A high-pressure gas argon Time Projection Chamber to study neutrino interactions

DUNE is a future long baseline neutrino experiment that aims to measure neutrino and antineutrino oscillations to better understand the origin of the universe. The high-pressure gas Argon Time Projection Chamber (HPTPC) is a prototype for one of the near detectors of the DUNE experiment. The HPTPC is currently in construction and development in collaboration with Royal Holloway University of London. In 2021 we are going to ship the HPTPC to Fermilab where we will be testing it with a beam containing protons and pions. The successful beam test will result in the measurement of interactions between pions and argon, and protons and argon. These measurements will improve our understanding of neutrino interactions at crucial energies for the DUNE experiment, and prove the technology chosen for the near detector. This project offers the unique opportunity to engage with hardware development, simulation, and data analysis.

The student is encouraged to spend one year at Fermilab, near Chicago, Illinois, during the course of their PhD. Some knowledge of C++ and statistics is desirable.