Muon-to-Electron (Mu2e) Conversion Experiment: Pixel Cooling Project

The Muon-to-Electron conversion experiment (Mu2e) has been an ongoing project at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory since 2015. The basis of this particle physics experiment lies in the attempt to convert a muon into an electron without neutrino emission. The Standard Model—the current governing theory of particle physics—does not allow this transformation to occur. Thus, we are searching for evidence of particle behavior beyond the current Standard Model, which would signal the existence of new particles or new forces of nature. The pixel cooling component of this experiment plays a crucial role in successfully detecting this transformation. Silicon pixel plane detector systems used in the Mu2e experiment drastically degrade if they become too hot. Poor quality readings and uninterpretable data will result from this overheating, which had been observed in simulated trials prior to 2025. There are two work-arounds to fix this problem which will be addressed in this work: running a 50/50 ethylene glycol-water mixture or thermal C5 fluid through small tubes on the pixel planes to serve as a coolant, and constructing a new pixel plane frame out of polyetheretherketone (P.E.E.K.) to secure the cooling tubes in place. It is the hope that implementing both of these adjustments will keep the pixel planes at a stable operating temperature, allowing the Mu2e experiment to be at a fully-functioning state for data collection.