Sean Paling STFC Underground Laboratory

Hartlepool Nuclear Boulby Science – the search for Power Station & Beyond

The Watchman Project

AIT/WATCHMAN @ Boulby Lab: Overview of Boulby Lab & our Science. Progress & considerations for the new AIT/WATCHMAN project. New Underground lab @ Boulby A working potash, and rock- salt mine on the North East of . Owned by Israel Chemicals Ltd. (ICL-UK) Major local employer - ~700 direct and 3000 indirect employment.

Middlesborough

Staithes

Whitby

Polyhalite York Deepest mine in Britain: 1100m

Potash (KCl)

Mines ~1 million tonnes of Potash / year. Supplies ~ 50% of the UK’s potash View from Boulby Geology & Mining Excavations are in Salt (NaCl) & Potash (KCl) Permian evaporite layers left over from the Zechstein Sea. Over 40 kms of tunnel mined each year (now >1,000kms in total), the long-lived roadways being cut in the lower NaCl layer.

Typical Boulby U: 67 ± 6 ppb Salt Roadway Th: 125 ± 10 ppb Low γ & n backgrounds Zechstein Sea Low Rn (<3 Bqm-3)

Potash Mine Shafts

Rock-Salt

New Lab (2017) Polyhalite

Boulby Geology [email protected] Boulby Underground Laboratory

The UK’s deep underground science facility operating in a working potash and salt mine. 1.1km depth (2805 mwe). With low background surrounding rock-salt Operated by the UK’s Science Outside & Technology Facilities Council Experimentation (STFC) in partnership with the Area (OEA) mine operators ICL-UK

Permian Evaporites

4000m3 class 10k and 1k clean lab Factor ~106 space reduction in cosmic ray flux vs. surface

A QUIET place in the Universe Underground Science @ Boulby Mine • DRIFT: Directional Dark Matter Search • BUGS: Ultra-low background material screening (for LUX-ZEPLIN and Super-K-Gd and more) • ERSaB: Environmental gamma spectroscopy DRIFT-II • Deep Carbon: Muon Tomography for CCS (etc) • SELLR: Life in Low background radiation • BISAL: Geomicrobiology / Astrobiology studies • MINAR: Space Exploration Tech. Development • Misc. Geology / Geoscience • Etc... (More to come).

A busy & growing multi-disciplinary science programme: from astrophysics (Dark Matter) to studies of geology, climate, the environment, life on Earth & beyond. Boulby Facility Details…

 The UK’s deep underground science facility. One of 4 in EU. ~10 in the world.

 Supports work of 9 collaborative projects (astrophysics to climate, geology, environment etc), 20 institutions, > 70 scientists and students. The World’s Underground • Facility funded and operated by the Science and labs Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

• Operations, H&S & science How does Boulby Compare? 3 programme managed by 5(+3) • Lowest Radon levels (3 Bq/m ) onsite staff and supported by • Most diverse science prog. • Science and Industry partnership Rutherford Appleton Lab (PPD).

• Mine operators ICL-UK provide wide-ranging operational & higher level support. Mining at Boulby…

CPL/ICL support us: Keep the mine operating and safe Emergency H&S Materials transportation Misc. Facility maintenance High level political support Boulby Dark Matter Studies

Boulby has hosted Dark Matter search studies for two decades. Including the NAIAD, DRIFT & ZEPLIN experiment programmes. Boulby now hosts DRIFT Directional DM programme, doing R&D for CYGNUS & providing ULB material screening for other studies, inc LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) ZEPLIN-III @ Boulby Alpha DM-Ice ZEPLIN: The world’s first 2-phase Xenon dark matter detector (Finished 2011) DRIFT-IId

Current limits & future projections [email protected] DRIFT Dark Matter Detector...

