COLLOQUIUM - Beyond the Beam: Exploring Low-Energy Astrophysics with DUNE by Laura Paulucci
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Europe/Amsterdam
Colloquium (Nikhef)
Colloquium
Nikhef
Description
Next-generation long-baseline neutrino experiments utilizing Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPCs) offer unprecedented tracking resolution and particle identification capabilities. These features allow for precise event reconstruction and robust background rejection, which are vital for maximizing the sensitivity of experiments employing this technology. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next generation long-baseline neutrino experiment under construction in the US. While it is primarily designed to measure neutrino oscillation properties, determine the mass hierarchy, and investigate charge-parity violation using an intense beam from Fermilab, its far detector's deep underground location also unlocks a rich non-beam physics program. In particular, DUNE is uniquely positioned to explore low-energy astrophysical neutrino sources, such as core-collapse supernovae and solar neutrinos.
Investigating these phenomena requires high precision in the MeV energy regime. In a LArTPC, charged particles deposit energy via ionization and scintillation. While the collection of ionization electrons allows detailed 2D tracking images, argon is also a prolific scintillator which enables timing and trigger. In this talk, we discuss how the simultaneous readout of both the ionization charge and the scintillation light is key to DUNE's non-beam program. We highlight how leveraging this dual-signal synergy improves DUNE’s sensitivity to low-energy astrophysics.
