This is the largest study ever carried out on the subject in the world and will investigate in depth the structure of matter
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (Dune) is one of the largest international scientific projects today and aims to discover new properties of neutrinos, uncharged elementary particles with tiny mass that travel at a speed very close to that of light.
This is the largest study ever carried out on the subject in the world and will investigate in depth the structure of matter and provide answers to important questions linked to the formation of the universe. Scholars across the planet estimate that neutrinos will be part of major discoveries in Physics in the next 10 or 20 years.
According to researchers, the Earth is regularly crossed by trillions of neutrinos: produced in the early times of the universe, from extragalactic sources, generated inside the stars of the Milky Way, originating in the Sun, resulting from the collision of cosmic rays with the Earth's atmosphere . And even though it's everywhere, it's probably the most mysterious particle in the universe.
“Neutrinos are extremely small particles, and it is difficult to understand how they transform. The importance of this project goes far beyond discovering why we live in a universe dominated by matter, why we are here, but it will generate discoveries for countless other areas, such as health, for example. Imagine if we can control particles that pass through matter, the benefits this will bring to the world in different aspects are enormous”, comments Dr. Cesar Ghizoni, CEO of Equatorial.
The DUNE project is based at Fermilab (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), a laboratory specialized in high-energy particle physics linked to the United States Department of Energy, and has the participation of researchers from more than 100 countries, with Brazil being one of the signatories.
The great technological highlight of the project is that its detection system will be based on the use of liquid argon. And for it to be successful, the photo detection system (Dune Photon Detection System) is a fundamental part, as it will be through the scintillation produced by the passage of neutrinos through giant liquid argon tanks that researchers will obtain essential information about the formation of the universe and the structure of the material world.
DUNE will have two large detectors installed in the United States and positioned along the beam propagation line. The first will be very close to the source, at Fermilab itself, in the state of Illinois, and the second, with much larger proportions, far below ground level, 1.300 kilometers from the source, in the state of South Dakota. According to the involved in the experiment, there will be no need to build any tunnel, because because they have no charge, neutrinos propagate in a straight line, without suffering any type of deviation. They travel at speeds close to that of light and can pass through any type of material along the way. Therefore, to reach the second detector, the beam simply needs to be pointed in the correct direction.
At the forefront of this research in Brazil, and with support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), is Unicamp, under the coordination of physicists Ettore Segreto and Pascoal JG Pagliuso, professors at the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics. Professor Pascoal Pagliuso leads the team that investigates and develops the processes related to the entire liquid argon purification system of the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LNBF) while Professor Ettore Segreto is the leader of the Dune Photon Detection System, one of the five international consortia that are part of the mega-experiment.
One of the projects led by researchers from the State of São Paulo refers to the light detection system called Arapuca, a device to collect very low frequency light signals emitted by Dune's detectors.
And this is where the great scientific and engineering challenge for Brazilian participants in this project begins. To maintain the liquid, you have to lower the temperature and then purify the argon, as impurities can affect the detection of particles generated in the liquid argon tanks and make the experiment unfeasible.
Brazil, under the leadership of Unicamp (IFGW), is studying the purification, filtration and regeneration of liquid argon for neutrino detectors. “Initial filtration is known, but purification to the level required requires research and development of new materials for filters and fluid dynamics studies”, explain Ghizoni and Pagliuso.
The project will be divided into two phases:
- They include R&D activities, preliminary studies, tests, construction of prototypes for the optimization of purification, regeneration and condensation of argon on a large scale (eg fluid dynamics studies, for the circulation of LAr with two pumps, case study for the installation of a full-scale argon purification system with the difficulties imposed by the cave entrance and available cranes and other difficulties of the underground installation, testing of different purification elements and monitoring the temperature inside the purifier). Compliance with Phase 1 will be systematically assessed every 3 months during its implementation.
- After positive evaluations in all Phase 1 reviews by both Unicamp and Fermilab, Phase 2 will include engineering, design, construction, testing, dispatch and delivery of the following components:
· LAr purification system for detectors #1, #2.
· Gar purification system for detectors #1, #2.
· Regeneration system for detectors #1, #2.
· Air circulation system for detectors #1, #2.
· Argon condensation system for detectors#2.
Equatorial, from the Akaer group, received support for research development from the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation, through the FAPESP Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program (PIPE), and participates in the study with Unicamp, providing all engineering support during the first phase of the project.
"It is at the intersection between cutting-edge science and the instrumentation necessary to observe new natural phenomena that an important vector of development is inserted. For FAPESP, supporting this project means not only deepening knowledge about the universe, but allowing companies to develop new technologies and potentially also new markets", said Luiz Eugênio Mello, FAPESP's scientific director about the support.
The scope of work in this first phase is the elaboration of the basic concept of the system for the optimization of purification, regeneration and condensation of argon on a large scale, as well as the elaboration of the industrialization and installation plan at the experiment site.
“During Phase 1, we are committed to seeking innovation in the filtration and circulation process of Liquid Agonic in the LNBF’s 17 kTon tanks. We already have proposals for new media that can significantly increase the efficiency of the process and the chance of success of the experiment. The success of Phase 1 will allow the entire LBNF Liquid Argon cryogenic infrastructure to be produced in Brazil”, comments Pagliuso.
“For Brazil, being part of DUNE is extremely important, as it takes us to another level of technological development and allows the Brazilian scientific community to participate in a large-scale project. For the Akaer Group, it means entering into a scientific development study. We are going to make a quality leap in several technologies that involve low temperatures, high reliability and complexity, all on a huge scale. We will enter another field of activity that it would not be possible to invest in so soon if it weren’t for this project”, concludes the CEO of Equatorial.
Read more about neutrinos:
Physicist who created trap will lead key area in the world's largest neutrino study
New neutrino detection technique is published in the journal Nature Physics
