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Development of the photon readout electronics for nEXO

POSTER

Abstract

Neutrinos have continually surprised physicists, and the recent discoveries that they have mass and oscillate between different states definitively points towards physics beyond the Standard Model. One of the best ways to test whether neutrinos are Majorana particles is to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. Double beta decay is a special decay mode where two beta-decays occur simultaneously in a nucleus, and if the neutrino is Majorana they can annihilate each other, leaving zero neutrinos to escape. nEXO is a 5 ton liquid Xenon time projection chamber operating at cryogenic temperatures that is being proposed to search for such a decay. Brookhaven National Laboratory is developing readout electronics for the photon detectors in nEXO. I will contribute to developing the nEXO photon readout by evaluating the performance of prototypes of the readout. In order to achieve this I have used Python code to create a Monte Carlo to simulate the maximum bit error rate and not lose any good events. Along with simulating the max bit error rate, I have analyzed data gathered from a prototype of the readout electronics to determine how to test the Silicon PhotoMultipliers at room temperature, where the noise reaches very high levels.

Presenters

  • Laurynette Griffin

    Howard University

Authors

  • Laurynette Griffin

    Howard University

  • Marcus Alfred

    Howard University

  • Mickey G Chiu

    Brookhaven National Laboratory