Second School on Dark Matter and Neutrino Detection

July 8-19, 2024

São Paulo, Brazil

ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP

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In recent years, Dark Matter detection has shifted from a pure astrophysics field to laboratory physics. Currently, several operating experiments are probing the parameter space of Dark Matter properties and a myriad of techniques are being proposed and tested. Another rapidly growing field in experimental physics is Neutrino Detection. Although several of their properties, such as neutrino oscillations, are well established, many unknowns remain. For instance, we still need to know the neutrino mass hierarchy, the theta_23 octant and the CP violation phase. Other fundamental properties remain to be tested, such as the coherent neutrino scattering at the lowest neutrino energies.

These two fields – Dark Matter and Neutrino Detection – are deeply connected. Most Dark Matter experiments rely on this particle though the weak interaction, such that neutrino detection methods have inspired many of the current Dark Matter experiments. Neutrinos are an unavoidable background for Dark Matter detection and upcoming experiments will soon reach the so-called neutrino floor. Also, sterile neutrinos are competitive Dark Matter candidates.

Despite their growing importance, in general, these two topics are very seldom discussed together in physics schools. The aim of the school is to introduce the students to the field of particle Dark Matter and Neutrino Detection, share the excitement on model building and detection methods, and prepare the next generation to contribute to this endeavor.

The school is composed of courses and lectures on advanced topics, with significant time for questions/discussions and practical hands-on activities. The labs which demonstrate techniques used in real experiments are a key part of the school. As far as we know, this is the only school worldwide with experimental labs covering both Dark Matter and Neutrino Detection.

The first week will take place in the IFT-UNESP auditorium and will give a general introduction to the fields of Dark Matter and neutrino physics with a more theoretical focus, providing the basis to address the detection methods. The second week will take place at the Principia Institute and will focus on detection techniques and specific experiments, with most of the afternoon dedicated to experimental work in small groups.

There is no registration fee and limited funds are available for travel and local expenses.

This activity will be preceded by the III Joint ICTP-SAIFR/ICTP-Trieste Summer School on Particle Physics from June 24 to July 5.

Local Organizing Committee:

  • Carla Bonifazi (ICAS-ICIFI-UNSAM, Argentina & IF-UFRJ, Brazil)
  • Edivaldo Moura Santos (IF-USP, Brazil)
  • Farinaldo Queiroz (IIP/UFRN, Brazil)
  • Martin Makler (CAS-ICIFI-UNSAM, Argentina & CBPF, Brazil)
  • Laura Palucci (UFABC, Brazil)

International Advisory Board:

  • Ivone Albuquerque (IF-USP, Brazil)
  • Luciano Pandola (LNS, Italy)
  • Kate Scholberg (Duke, USA)
  • Stefan Soldner-Rembold (Manchester, UK)
  • Andrew Sonnenschein (Fermilab, USA)

List of participants: Updated on July 10, 2024.

Survey: Here

Lectures and Experiments

First week:

  • Graciela Gelmini (UCLA, USA): Dark Matter
  • Pedro Machado (FNAL, USA): Neutrino physics
  • Nicolás Bernal (New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates): Dark Matter beyond WIMPs
  • Matheus Hostert (Harvard): Neutrinos Beyond the Standard Model

Second week:

  • Daniel Pershey (FSU, USA): Neutrino detection
  • Javier Tiffenberg (Fermilab, USA & UBA, Argentina): Dark Matter Detection
  • Luca Marsicano (INFN, Italy): Accelerator Dark Matter detection
  • Dario Rodrigues (UBA, Argentina): Neutrino detection with CCDs

Laboratory and hands-on activities:

      At Principia Institute:

  • Dario Rodrigues (UBA, Argentina): Sensitivity and exclusion limits for DM & Nu experiments
  • Laura Paulucci (UFABC, Brazil) & Franciole Marinho (ITA, Brazil): LAr experiment design using Monte Carlo simulations
  • Ana Botti (Fermilab, USA): Particle detection with a CMOS camera
  • Matias Rolf Hampel (ITeDA, Argentina): Muon veto systems based on plastic scintillators
  • Vinicius Franco Lima & Irina Nasteva (UFRJ, Brazil): Particle detection using a silicon pixel detector

      At Universidade de São Paulo (USP):

  • Simone Sanfilippo (INFN, Italy): Characterization of Silicon PhotoMultipliers for astroparticle physics applications
  • Edivaldo Moura Santo & Nikolas Kemmerich (USP, Brazil): Pulse-shape discrimination for gamma-neutron separation
  • Edivaldo Moura Santos & Nikolas Kemmerich (USP, Brazil): Compton edge-based energy resolution measurements with a coincidence setup
  • Guilherme S. Zahn, Paulo Sérgio C. da Silva & Frederico A. Genezini (IPEN-CNEN/SP, Brazil): Gamma Spectrometry using Semiconductor Detectors

 

Description of Experiments

Virtual Machine: Here

Click here to see tutorial about VM

Click here to see the Required Softwares

At Principia Institute:

EXPERIMENT  #1: Sensitivity and exclusion limits for DM & Nu experiments  

Dario Rodrigues (UBA, Argentina)
This activity will consist of two parts. The first part will introduce key concepts of statistics necessary for calculating sensitivity and exclusion limits both in neutrino physics and in the search for dark matter. The second part will involve implementing computationally what has been learned in hands-on work.

EXPERIMENT  #2: LAr experiment design using Monte Carlo simulations  

Extra material

Franciole Marinho (ITA, Brazil) & Laura Paulucci (UFABC, Brazil)
In this hands-on activity we will explore the development of Monte Carlo simulations with focus on liquid argon experiments using the Geant4 toolkit. After a short introduction to the basic elements needed to run the simulation (description of the geometry, physical and optical properties of the materials, particles interactions) participants will observe particle’s propagation in the simulated media and design analyses producing results based on physical interpretation with simulated data.

EXPERIMENT  #3: Particle detection with a CMOS camera

Extra Material

Ana Botti (Fermilab, USA)
CMOS and CCD devices are silicon-pixeled detectors widely implemented in scientific and commercial applications. Despite their primary use as digital cameras, they are also great particle detectors since charge particles produce ionization electrons as they pass through the silicon. In this activity, we will discuss the principles and differences between CMOS and CCD devices, implement CMOS cameras with a Raspberry Pi to measure particle tracks, and discuss their application for dark matter and neutrino detection.

EXPERIMENT  #4: Muon veto systems based on plastic scintillators

Matias Rolf Hampel (ITeDA, Argentina)
Muon veto systems act as an active shield to tag any muon-induced activity in particle detection experiments. In this laboratory practical, groups of 2 or 3 students will learn how to build and use such a system. They will operate a setup consisting of plastic scintillators coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) through wavelength shifting fibers. The practice will cover fundamental aspects of SiPMs as light detectors, as well as techniques for muon detection using plastic scintillators. Students will acquire and analyze data to estimate the muon detection efficiency of the experimental setup.

EXPERIMENT  #5: Particle detection using a silicon pixel detector

Vinicius Franco Lima (UFRJ, Brazil) & Irina Nasteva (UFRJ, Brazil)
This experiment is designed to introduce a pixelated silicon state-of-the-art detection system for x-rays and charged particles, developed at CERN as a spin-off development of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). A basic understanding of semiconductor pixel detectors and particle interaction with matter and detection will be given by calibrating the detector with known x-ray sources. A variety of software tools will be used for data acquisition, detector calibration and data analysis.

 

At Universidade de São Paulo:

EXPERIMENT  #6: Characterisation of Silicon PhotoMultipliers for astroparticle physics applications

Simone Sanfilippo (INFN, Italy)
The students will be familiar with the standard procedure used in many applications of neutrino and dark matter search about the characterisation of Silicon PhotoMultipliers (SiPMs). In particular they will learn how to extract breakdown voltage from I-V curves and how to look at the single-electron spectrum from the acquired data.