DRIFT-II: R&D for DIRECTIONAL Dark

Matter detection. DRIFT - STATUS: Programme operating at Boulby since 2001. IId Boulby @ Currently limit-setting and conducting system performance & scale-up R&D. Plans for further R&D & expansion / collaboration (CYGNUS). Dual (1m3 total) Negative Ion DRIFT TPC

Directional detection

Occidental College, Alpha trackSimulated New Mexico, data Colorado State, Hawaii, Wellesley, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Boulby CYGNUS ThGEM development WIMP flux Directional DM detection – providing the DRIFT IId and IIe (vessel) now installed in new lab most powerful direct detection signature BUGS (+) Material Screening Growing suite (‘BUGS’) of Ultra-Low-Background (ULB) germanium detector systems to support Dark Matter & misc ‘rare-event’ studies…

Ortec Sensitivity down to <50ppt U/Th per sample, & improving

Backgroun d Spectra Our Current Detectors; - Ortec 1.8 kg (72%) p-type (ULB) - Canberra 2.0 kg (112%) & 3.2 kg Canberra Boulby Underground (171%) p-types (S-ULB) Germanium Suite (BUGS) - 2x Canberra BEGe detectors (5030 ULB, 6530 S-ULB) - Canberra SAGe Well-type (LB) ULB counting studies supporting UK DM (LZ) and Now material Screening for Gd neutrino study communities. upgrade to Super-K / T2K Now EXPANDING ULB counting capabilities. XIA system coming, and more

In collaboration with UCL, LZ DMUK, Sheffield LUX-ZEPLIN BUGs in the Boulby undertaking major role in material LUX-ZEPLIN New Lab selection for LUX-ZEPLIN and SK-Gd/T2K Boulby Multi-Disciplinary Studies

DEEP-Carbon: Muon Tomography for deep geological mapping applications including CCS

Boulby, Durham, Sheffield, Bath, Premier Oil, CPL.

ERSaB: Gamma spectroscopy & low background counting environmental radioactivity studies From astrophysics to climate, Boulby, Scottish Universities Env. geology, the environment, life Research Ctr (SUERC) on Earth & beyond... Life in Boulby Salt…

MINAR: Space Technology Development Boulby, Edinburgh, NASA, DLR, CPL etc.

Plus Misc. Geology & Geoscience (& more to BISAL: Astrobiology / Geo-microbiology. Studies come)… of life in salt, life on Earth & beyond [email protected] Borehole CCS Muon Detector

Muon Tides Detector

Life in Brine Sampling

MINAR - XRF

SELLR – Life in low background MINAR – CLUPI

BUGs Pb-210 dating MINAR - Pancam > 4000m3 of class 1,000 & 10,000 clean room experimental space

Kajita visit June 17 Outside Experimentation Area

New Lab progress 2018: Completing lab and SELLR Project getting on with science. Future Science… …Continue current studies, PLUS…

 BUGS: Expanding ULB material screening and AIT/WATCHMAN environmental gamma spectroscopy. SK-Gd, Neutrinos & nuclear Hyper-K, Dune & more non-proliferation  Expanding Astrobiology, MINAR & wider Robotics DRIFT-  Battery Earth / BERES study (NERC): Salt cavity test II facility for studies of compressed gas energy storage? • AIT/WATCHMAN: 3 kT Gd-doped water neutrino detector BERES: Salt cavity for nuclear non-proliferation purposes (and more)? energy storage • Next generation Dark Matter, Neutrino and Neutrino- less Double beta decay studies… e,g. SuperNEMO, CYGNUS, etc… Robotics Continue / increase hosting core STFC science projects & wider multidisciplinary studies addressing RCUK (UKRI) priority themes

[email protected] WATer CHerenkov Monitoring of Anti-Neutrinos Sean Paling STFC-Boulby Underground Lab

US Led Programme of work to demonstrate/develop particle physics detector technology for remote monitoring of reactors for nuclear non-proliferation purposes Global reactor antineutrino fluxes Simulation courtesy G. Jocher/J Learned, U Hawaii World antineutrino flux levels A WATer CHerenkov Monitor of ANtineutrinos

Proposed Installation & operation 2019 to 2024(+) A big (3kT) water-based o passive ~16 m detector looking at particles coming from Hartlepool

• 3500 tons of gadolinium doped water Expected upgrade to 2x1.8GW • 3000 photomultiplier tubes • Signal: ~11 events/month/core • Background: ~20 events/month A prototype 1kT neutrino detector – designed to monitor nearby nuclear reactors for International Nuclear Non-Proliferation purposes AIT/Watchman @ Boulby... We are keen to facilitate installation & operation of AIT/Watchman @ Boulby.  Good time for consideration of new projects, with facilities and science growing. AIT/Watchman fits our science growth aims. DRIFT-II  We are an established science site with proven history of successfully supporting and delivering science projects.  Existing science delivery relationships with the UK’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK Universities, AWE etc.  Well supported operationally by Boulby mine & ICL-UK. Excavation techniques and practicalities well understood.  Established and proven safety systems and culture, for mining and science operations. Watchman Collaboration & sponsor visits April 2017 and Jan 2018

o Serious Boulby discussions since 2016 o Cavity location, design, costing & timeline evaluation o Liaisons with mine management and Hartlepool Watchman @ Boulby Early site assessment - 4/17 Mine (To be reconsidered)

