Experimental neutrino physics
Experimental neutrino physics
Neutrinos are among the most elusive particles of nature and are at the center of numerous open questions, such as the origin of their mass, the mechanisms by which they oscillate from one flavor to another, the possible existence of new types of neutrinos, and the possible connection to the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the Universe. These topics are studied through experiments with accelerators and dedicated neutrino beams, conducted as part of large international collaborations at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States. The goal is to deepen our understanding of the properties of neutrinos and search for possible signs of new physics beyond the Standard Model.
ICARUS and SBN
Faculty: Silvio Cherubini, Catia Petta, Maria Letizia Pumo
In close collaboration with the INFN Catania Division and other Italian and international institutions, the group participates in the ICARUS experiment, part of Fermilab's SBN (Short-Baseline Neutrino) program. ICARUS uses the largest liquid-argon time projection chamber currently available, a detector that allows for the detailed reconstruction of particles produced by neutrino interactions with argon. The ICARUS T600 detector operates as the Far Detector for Fermilab's SBN program. The SBN program is dedicated to the study of short-baseline neutrino oscillations and the search for possible sterile neutrinos, one of the open questions in neutrino physics. ICARUS also contributes to the measurement of neutrino-argon interactions and the search for possible signals of new physics beyond the Standard Model. The group's activities include data analysis, event simulation and reconstruction, detector calibration, and the development of light readout and detection systems. These skills contribute both to the study of the fundamental properties of neutrinos and to the development of advanced technologies for the detection of rare events.
DUNE
Faculty: Silvio Cherubini, Catia Petta, Maria Letizia Pumo
The group is involved in the international DUNE — Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, one of the most ambitious projects in neutrino physics worldwide. DUNE will study a neutrino beam produced at Fermilab, characterized by the Near Detector and detected, after a journey of approximately 1,300 km through the Earth, by large underground detectors installed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. By measuring the different channels of appearance and disappearance along this long journey, DUNE will allow for the study of oscillations with great precision and address some fundamental open questions: the ordering of neutrino masses, possible CP violation in the leptonic sector, the role of neutrinos in the evolution of the Universe, and the detection of neutrinos produced by extreme astrophysical events, such as supernovae. The group's activities focus on the development and use of high-mass, high-precision liquid argon detectors. Specifically, these include event simulation and reconstruction, detector response studies, measurement equipment construction, and the development of advanced data analysis techniques. In this context, DUNE represents both a frontier for fundamental physics and a testbed for innovative detection technologies.