EXPERIMENT  #7: Pulse-shape discrimination for gamma-neutron separation

Edivaldo Moura Santos (USP, Brazil) & Nikolas Kemmerich (USP, Brazil)
Plastic or liquid scintillators are very powerful fast neutron detectors and have been extensively employed in nuclear and particle physics applications. For example, in experiments such as those designed to measure the response of liquefied noble gases (like Liquid Argon LAr) to low-energy nuclear recoils induced by neutrons, they are used as the main neutron detectors. Even in the presence of ubiquitous gamma radiation, scintillators show excellent photon-neutron separation power through the Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) technique. In this laboratory activity, students will study the time response of a scintillator detector to a gamma source and learn to construct such pulse-shape parameters using an experimental setup that includes nanosecond time-resolution electronics. Finally, neutron and gamma population data will be analyzed to demonstrate separation power.

EXPERIMENT  #8: Compton edge-based energy resolution measurements with a coincidence setup

Nikolas Kemmerich (USP, Brazil)  & Edivaldo Moura Santos (USP, Brazil)
In this laboratory activity, students will measure the energy resolution of a scintillator detector using gamma rays. This will be possible due to the ability of photons to Compton scatter electrons in the scintillator target material and then be detected in temporal coincidence by a reference detector with known energy calibration. The setup will allow students to familiarize themselves with standard acquisition electronics in nuclear and particle physics as well as coincidence trigger logic. The reference detector will be a high-resolution solid-state device (HPGe High Purity Germanium Radiation Detector) working at cryogenic temperatures to provide a reference energy measurement based on the photoelectric effect. Students should work on the determination of the energy resolution of the scintillator by analyzing the scintillator pulse height distribution acquired in coincidence with the HPGe detector.

EXPERIMENT  #9: Gamma Spectrometry using Semiconductor Detectors

Guilherme S. Zahn (IPEN-CNEN/SP, Brazil),  Paulo Sérgio C. da Silva (IPEN-CNEN/SP, Brazil) & Frederico A. Genezini (IPEN-CNEN/SP, Brazil)
The precise measurement of high energy photons is of paramount importance in many fields of both basic and applied sciences. In this sense, the high resolution gamma ray spectroscopy performed using semiconductor detectors, where transitions with very similar energies can be precisely discriminated, is a very powerful tool. In this experiment, students will learn the basic concepts on the measurement of photons using semiconductor detectors, then will have a hand-on experience on the use of a high-resolution high purity germanium detector (HPGe), from the initial calibration of the system to actual measurements of standard sources and also of real-world samples, where the high complexity of the spectrum presents an additional challenge. Additionally, the ubiquitous gamma-ray background will be discussed, and students will be offered the possibility to perform a thorough analysis of the transitions found in the environmental radiation.

 

Reading Materials and Exercises

Graciela Gelmini (UCLA, USA): Dark Matter

Pedro Machado (FNAL, USA): Neutrino physics

Nicolás Bernal (New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates): Practical Activities

Matheus Hostert (Harvard): Neutrinos Beyond the Standard Model

Registration

Announcement:

Application is now closed

Program

Instructions about Principia 

This is not the final program, the schedule might be changed.

