MRI: Development of Research Infrastucture for Neutrino and Astroparticle Phyics

University Of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa AL

Investigators

Abstract

Neutrino physics and particle astrophysics connect our knowledge of the largest structures in the Universe with that of the smallest building blocks of matter and of the forces acting between them. This multidisciplinary research and diversity spans the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, elementary particle physics, and materials. Future experiments in neutrino physics will aim to determine the nature of the neutrino, precisely measure the neutrino masses and mixing angles, and search for CP violation in the neutrino sector. Future experiments in particle astrophysics will address questions concerning the sources and composition of the highest-energy cosmic rays, the distribution and nature of dark matter, and cosmological evolution including the phenomenon of dark energy. Not only do experiments in neutrino physics and particle astrophysics have overlapping scientific goals, but they also employ many common detection techniques. This award will fund the development of major research instrumentation to support the design and construction of future experiments in neutrino physics and particle astrophysics. These experiments are large in size yet demanding in the control of backgrounds and understanding of detector response. The instrumentation funded by this award is comprised of a low background, high-efficiency counting capability with high throughput, enhanced by the technique of neutron activation analysis, for qualifying materials for ultralow background experiments and instrumentation for the detailed characterization of radioactive sources fabricated for detector calibration. The broader impact of the research supported by the instrumentation includes development of new techniques for characterizing materials; training of undergraduate and graduate students in the use of sophisticated instruments to characterize materials and processes for science and technology; and laboratory infrastructure to support a critical expansion of their research scope.