signatures that could be exploited to improve event selection and increase the purity of the neutrino-induced sample. These methodologies will certainly contribute to the optimization of SBND analysis strategies and, more generally, to a better understanding of background mechanisms in next-generation LArTPC experiments.

Corallo, Annalea [Ferrara U.]↗
DOE OSTI2024

The DUNE Far Detector Vertical Drift Technology. Technical Design Report

DUNE is an international experiment dedicated to addressing some of the questions at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics, including the mystifying preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early universe. The dual-site experiment will employ an intense neutrino beam focused on a near and a far detector as it aims to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy and to make high-precision measurements of the PMNS matrix parameters, including the CP-violating phase. It will also stand ready to observe supernova neutrino bursts, and seeks to observe nucleon decay as a signature of a grand unified theory underlying the standard model. The DUNE far detector implements liquid argon time-projection chamber (LArTPC) technology, and combines the many tens-of-kiloton fiducial mass necessary for rare event searches with the sub-centimeter spatial resolution required to image those events with high precision. The addition of a photon detection system enhances physics capabilities for all DUNE physics drivers and opens prospects for further physics explorations. Given its size, the far detector will be implemented as a set of modules, with LArTPC designs that differ from one another as newer technologies arise. In the vertical drift LArTPC design, a horizontal cathode bisects the detector, creating two stacked drift volumes in which ionization charges drift towards anodes at either the top or bottom. The anodes are composed of perforated PCB layers with conductive strips, enabling reconstruction in 3D. Light-trap-style photon detection modules are placed both on the cryostat's side walls and on the central cathode where they are optically powered. This Technical Design Report describes in detail the technical implementations of each subsystem of this LArTPC that, together with the other far detector modules and the near detector, will enable DUNE to achieve its physics goals.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Performance of the ATLAS RPC detector and Level-1 muon barrel trigger at √(s)=13 TeV

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) employs a trigger system consisting of a first-level hardware trigger (L1) and a software-based high-level trigger. The L1 muon trigger system selects muon candidates, assigns them to the correct LHC bunch crossing and classifies them into one of six transverse-momentum threshold classes. The L1 muon trigger system uses resistive-plate chambers (RPCs) to generate the muon-induced trigger signals in the central (barrel) region of the ATLAS detector. The ATLAS RPCs are arranged in six concentric layers and operate in a toroidal magnetic field with a bending power of 1.5 to 5.5 Tm. The RPC detector consists of about 3700 gas volumes with a total surface area of more than 4000 m2. This paper reports on the performance of the RPC detector and L1 muon barrel trigger using 60.8 fb-1 of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Detector and trigger performance are studied using Z boson decays into a muon pair. Measurements of the RPC detector response, efficiency, and time resolution are reported. Measurements of the L1 muon barrel trigger efficiencies and rates are presented, along with measurements of the properties of the selected sample of muon candidates. Measurements of the RPC currents, counting rates and mean avalanche charge are performed using zero-bias collisions. Finally, RPC detector response and efficiency are studied at different high voltage and front-end discriminator threshold settings in order to extrapolate detector response to the higher luminosity expected for the High Luminosity LHC.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

A search for Heavy Neutral Leptons with masses up to 150 MeV and studies on scintillation light detection in SBND

Introduction Neutrino physics is one of today’s most promising fields in particle physics. The discovery of neutrino oscillations is an evidence of their mass not being null. However, the Standard Model of elementary particles (SM) does not contain a mechanism that generates them, so we have to search beyond the SM to find answers. Other unknowns remain open, such as the amount of CP symmetry violated in the lepton sector that could help explain the differences between matter and antimatter that formed the present universe. Nor is it understood why these particles are so light, more than six orders of magnitude below the next fermion, the electron. A possible explanation is the existence of heavier neutrino mass states usually referred as heavy neutral leptons (HNLs). One of the most advanced technologies for detecting neutrino interactions is the liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). LArTPC detectors form a 3D image of the ionized electrons in the interaction, producing a detailed description of each neutrino event. Argon is also a prolific scintillator (40k photons/MeV) with light signals indicating the interaction time. The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND), a 112-active mass LArTPC at Fermilab, will measure millions of neutrino interactions from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB). As the near (L=110 m) detector of the Short-Baseline neutrino program, SBND will search for a fourth light neutrino (∼ eV) in the coming years. This hypothesis could explain the anomalous data observed in the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments.