Videos and Files

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Second School on Dark Matter and Neutrino Detection

 

Poster session

Tuesday, June 9th – Video Here

• Andrea Carolina Barros Sarmiento (Universidad del Atlantico): NOvA Constraints
on CP-violating Non-Standar Interactions
• Eliana Depaoli (FCEN – UBA & CNEA): BSM Physics in Nuclear Power Reactors.
• Guilherme de Araújo Nogueira (State University of Campinas): Higher-order
QCD in Higgs in to gluon-gluon
• Juan Felipe Jiménez Román (Instituto de Física – Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México): Model for Direct Detection of Dark Matter with SU(2)
Custodial Symmetry
• Manuel Mollerach (Universidad de Buenos Aires): New approach to measure the
self-coupling of the Higgs boson at the LHC
• Matheus Maia de Araújo Paixão (IIP-UFRN (International Institute of Physics –
UFRN)): Unruh Effect under the Quantum Trajectories Formalism
• Valéria Vale (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica): Characteristics of the LArQL
model and its prospects

 

Wednesday, June 10th – Video Here

• Amir Farzan Esmaeili (PUC-Rio ): Neutrinos from muon-rich ultra high energy
electromagnetic cascades: The MUNHECA code
• Diego Silva Vieira Gonçalves (UFABC): Search for low-background signatures of
flavor-violating scalars at the HL-LHC
• Emilse Cabrera Capera (PUC-Rio): Limits on (3+2) sterile neutrino scenario using
IceCube data
• Jorge Schifferli Verdugo (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María): Exploring
Unitarity-Completing Extensions of a Vector Dark Matter Model via SO(4) Symmetry
• Lucas Magno Dantas Ramos (University of Sao Paulo): Probing Conversion-driven
Freeze-out at the LHC
• Murillo Gregorio Grefener da Silva (Universidade de São Paulo): Dark matter
spike and gamma-ray boost around the black hole at the Galactic center
• Pedro Ventura (IF – USP): Significance of reactor neutrino signals: a statistical study

 

Thursday, June 11th – Video Here

• Camila Belén Martínez (Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de
Buenos Aires (FCEN-UBA)): Reconstruction of muon tracks in the South Atlantic
Anomaly region
• Gustavo Alves (University Of Sao Paulo): Could SBND-PRISM probe Lepton Flavor
Violation?
• Letícia Maria Valença Guedes (UFRN): Constraining Gamma-ray Lines from Dark
Matter Annihilation
• Nicolás Avalos (Instituto Balseiro): The search for Dark Matter in DMSQUARE
(Argentina) and CONNIE (Brazil)
• Walter Rodriguez (Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru): Non-pointing
photons from Long-Lived Particles at the ATLAS ECal in the Dimension-5 Type-I
Seesaw
• Yolvi Javier (Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú): From Wimps to Fimps with
low reheating temperatures
• Edson da Silva Souza (UNICAMP): Alleviating the present tension between T2K
and NO A with neutrino New Physics at source

Additional Information

Instructions about Principia 

BOARDING PASS: All participants, whose travel has been provided or will be reimbursed by ICTP-SAIFR, should bring the boarding pass  upon registration. The return boarding pass (PDF, if online check-in, scan or picture, if physical) should be sent to secretary@ictp-saifr.org by e-mail.

COVID-19: Brazilians and foreigners no longer have to present proof of vaccination before entering the country.

Visa information: Nationals from several countries in Latin America and Europe are exempt from tourist visa. Nationals from Australia, Canada and USA are exempt from tourist visa until April 10, 2025. Please check here which nationals need a tourist visa to enter Brazil.

Accommodation: Participants, whose accommodation will be provided by the institute, will stay at The Universe Flat. Hotel recommendations are available here.

How to reach the Institute: The first week of the school will be held at ICTP South American Institute, located at IFT-UNESP, which is across the street from a major bus and subway terminal (Terminal Barra Funda). The address which is closer to the entrance of the IFT-UNESP building is R. Jornalista Aloysio Biondi, 120 – Barra Funda, São Paulo. The easiest way to reach us is by subway or bus, please find instructions here.

How to reach the Principia Institute: The second week of the school will be held at Principia Institute of the Institute for Theoretical Physics Foundation, located at Rua Pamplona, 145.

Poster presentation: Participants who are presenting a poster MUST BRING A PRINTED BANNER . The banner size should be at most 1 m (width) x 1,5 m (length). We do not accept A4 or A3 paper.