Neutron backgrounds in neutrino-nucleus scattering at the European Spallation Source
(2023) FYSK03 20231Department of Physics
Particle and nuclear physics
- Abstract
- Being, when built, the most powerful neutron accelerator in the world, there will be a large number of potential discoveries at the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund. One of the most exciting of these, from a particle physics point of view, is the Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEνNS). The goal of the thesis project is to calculate the neutron background in a room that could potentially be used for such an experiment. To achieve this, the Monte Carlo simulator program, called Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS), was used to simulate the neutron transport in a model of the ESS, starting from the proton collisions within the tungsten target. To achieve this, the weight window method will be used, so... (More)
- Being, when built, the most powerful neutron accelerator in the world, there will be a large number of potential discoveries at the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund. One of the most exciting of these, from a particle physics point of view, is the Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEνNS). The goal of the thesis project is to calculate the neutron background in a room that could potentially be used for such an experiment. To achieve this, the Monte Carlo simulator program, called Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS), was used to simulate the neutron transport in a model of the ESS, starting from the proton collisions within the tungsten target. To achieve this, the weight window method will be used, so that more particles get through the shielding. With this, the goal is to eventually characterise completely the background and sources, so that future experiments can obtain the best results. Part of this goal was achieved by obtaining a neutron spectrum in the room. Nevertheless, further investigations are needed and a number of improvements have been identified which can be implemented in future work. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Neutrinos have historically been a very evasive particle for physicists. Being extremely small and electrically neutral makes them interact very infrequently, and even when these events occur they are extremely hard to detect given their minute scale. In recent years, our ability and technology to do research with these tiny particles have exponentially increased. One of the most promising studies, called Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEνNS), uses a low-energy neutrino beam to collide with nuclei as a whole, leading to a recoil which we can then study. Although scientists have not run them for very long, there are encouraging signs of potential discoveries with these experiments, namely regarding gravity and its relation to... (More)
- Neutrinos have historically been a very evasive particle for physicists. Being extremely small and electrically neutral makes them interact very infrequently, and even when these events occur they are extremely hard to detect given their minute scale. In recent years, our ability and technology to do research with these tiny particles have exponentially increased. One of the most promising studies, called Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEνNS), uses a low-energy neutrino beam to collide with nuclei as a whole, leading to a recoil which we can then study. Although scientists have not run them for very long, there are encouraging signs of potential discoveries with these experiments, namely regarding gravity and its relation to the Standard Model, as well as in the field of dark matter.
To develop the study further, physicists need a better source of neutrinos. With the European Spallation Source (ESS), this wish was granted, even if the principal goal of this facility is not the CEνNS. After some analysis, a room was identified as a possible host to the experiments. One of the most important features of the site is its background radiation, which can greatly affect the results acquired. Since the ESS is a neutron source, this particle has the biggest chance of being present in the room at too high a rate and altering the outcome. The purpose of this study is then to characterise the neutron background of the room, resorting to a program called Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS). Using this tool, a model of the ESS has been designed which, after running the program with specific conditions to simulate what will happen in the facility when built, resulted in a plot of where the neutrons would spread around the area. Overall, this project took some essential initial steps in the understanding of the neutron population in the room which set important foundations for a potential future study to take and develop further. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9128824
- author
- Rodrigues de Albuquerque Vale, José Guilherme LU
- supervisor
-
- Else Lytken LU
- Joakim Cederkäll LU
- Douglas Di Julio LU
- organization
- course
- FYSK03 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Neutrino-nucleus scattering, background, PHITS, weight window, ESS
- language
- English
- id
- 9128824
- date added to LUP
- 2023-06-21 17:07:24
- date last changed
- 2023-06-21 17:07:24
@misc{9128824,
abstract = {{Being, when built, the most powerful neutron accelerator in the world, there will be a large number of potential discoveries at the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund. One of the most exciting of these, from a particle physics point of view, is the Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEνNS). The goal of the thesis project is to calculate the neutron background in a room that could potentially be used for such an experiment. To achieve this, the Monte Carlo simulator program, called Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS), was used to simulate the neutron transport in a model of the ESS, starting from the proton collisions within the tungsten target. To achieve this, the weight window method will be used, so that more particles get through the shielding. With this, the goal is to eventually characterise completely the background and sources, so that future experiments can obtain the best results. Part of this goal was achieved by obtaining a neutron spectrum in the room. Nevertheless, further investigations are needed and a number of improvements have been identified which can be implemented in future work.}},
author = {{Rodrigues de Albuquerque Vale, José Guilherme}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Neutron backgrounds in neutrino-nucleus scattering at the European Spallation Source}},
year = {{2023}},
}