Final Report Summary - NEUTRINOSSNOPLUS (Towards the investigation of the nature of neutrinos with SNO+)
SNO+ is a high potential, multi-faceted neutrino experiment consisting of a kiloton liquid scintillator detector surveyed by about 10 000 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Its main goal is the determination of the nature of the neutrino, Dirac or Majorana, via the search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 150Nd. This is recognised to be one of the most important current topics in particle physics because the Majorana nature of neutrinos would account for the very small neutrinos masses and provide a strong experimental argument in favour of the leptogenesis theory, which has the potential to explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. SNO+ is expected to achieve a very high-sensitivity level (mßß 100 meV) very quickly (2016) thanks to its large volume. It is therefore one of the most competitive neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments that is fully funded. SNO+ will be also able to study many other aspects of neutrino physics, using solar, geo, reactor and astrophysical neutrinos. Currently, it is in its construction phase, with a start scheduled in 2013.
The researcher has worked within an international collaboration to design, develop, implement and test a novel optical calibration system, which is crucial to the success of this experiment. The calibration system has been largely installed at the experiment and a fully working prototype has been successfully demonstrated to work. The data of the test has been analysed and shows that the design goals of the system have been met.
The researcher has worked within an international collaboration to design, develop, implement and test a novel optical calibration system, which is crucial to the success of this experiment. The calibration system has been largely installed at the experiment and a fully working prototype has been successfully demonstrated to work. The data of the test has been analysed and shows that the design goals of the system have been met.