Doping Liquid Argon with Xenon in ProtoDUNE Single-Phase: Effects on Scintillation Light

arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024-02-02 · 1 citations

Doping of liquid argon TPCs (LArTPCs) with a small concentration of xenon is a technique for light-shifting and facilitates the detection of the liquid argon scintillation light. In this paper, we present the results of the first doping test ever performed in a kiloton-scale LArTPC. From February to May 2020, we carried out this special run in the single-phase DUNE Far Detector prototype (ProtoDUNE-SP) at CERN, featuring 720 t of total liquid argon mass with 410 t of fiducial mass. A 5.4 ppm nitrogen contamination was present during the xenon doping campaign. The goal of the run was to measure the light and charge response of the detector to the addition of xenon, up to a concentration of 18.8 ppm. The main purpose was to test the possibility for reduction of non-uniformities in light collection, caused by deployment of photon detectors only within the anode planes. Light collection was analysed as a function of the xenon concentration, by using the pre-existing photon detection system (PDS) of ProtoDUNE-SP and an additional smaller set-up installed specifically for this run. In this paper we first summarize our current understanding of the argon-xenon energy transfer process and the impact of the presence of nitrogen in argon with and without xenon dopant. We then describe the key elements of ProtoDUNE-SP and the injection method deployed. Two dedicated photon detectors were able to collect the light produced by xenon and the total light. The ratio of these components was measured to be about 0.65 as 18.8 ppm of xenon were injected. We performed studies of the collection efficiency as a function of the distance between tracks and light detectors, demonstrating enhanced uniformity of response for the anode-mounted PDS. We also show that xenon doping can substantially recover light losses due to contamination of the liquid argon by nitrogen.

Performance of a Modular Ton-Scale Pixel-Readout Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber

Instruments · 2024-09-11 · 8 citations

The Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements and provide comparisons to detector simulations.

Highly-parallelized simulation of a pixelated LArTPC on a GPU

White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) · 2023-04-01 · 5 citations

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>\n <jats:p>The rapid development of general-purpose computing on\n graphics processing units (GPGPU) is allowing the implementation\n of highly-parallelized Monte Carlo simulation chains for particle\n physics experiments. This technique is particularly suitable for\n the simulation of a pixelated charge readout for time projection\n chambers, given the large number of channels that this technology\n employs. Here we present the first implementation of a full\n microphysical simulator of a liquid argon time projection\n chamber (LArTPC) equipped with light readout and pixelated charge\n readout, developed for the DUNE Near Detector. The software is\n implemented with an end-to-end set of GPU-optimized\n algorithms. The algorithms have been written in Python and\n translated into CUDA kernels using Numba, a just-in-time compiler\n for a subset of Python and NumPy instructions. The GPU\n implementation achieves a speed up of four orders of magnitude\n compared with the equivalent CPU version. The simulation of the\n current induced on 10^3 pixels takes around 1 ms on the GPU,\n compared with approximately 10 s on the CPU. The results of the\n simulation are compared against data from a pixel-readout LArTPC\n prototype.</jats:p>

Reconstruction of interactions in the ProtoDUNE-SP detector with Pandora

The European Physical Journal C · 2023-07-14 · 15 citations

Abstract The Pandora Software Development Kit and algorithm libraries provide pattern-recognition logic essential to the reconstruction of particle interactions in liquid argon time projection chamber detectors. Pandora is the primary event reconstruction software used at ProtoDUNE-SP, a prototype for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment far detector. ProtoDUNE-SP, located at CERN, is exposed to a charged-particle test beam. This paper gives an overview of the Pandora reconstruction algorithms and how they have been tailored for use at ProtoDUNE-SP. In complex events with numerous cosmic-ray and beam background particles, the simulated reconstruction and identification efficiency for triggered test-beam particles is above 80% for the majority of particle type and beam momentum combinations. Specifically, simulated 1 GeV/ c charged pions and protons are correctly reconstructed and identified with efficiencies of 86.1 $$\pm 0.6$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.6</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> % and 84.1 $$\pm 0.6$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.6</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> %, respectively. The efficiencies measured for test-beam data are shown to be within 5% of those predicted by the simulation.

Scintillation light detection in the 6-m drift-length ProtoDUNE Dual Phase liquid argon TPC

The European Physical Journal C · 2022-07-16 · 19 citations

Abstract DUNE is a dual-site experiment for long-baseline neutrino oscillation studies, neutrino astrophysics and nucleon decay searches. ProtoDUNE Dual Phase (DP) is a 6 $$\times $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> </mml:math> 6 $$\times $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> </mml:math> 6 m $$^3$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:msup> </mml:math> liquid argon time-projection-chamber (LArTPC) that recorded cosmic-muon data at the CERN Neutrino Platform in 2019–2020 as a prototype of the DUNE Far Detector. Charged particles propagating through the LArTPC produce ionization and scintillation light. The scintillation light signal in these detectors can provide the trigger for non-beam events. In addition, it adds precise timing capabilities and improves the calorimetry measurements. In ProtoDUNE-DP, scintillation and electroluminescence light produced by cosmic muons in the LArTPC is collected by photomultiplier tubes placed up to 7 m away from the ionizing track. In this paper, the ProtoDUNE-DP photon detection system performance is evaluated with a particular focus on the different wavelength shifters, such as PEN and TPB, and the use of Xe-doped LAr, considering its future use in giant LArTPCs. The scintillation light production and propagation processes are analyzed and a comparison of simulation to data is performed, improving understanding of the liquid argon properties.

