CERN NA62

CERN NA62
Name	NA62
Location	CERN, Meyrin
Experiment type	Fixed-target, Rare kaon decays
Status	Active
Coordinate	46.233, 6.055

CERN NA62

NA62 is a high-energy particle physics experiment at the European Organization for Nuclear Research facility near Geneva designed to study rare decays of charged kaons. It operates on the Super Proton Synchrotron beamline to measure ultra-rare processes predicted by the Standard Model and to search for phenomena beyond it, connecting to broader programs at Large Hadron Collider, ISOLDE, and experiments at Fermilab and KEK. The collaboration involves institutions from across Europe, Asia, and the Americas and interacts with accelerator projects such as CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso and detector efforts like ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb.

Overview

NA62 was proposed in the context of precision tests following results from experiments including KOTO, E787, and E949. The experiment builds on technologies developed for projects like NA48, NA48/2, WA62, and incorporates detector concepts from DIRAC and COMPASS. Its physics program complements searches conducted at Belle II, BaBar, and CLEO and interfaces with theoretical work by groups associated with CERN Theory Division, Institute for Advanced Study, and the Max Planck Institute for Physics. Funding and oversight connect to agencies such as European Research Council, INFN, National Science Foundation, Science and Technology Facilities Council, and national ministries in participating states.

Experimental setup

The NA62 beamline uses a 400 GeV/c proton beam extracted from the Super Proton Synchrotron to produce a secondary charged kaon beam, an approach similar in concept to beams used by Brookhaven National Laboratory experiments and CERN SPS North Area facilities. The apparatus includes a differential Cherenkov counter inspired by the CEDAR design, a high-resolution silicon pixel tracker based on developments from LHCb VELO efforts, a straw-tube spectrometer echoing techniques from HERA-B, and a ring-imaging Cherenkov detector informed by work at DELPHI and BaBar DIRC. Calorimetry combines electromagnetic modules akin to NA48 liquid krypton calorimeter and hadronic calorimeters with heritage from UA1 and UA2. Particle identification and veto systems draw on technologies used in KLOE, T2K ND280, and MINOS, while the photon veto strategy traces lineage to E391a and KOTO detectors. Infrastructure is located in the North Area and interfaces with cryogenics and power systems comparable to those used by CERN cryolab and Antiproton Decelerator facilities.

Physics goals and results

NA62's principal goal is a precise measurement of the branching ratio of the ultra-rare decay K+ → π+ ν ν̄, a channel sensitive to contributions from heavy particles predicted in extensions of the Standard Model such as models with Supersymmetry, Extra Dimensions, and Leptoquarks. Results bear on global fits that include inputs from CKM matrix measurements at Belle II and LHCb, electroweak constraints from LEP, and flavour physics anomalies reported by BaBar and Belle. NA62 has reported candidate events constraining new physics scenarios alongside searches for heavy neutral leptons linking to experiments like PS191, NuTeV, and PIENU. The experiment publishes limits relevant to dark sector models investigated by SHiP proposals and direct searches at ATLAS and CMS, and informs theoretical interpretations from groups at CERN TH, Perimeter Institute, and Institut de Física d'Altes Energies.

Data acquisition and analysis

The NA62 data acquisition system leverages high-throughput readout architectures developed in concert with teams from LHCb, ATLAS TDAQ, and CMS DAQ, implementing synchronous triggers and buffer strategies similar to those tested in ALICE O2 studies. Front-end electronics use FPGA platforms and optical links derived from developments at GSI Helmholtz Centre and DESY. Offline reconstruction and analysis employ software frameworks influenced by ROOT, Gaudi, and computing models coordinated with the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid and national centers such as CERN IT, CC-IN2P3, and CERN Openlab. Statistical interpretations reference methods used by PDG compilations and utilize techniques from collaborations including BAO, HEPData, and groups at University of Oxford and CERN Data Centre.

Collaborations and organization

The NA62 collaboration comprises universities and laboratories such as INFN Sezione di Pisa, CERN, University of Birmingham, University of Zurich, University of Sofia, NIKHEF, Ruđer Bošković Institute, and institutes from India, China, Russia, and Brazil. Governance follows models similar to those at ATLAS and CMS with spokespersons, technical coordinators, and an institutional board paralleling structures at LHCb and ALICE. Outreach and education activities connect to programs like Science Gateway, European Researcher's Night, and collaborations with museums such as the CERN Globe of Science and Innovation and universities including ETH Zurich and Imperial College London.

Safety and infrastructure

NA62 operates within CERN safety frameworks comparable to protocols used at ISOLDE and AD facilities, coordinating with CERN Safety Commission and national radiation protection authorities like Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire. Machine protection and beam interlocks align with systems developed for the SPS and LHC, while cryogenics, cooling, and power distribution rely on infrastructure shared with CERN accelerator complex installations. Detector maintenance and assembly use cleanroom practices employed by CMS and ATLAS and logistics coordinated with CERN Stores and the Meyrin site operations.

Category:Particle physics experiments Category:CERN experiments