Álvarez Garrote, Rodrigo [Madrid U.] (ORCID:000000↗
DOE OSTI2020

SAMPA Based Streaming Readout Data Acquisition Prototype

We have assembled a small-scale streaming data acquisition system based on the SAMPA front-end ASIC. The 32-channel SAMPA chip was designed for the high-luminosity upgrade of the ALICE Time Projection Chamber (TPC) detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The goals of the prototype system are to determine if the SAMPA chip is appropriate for use in detector systems at Jefferson Lab, and to gain experience with the hardware and software required to deploy streaming data acquisition systems in nuclear physics experiments. The 800 channel system is composed of components used in the ALICE TPC data acquisition upgrade. Five front-end cards (FEC) support five SAMPA chips each. SAMPA data streams on an FEC are concentrated into two high-speed (4.48 Gb/s) serial data streams by a pair Gigabit Transceiver ASICs (GBTx). These ten streams (44.8 Gb/s) are transmitted from the FECs over fibers to a PCIe based readout unit. The FPGA engine on the readout unit compresses data for transmission to a server via 100 Gb ethernet. Components on the FECs are radiation tolerant. High data rates can be handled. The system is by design scalable and thus provides a functional prototype for high-rate streaming readout at Jefferson Lab and the future Electron Ion Collider. We have made fundamental measurements (noise, linearity, time resolution) on the SAMPA ASIC. We have also coupled the readout system to a small Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector and have studied its response to cosmic rays. A beam test of the system is planned.

ABBOTT, David↗
DOE OSTI2025

Pulsed-Neutron Die-Away Response of H 2 O Targets to a D-T Generator Pulse

Pulsed-neutron die-away (PNDA) experiments were completed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The goal of these experiments was to provide a benchmark to validate thermal neutron scattering laws of H 2 O. The experiment was conducted with a deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron generator producing pulses of 14.1 MeV neutrons that impinged on a moderating target. The neutrons scattered and thermalized within the target and were counted as a function of time using Helium-3 ( 3 He) detectors that surrounded the target. These data provide a time-decay profile of the neutron population from which the time eigenvalue of the experiment is calculated. The time eigenvalue quantity α represents the integral parameter of interest. This report describes the measurements for H 2 O targets. The measurements were conducted over several days beginning on October 23rd, 2023. All measurements were completed at the low-scatter facility at LLNL. The evaluation identifier is FUND-LLNL-DT-H2O-PNDA-001.

3He Detectors↗
DOE OSTI2025

Portable and Adaptable Neutron Diagnostics for Advancing Fusion Energy Science Addendum

Activation detectors developed at LLNL for measuring real-time neutron fluence from fusion sources are used in the broader fusion community. The recommended fluence operating range of this diagnostic is 5x10 2 – 1x10 6 n/cm2. The upper limit on this fluence range is set by the dead time caused by data transfer between the detector and data acquisition computer. Delaying the start of counting is a possible strategy to operate these detectors in higher fluences.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Calibration and simulation of ionization signal and electronics noise in the ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber

The ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detector has been taking physics data since 2022 as part of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. This paper details the equalization of the response to charge in the ICARUS time projection chamber (TPC), as well as data-driven tuning of the simulation of ionization charge signals and electronics noise. The equalization procedure removes non-uniformities in the ICARUS TPC response to charge in space and time. This work leverages the copious number of cosmic ray muons available to ICARUS at the surface. The ionization signal shape simulation applies a novel procedure that tunes the simulation to match what is measured in data. The end result of the equalization procedure and simulation tuning allows for a comparison of charge measurements in ICARUS between Monte Carlo simulation and data, showing good performance with minimal residual bias between the two.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of ultra-pure gadolinium sulfate for the Super-Kamiokande gadolinium project

This paper reports the development and detailed properties of about 13 metric tons of gadolinium sulfate octahydrate, Gd 2 (SO 4 ) 3 • 8H 2 O⁠, which has been dissolved into Super-Kamiokande (SK) in the summer of 2020. We evaluate the impact of radioactive impurities in Gd 2 (SO 4 ) 3 • 8H 2 O on diffuse supernova neutrino background searches and solar neutrino observation and confirm the need to reduce radioactive and fluorescent impurities by about three orders of magnitude from commercially available high-purity Gd 2 (SO 4 ) 3 • 8H 2 O⁠. In order to produce ultra-high-purity Gd 2 (SO 4 ) 3 • 8H 2 O, we have developed a method to remove impurities from gadolinium oxide, Gd 2 O 3 , consisting of acid dissolution, solvent extraction, and pH control processes, followed by a high-purity sulfation process. All of the produced ultra-high-purity Gd 2 (SO 4 ) 3 • 8H 2 O is assayed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and high-purity germanium detectors to evaluate its quality. Because of the long measurement time of high-purity germanium detectors, we have employed several underground laboratories for making parallel measurements including the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc in Spain, Boulby in the UK, and Kamioka in Japan. In the first half of production, the measured batch purities were found to be consistent with the specifications. However, in the latter half, the Gd 2 (SO 4 ) 3 • 8H 2 O contained one order of magnitude more 228Ra than the budgeted mean contamination. This was correlated with the corresponding characteristics of the raw material Gd 2 O 3 , in which an intrinsically large contamination was present. Based on their modest impact on SK physics, they were nevertheless introduced into the detector. To reduce 228 Ra for the next stage of gadolinium loading to SK, a new process has been successfully established.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hardware-accelerated inference for real-time gravitational-wave astronomy