Erratum to: Search for single top-quark production via flavour-changing neutral currents at 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The European Physical Journal C · 2022-01-01

One correction is noted for the paper. The branching fraction (Formula presented.) was not included in the conversion of the observed cross-section limit, (Formula presented.) to the coupling constants κugt and κcgt and the branching fractions B(t → ug) and B(t → cg). The inclusion leads to weaker observed exclusion limits on the coupling constants divided by the scale of new physics of (Formula presented.) and (Formula presented.) and on the branching fractions B(t → ug) &lt; 1.2×10−4 and B(t → cg) &lt; 6.4×10−4. The predicted exclusion limits on the coupling constants divided by the scale of newphysics are (Formula presented.) and (Formula presented.) and on the branching fractions B(t → ug) &lt; 1.1 × 10−4 and B(t → cg) &lt; 5.7 × 10−4. Updated distributions of the observed upper limits on the coupling constants for combinations of cgt and ugt channels are shown in Figure 10a and on the branching fractions in Figure 10b. © CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration 2022.

Separation of track- and shower-like energy deposits in ProtoDUNE-SP using a convolutional neural network

The European Physical Journal C · 2022-10-12 · 10 citations

Abstract Liquid argon time projection chamber detector technology provides high spatial and calorimetric resolutions on the charged particles traversing liquid argon. As a result, the technology has been used in a number of recent neutrino experiments, and is the technology of choice for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). In order to perform high precision measurements of neutrinos in the detector, final state particles need to be effectively identified, and their energy accurately reconstructed. This article proposes an algorithm based on a convolutional neural network to perform the classification of energy deposits and reconstructed particles as track-like or arising from electromagnetic cascades. Results from testing the algorithm on experimental data from ProtoDUNE-SP, a prototype of the DUNE far detector, are presented. The network identifies track- and shower-like particles, as well as Michel electrons, with high efficiency. The performance of the algorithm is consistent between experimental data and simulation.

Identification and reconstruction of low-energy electrons in the ProtoDUNE-SP detector

arXiv (Cornell University) · 2022-11-02 · 1 citations

Measurements of electrons from $ν_e$ interactions are crucial for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) neutrino oscillation program, as well as searches for physics beyond the standard model, supernova neutrino detection, and solar neutrino measurements. This article describes the selection and reconstruction of low-energy (Michel) electrons in the ProtoDUNE-SP detector. ProtoDUNE-SP is one of the prototypes for the DUNE far detector, built and operated at CERN as a charged particle test beam experiment. A sample of low-energy electrons produced by the decay of cosmic muons is selected with a purity of 95%. This sample is used to calibrate the low-energy electron energy scale with two techniques. An electron energy calibration based on a cosmic ray muon sample uses calibration constants derived from measured and simulated cosmic ray muon events. Another calibration technique makes use of the theoretically well-understood Michel electron energy spectrum to convert reconstructed charge to electron energy. In addition, the effects of detector response to low-energy electron energy scale and its resolution including readout electronics threshold effects are quantified. Finally, the relation between the theoretical and reconstructed low-energy electron energy spectrum is derived and the energy resolution is characterized. The low-energy electron selection presented here accounts for about 75% of the total electron deposited energy. After the addition of lost energy using a Monte Carlo simulation, the energy resolution improves from about 40% to 25% at 50~MeV. These results are used to validate the expected capabilities of the DUNE far detector to reconstruct low-energy electrons.

Low exposure long-baseline neutrino oscillation sensitivity of the DUNE experiment

Physical review. D/Physical review. D. · 2022-04-25 · 26 citations

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will produce world-leading neutrino oscillation measurements over the lifetime of the experiment. In this work, we explore DUNE's sensitivity to observe charge-parity violation (CPV) in the neutrino sector, and to resolve the mass ordering, for exposures of up to 100 kiloton-megawatt-calendar years (kt-MW-CY), where calendar years include an assumption of 57% accelerator uptime based on past accelerator performance at Fermilab. The analysis includes detailed uncertainties on the flux prediction, the neutrino interaction model, and detector effects. We demonstrate that DUNE will be able to unambiguously resolve the neutrino mass ordering at a 4 (5) level with a 66 (100) kt-MW-CY far detector exposure, and has the ability to make strong statements at significantly shorter exposures depending on the true value of other oscillation parameters, with a median sensitivity of 3 for almost all true CP values after only 24 kt-MW-CY. We also show that DUNE has the potential to make a robust measurement of CPV at a 3 level with a 100 kt-MW-CY exposure for the maximally CP-violating values CP AE=2. Additionally, the dependence of DUNE's sensitivity on the exposure taken in neutrino-enhanced and antineutrino-enhanced running is discussed. An equal fraction of exposure taken in each beam mode is found to be close to optimal when considered over the entire space of interest.