Bridging Proposal for travel support for DUNE co-spokesperson
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Professor Mark Thomson was elected as co-spokesperson of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF). DUNE/LBNF will be the largest particle physics project ever undertaken in the US. It involves firing an intense neutrino beam from Fermilab, near Chicago, to the DUNE far detector in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota; a distance of 1300 km. The DUNE far detector is conceived as four vast liquid argon time projection chambers (LAr-TPCs), each consisting of an active volume of 10,000 tons of liquid argon. The LAr-TPC technology provides 3D images of the particles produced in neutrino interactions. The experiment aims to discover CP violation in neutrino oscillations, which could explain the observed excess of matter over antimatter in the Universe. It also enables a powerful search for proton decay, which is predicted in Grand Unified theories, and is sensitive to neutrinos from core collapse super-novae. DUNE is a major international collaboration of almost 700 scientists (and rapidly growing). The installation of the far detector is planned for 2021.
Planned Impact
This high-profile position will raise the profile of neutrino physics in the UK, with the potential to generate scientific interest in the public.
People |
ORCID iD |
Mark Thomson (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Description | Scientific and technical collaboration with the US |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | DUNE Collaboration |
Organisation | Fermilab - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory |
Country | United States |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | I am the leader of the DUNE collaboration, which comprises almost 1000 scientists. |
Collaborator Contribution | Planning for the next major construction project in particle physics |
Impact | none |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | School visits (UK and US) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Visits to schools in UK and US to give a public talk on Neutrinos and DUNE |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |