Description:

Title: Scintillation Detection for a Large Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber

Speaker: Denver Whittington, U. Indiana
 

Abstract: The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a premier facility for  exploring long-standing questions about symmetries of the standard model. Acting in concert  with the liquid argon time projection chambers underpinning the far detector design, the DUNE  photon detection system will capture ultraviolet scintillation light in order to provide valuable timing information for event reconstruction. To maximize the active area while maintaining a small  photocathode coverage, the experiment will utilize a novel design based on plastic light guides coated  with a wavelength-shifting compound, along with silicon photomultipliers, to collect and record  scintillation light from liquid argon. I will discuss the design and capabilities of the DUNE detectors, performance of this light detection system, and recent measurements of the scintillation properties of liquid argon in response to cosmic rays. I will also share preliminary results from a study which doped liquid argon with a small amount of xenon to enhance the scintillation signal.