Feasibility Study for Developing the Boulby Underground Laboratory into a Facility for Future Major International Projects

We propose a feasibility study into the use of the Boulby Underground Laboratory as a host facility for future major international rare event search experiments in an ultra-low background environment. The outcome will be a report detailing typical experimental requirements and expectations for the construction and operation of a host facility, informed by a conceptual design level engineering study. Use cases from the fields of direct dark matter searches, and neutrinoless double-beta decay, will form the first input. There will be consultation with the wider community on possible candidate experiments. The study will include a recommendation on future development steps for Boulby to evolve as an international facility together with the associated estimated costs involved.

Pathways to Impact - extracts from the case for support

Awareness & Context
Ongoing large-scale rare event searches that the UK community is involved in are currently hosted in Gran Sasso (LNGS), Sanford (SURF), SNOLAB and Frejus (LSM) - see Figure 1. However next generation experiments in all these areas could well be looking for new sites, and building capability in the near-term will enable the scientists involved to argue for the UK as a viable location. A successful bid to host any one of the experiments discussed above would not only bring visibility to the UK, but also more significant scientific engagement with the experiment(s). In addition we would expect major technical and scientific engagement within the local region as has occurred with the other major facilities above. Scientists, engineers and contractors from around the world working on the experiment(s) would represent welcome extra visitors for the local region.

Potential for Societal & Economic Impact
The project will continue the collaborative interaction between the university sector, government science sectors and the commercial partner, ICL Boulby, which was started back in ~1987. This partnership has been scientifically very fruitful (see Scientific Justification section). It has also been successful in leveraging funding from various sources, such as the Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) from the Wellcome Foundation, and in attracting a broad range of activities which go beyond scientific research into studies relevant to environmental issues noted above, such as carbon storage, and wider questions, such as life in extreme environments and technology for planetary exploration. Boulby now hosts one of the best facilities in the world for material radio-assays (BUGS). There is no doubt that activity at Boulby has stimulated a lot of local interest, as evidenced by the recent setting up of a new display at the Whitby Museum using ZEPLIN III as the centrepiece. This is being used to hold local events aimed at inspiring the younger generation in exciting topical science. In addition, the science activity at Boulby has bought a useful stream of researchers as visitors to the region. The linkage between academia and industry which exists at Boulby offers specific prospects that link to at least three out of the five 'new fund' UKRI opportunities: the 'Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund', 'Strength in Places Fund' and 'Fund for International Collaboration'. This study will provide a forum for exploring these.