LightForNuLAND SIGNED

Project "LightForNuLAND" data sheet

The following table provides information about the project.

 Partnership

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 Project objective

Neutrino Physics is one of the areas of Particle Physics with the highest potential for discoveries. DUNE, a long-baseline neutrino-oscillation experiment, will study the neutrino mass ordering and the charge-parity violation in the next decade using liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detectors. Until DUNE begins, the only opportunity to study actual neutrino interactions in LArTPCs is the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program at Fermilab. SBND, the near detector of the SBN Program, will collect the largest statistics of neutrino interactions, enabling the resolution of anomalies which could be caused by additional neutrinos, cross-section measurements in many relevant channels for SBN and DUNE, and Beyond-Standard-Model (BSM) searches. The goal of this fellowship is for Dr Crespo to make a high-visibility contribution to SBND at CIEMAT. Specifically, the objectives are 1) commission the data acquisition and trigger systems of SBND, a critical contribution to the experiment; 2) develop the simulation and reconstruction of scintillation light in the detector, which is crucial for the cosmic-ray background rejection in a near-surface experiment like SBND; 3) develop a search for BSM Heavy Neutral Leptons, which could explain the smallness of the neutrino mass, using the Fermilab neutrino beam. Dr Crespo will receive first-hand training by the CIEMAT group, which has broad experience in simulating and reconstructing scintillation light in LArTPCs, and led this work for one of the DUNE prototypes. The supervisor, Dr Gil-Botella, is the Leader of the Far Detector Dual-Phase Photon-Detection System for DUNE. Dr Crespo will strengthen the CIEMAT contribution to SBND. He is a member of SBND since 2015, and is an expert in the readout and trigger systems, and the Co-Convener of Astroparticle and Exotic Physics in MicroBooNE, another SBN experiment. This project will reintegrate Dr Crespo in the EU, bringing his expertise, and fostering EU and US collaboration.