1177m depth Specification (to be clarified): 20m cube cavity in Polyhalite. Access roadways. Fitting of services (power, internet, water, venitallation).

1km

Best site for: • Cavern of size / shape needed Mine shafts & • Installation ops support current UG lab • Continued ops support Watchman @ Boulby Early site assessment - 4/17 Mine (To be reconsidered)

1177m depth Specification (to be clarified): 20m cube cavity in Polyhalite. Access roadways. Fitting of services (power, internet, water, venitallation).

1km

Mine shafts & current UG lab First costings (Amco 4/17) AIT/WATCHMAN site delivery @ Boulby… New Site Specification: Golder Assocs. to re- o (25m)3 cavern able to house 20m(h) x 20m(d) water tank evaluate site location, o Costs variations for +/-5m dimensions: (20m)3 to (30m)3 design, costs, o Surface access platform with work areas, 10T XY crane. timescales, impact o Flat base (Concrete / Anhydrite?) o Power (500kW), internet (gb), AC (21+/-3°C), water (120 Gal.min-1). o Class 2000 clean-room in places. Ventilation and air filtration o Additional areas: o Personnel space: observation room, bathrooms, mess areas o Water systems space (25m x 5m x 5m) o Power mains and breaker space (3m x 3m x 5m) o Lab workspace area (20m x 10m x 10m) o Light duty machine shop access (10m x 10m x 10m) o H&S considerations, emergency, access, egress, safe havens. o Consideration of water leak handling and H20-Gd disposal o Consider how to minimise impact on & interference from mining. Ready for AIT/WATCHMAN installation early 2020 NEW (Mar 18) Proposed WATCHMAN location

15,000m3 AIT/WATCHMAN site

Existing STFC-Boulby Deep underground science facility Watchman @ Boulby What next? o Feasibility, costing & impact re-assessment: o Golder Associates. instructed to conduct next level detail feasibility and costing study – June/July o Golder & Boulby Lab to consider impact of AIT/Watchman installation & operations on mine.– June/July

o Consider additional UK funding o Consider additional UK funding to maximise UK benefit and impact, including enabling UK academic involvement. Internat fund? – ASAP

o Agree management & governance details o Clarify stakeholder roles, expectations and liabilities. Develop full project management plans – inc. resources. o Seek full sign off by all parties - Oct 18

o Excavation, installation, operation – late 2018 to 2024+ What will the WATCHMAN demonstration accomplish, and when ? - goals, milestones, and approximate timeline

FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 finalize detector design (18 months) excavate cavern (21 months) Milestone: cavern ready for installation

install detector Milestone: detector installed

Milestone: detector design commission Milestone: Demonstrations with operational detector (may require less than 3 years) complete and commence calibrate detector detector operations ON/OFF transitions of both reactors with known power/standoff ‘unblind analysis’ ON/OFF transitions of one reactor with other reactor known ‘partially blind’ Detect reactors with no prior knowledge of power or standoff 'fully blind' (if possible)

Key Performance Metric: Demonstrate sensitivity of Gd-doped water to presence and operations of individual reactors

24 LLNL-PRES-xxxxxx Hartlepool ‘Near Site’ Laboratory Space EDF / Hartlepool very supportive… o Offering access to operation data as needed o Offering access to onsite experimental space o 6m x 3m serviced lab space. ~10m from R1 o And potentially more if needed Active Laundry 32’ LVL (Level above reactor) Andrew Petts: EDF management Visit to Boulby Sept 17

Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station Hartlepool ‘Near Site’ Laboratory Space

Active Laundry 32’ LVL Thank You…. .

Please Contact us… Email: [email protected] Web: www.stfc.ac.uk/boulby Sean Paling Facebook: Boulby Underground Laboratory STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory