Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment

Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. It is a leading international particle physics project designed to study the properties of neutrinos and search for rare subatomic processes. The experiment will fire an intense beam of neutrinos from Fermilab in Illinois to a massive detector located 1,300 kilometers away at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. DUNE aims to answer fundamental questions about the universe, including the matter-antimatter asymmetry, by investigating neutrino oscillations and potential proton decay.

Overview

The experiment is a flagship project of the United States Department of Energy and involves a vast global collaboration of scientists from over 200 institutions in more than 30 countries. Its design centers on a powerful neutrino beam generated by the upgraded Proton Improvement Plan-II accelerator complex at Fermilab. This beam will be aimed at two detector complexes: a near detector at Fermilab and a far detector housed a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. The far detector will utilize advanced Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber technology, providing unparalleled detail in recording neutrino interactions.

Scientific goals

A primary objective is to make precision measurements of the parameters governing neutrino oscillation, particularly the CP violation phase in the lepton sector, which could explain the dominance of matter over antimatter in the cosmos. The experiment will also search for the hypothesized proton decay, a prediction of many Grand Unified Theory models like SU(5) and SO(10). Furthermore, DUNE aims to detect neutrinos from a core-collapse supernova within our Milky Way galaxy, providing a unique window into the dynamics of stellar evolution and the formation of neutron stars or black holes.

Experimental design

The neutrino beam originates from the Main Injector at Fermilab, where protons are accelerated and smashed into a graphite target to produce pions and kaons that decay into neutrinos. The near detector, located close to the source, characterizes the initial beam before oscillations occur. The far detector consists of four modular Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers, each holding 17,000 tons of ultrapure liquid argon, situated deep underground to shield from cosmic ray backgrounds. This technology allows for three-dimensional imaging of particle tracks with millimeter precision, crucial for distinguishing between different neutrino flavors and interaction types.

Collaboration and funding

The project is managed by Fermilab under the auspices of the United States Department of Energy Office of Science and the National Science Foundation. Major international partners include CERN, the Science and Technology Facilities Council in the United Kingdom, and funding agencies from India, Italy, and Switzerland. The excavation of the massive underground caverns at the Sanford Underground Research Facility is a significant engineering endeavor, supported by the state of South Dakota. The international DUNE collaboration is responsible for the design, construction, and eventual operation of the detectors and associated data acquisition systems.

Timeline and current status

Initial conceptual design work began following the recommendations of the 2014 report by the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel. Major construction started in 2021, with the first Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber module expected to be installed and operational before the end of the decade. The Proton Improvement Plan-II upgrade at Fermilab is underway to achieve the required beam intensity. As of the mid-2020s, the excavation of the underground caverns at the Sanford Underground Research Facility is progressing, and prototype detectors like the ProtoDUNE at CERN have successfully validated the core technologies. Full scientific operation with all four far detector modules is anticipated in the 2030s.

Category:Particle physics experiments Category:Neutrino experiments Category:Fermilab