The field of transient astronomy has seen a revolution with the first gravitational-wave detections and the arrival of multi-messenger observations they enabled. Transformed by the first detection of binary black hole and binary neutron star mergers, computational demands in gravitational-wave astronomy are expected to grow by at least a factor of two over the next five years as the global network of kilometer-scale interferometers are brought to design sensitivity. With the increase in detector sensitivity, real-time delivery of gravitational-wave alerts will become increasingly important as an enabler of multi-messenger followup. In this work, we report a novel implementation and deployment of deep learning inference for real-time gravitational-wave data denoising and astrophysical source identification. This is accomplished using a generic Inference-as-a-Service model that is capable of adapting to the future needs of gravitational-wave data analysis. Overall, our implementation allows seamless incorporation of hardware accelerators and also enables the use of commercial or private (dedicated) as-a-service computing. Based on our results, we propose a paradigm shift in low-latency and offline computing in gravitational-wave astronomy. Such a shift can address key challenges in peak-usage, scalability and reliability, and provide a data analysis platform particularly optimized for deep learning applications. The achieved sub-millisecond scale latency will also be relevant for any machine learning-based real-time control systems that may be invoked in the operation of near-future and next generation ground-based laser interferometers, as well as the front-end collection, distribution and processing of data from such instruments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simultaneous analysis of collinear neutron time-of-flight (nToF) traces applied to pulsed fusion experiment

On pulsed fusion experiments, the neutron time of flight (nToF) diagnostic provides critical information on the fusion neutron energy spectrum. This work presents an analysis technique that uses two collinear nToF detectors, potentially to measure nuclear bang time and directional flow velocities. Two collinear detectors may be sufficient to disambiguate the contributions of nuclear bang time and directional flow velocities to the first moment of the neutron energy spectrum, providing an independent measurement of nuclear bang time. In conclusion, preliminary results from measured nToF traces on the National Ignition Facility and additional applications of this technique are presented.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thin-film lithium niobate electro-optic terahertz wave detector

Here, the design, fabrication, and validation of a thin-film lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) electro-optic (EO) time-domain terahertz (THz) wave detector is reported. LNOI offers unprecedented properties for the EO detection of freely propagating THz wave radiation pulses and transient electric fields because of the large EO coefficient of the material, engineering of the velocity matching of the THz wave and optical wave, and much reduced detector size. The proof-of-concept device is realized using thin-film lithium niobate optical waveguides forming a Mach–Zehnder interferometer with interferometer arms electrically poled in opposite directions. THz waves are coupled effectively to the fully dielectric device from free space without using antennas or plasmonics. The detection of THz waves with frequencies up to 800 GHz is successfully demonstrated. The detector allows for the detection of THz frequency electric fields up to 4.6 MV/m. The observed frequency response of the device agrees well with theoretical predictions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

sPHENIX Highlights: First Results from sPHENIX at RHIC

First results from the sPHENIX experiment on the π 0 v 2 and dE T =dη in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV using detector commissioning data during the RHIC 2023 Run are presented. These results are shown across a large centrality range, and compared to previous PHENIX and STAR results. These measurements demonstrate the sPHENIX capabilities towards accomplishing the sPHENIX jet physics program. From the ongoing RHIC 2024 Run, p + p collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV, a first glimpse of the measurements K S 0 and Λ 0 obtained by the sPHENIX Time Projection Chamber (TPC) detector are shown.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

SBND Calibration

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is a 112-ton liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) serving as the near detector of the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab. SBND aims to make precise measurements of neutrino-argon interactions, necessitating an extensive calibration program for the LArTPC to ensure precision/accuracy in these measurements. This talk describes the use of cosmogenic, radiogenic, and neutrino interaction activity with both Monte Carlo simulation and data in calibrating the SBND subsystems of the Time Projection Chamber, Photon Detection System, and Cosmic Ray Tagger. We will highlight some of SBND's first calibration results, including electronics calibrations, measurement of the electron lifetime, shower calibration, and studies of space charge effects in the detector.

Oh, Sungbin [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optical-pump–terahertz-probe spectroscopy in high magnetic fields with kHz single-shot detection

We demonstrate optical pump–THz probe (OPTP) spectroscopy with a variable external magnetic field (0–9 T), in which the time-dependent THz signal is measured by echelon-based single-shot detection at a repetition rate of 1 kHz. The method reduces data acquisition times by more than an order of magnitude compared to conventional electro-optic sampling using a scanning delay stage. The approach illustrates the wide applicability of the single-shot measurement approach to non-equilibrium systems that are studied through OPTP spectroscopy, especially in cases where parameters such as magnetic field strength (B) or other experimental parameters are varied. We demonstrate the capabilities of our measurement by performing cyclotron resonance experiments in bulk silicon, where we observe B-field-dependent carrier relaxation and distinct relaxation rates for different carrier types. We use a pair of economical linear array detectors to measure 500 time points on each shot, offering an equivalent performance to camera-based detection with possibilities for higher repetition rates.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