Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) NSFNSF ParticleParticle AstrophysicsAstrophysics Jim Whitmore, Program Director for the PA program Theme: Physics of the Universe: to support Particle Astrophysics projects doing world-leading, potentially transformative science – at any location (in/out of the US) Outline: - PHY Division - Underground facility - AST Division - Future Funding issues November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 1 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) Discussions with other Agencies and Advice • We work closely with DOE OHEP & ONP • We discuss projects with other International Agencies • We get advice from HEPAP (High Energy Physics Advisory Panel) and its sub-panels (PASAG, DMSAG, NUSAG,…) (SAG =Scientific Assessment Group) • Also others (ASTRO2010, AAAC, NAS,…) • International Finance Boards • OECD-GSF-Astrophysics Working Group (APIF) • Bi-national Discussions (INFN, IN2P3) • Attend Lab Scientific Committee meetings (PACs November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 2 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) Details of PHY PA funding In FY2010: 62 different institutions (may have more than 1 group) 140 PIs/Co-PIs 52 postdocs 118 graduate students 98 undergrads More than 50% of the PIs work on more than one project PHY funding for PA in FY2011 was $19.2M -- Search for Dark Matter (35.5% of the funding); -- Study of the particles comprising the UHE Universe (ultra-high energy cosmic rays, gamma-rays and neutrinos) (41%); -- Detection of solar neutrinos and the attempts to determine the absolute value of the mass of Neutrinos as well as some of their elusive properties (21.2%); -- Search for understanding Dark Energy, Cosmology (2.4%) November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 3 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) Location of PA projects Of the 31 projects supported by PA, 11 are located in the US (two are planning to move out with their next upgrade) and 20 are located outside the US in Italy (underground), Canada (ug), UK (ug), Argentina, Mexico, Antarctica (ug), France (ug), China (ug), Japan (ug) and Chile. Of the 13 underground labs shown, the PA program supports activities at 9 of them. November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 4 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) Dark Matter Direct Detection WIMP searches XENON100 and CDMS have the world’s best limits as of today. S-CDMS – at Soudan/SNOLab? (Ge) XENON – 100 at LNGS Constr/Ops (Xe) X1T WARP – at LNGS (Ar) LUX – Constr at SURF (Xe) COUPP – at SNOLab PICASSO – at SNOLab CoGeNT – at Soudan MiniCLEAN – at SNOLab (Ar) DarkSide – Constr. at LNGS (DAr) DA-50 in the Borexino CTF Decay shape from 39 Directional projects: Ar in normal Ar Ar DRIFT – Constr/Ops at Boulby DMTPC – Constr only, at WIPP Xe Axion searches ADMX-HF – Axion Dark Matter eXperiment – High Frequency Depleted Ar: depletion – Constr. (Yale) factor > 100 November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 5 Particle Astrophysics UHE Cosmic Rays at NSF (PHY and AST) S. AUGER – Constr complete/Ops (DOE-OHEP and 17 more countries) Currently have 1639 working stations and only 5 not (99.7%) All 5 fluorescence detectors are working TA (Telescope Array) – Constr/Ops; located near Delta, south of Salt Lake City Formerly HiRes AUGER HiRes November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 6 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) HE Cosmic Rays R&D • AMBER (Airshower Microwave Bremsstrahlung Experimental Radiometer ) The indirect observation of secondary emission from the residual tenuous gas of excited particles and plasma left when the shower of particles transits the atmosphere is currently applied only to optical fluorescence of molecular nitrogen. AUGER is studying its feasibility for observing UHE cosmic rays • Bistatic radio detection in TA:The collaboration has successfully commissioned a 2 (20) kW bistatic radar transmitter station, in Delta, Utah. The receiver station is under construction, and they have begun characterizing the transmitter output. (Ionization plasma reflects radio waves – amplitude largest in forward direction) • Askaryan Effect: When ultra-high energy neutrinos interact in a dense medium, such as ice, the enormous cascade of secondary particles emit an intense sub-nanosecond pulse of coherent Cherenkov radiation at radio wavelengths. • ARIANNA (Radio reflection in Antarctic – UHE νs) (with OPP) the first prototype for the proposed Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf Antenna Neutrino Array (near McMurdo) of neutrino detectors was successfully installed. The interface between ice and liquid water below acts as an excellent surface for reflecting radio waves. • ARA (Askaryan Radio Array) R&D (MRI with OPP) To detect the RF emission from neutrino induced showers in RF transparent media. The receivers installed in IceCube boreholes were designed to be sensitive in the range of 100 MHz - 1 GHz. 14 receivers 40 m under ice and two additional ones on surface at S. Pole. November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 7 Particle Astrophysics UHE Gamma Rays at NSF (PHY and AST) VERITAS – Upgrade/Ops --Discoveries of TeV sources of γ-rays --Indirect DM limits from Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies Science (Oct 7): “Detection of Pulsed Gamma Rays above 100 GeV from the Crab Pulsar”. They are the highest energies (by an order of magnitude) ever detected from a pulsar; their energy spectrum indicates a completely new and unexpected component; and it is coming from a new location, more than 10 stellar radii from the neutron star. HAWC started construction earlier this year: up to 300 large water Cherenkov tanks (7.3m diam, 5m deep) At high altitude (4100m, Sierra Negra) 7 tanks complete now CTA – under discussion November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 8 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) Neutrinos IceCube (with OPP) Construction was completed at the South Pole on December 18, 2010 New Zealand time. The main IceCube detector now contains 5,160 optical sensors on 86 strings embedded two kilometers below the NSF’s Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Includes 6 strings of Deep Core (low energy). (with Germany, Sweden, Belgium) DOMs between 1,450 and 2,450 meters Reactor Neutrinos: (θ13) Double Chooz – Constr/Ops; taking data with 1 (far) detector since April 13, 2011 (~5000 ν) New measurement of θ13 2 sin 2θ13 = 0.085 + 0.029(stat) + 0.042(syst) Daya Bay – group base support only. Data-taking started August with 2 near detectors DC Outer veto (complete) Borexino – solar neutrinos at LNGS November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 9 Particle Astrophysics Neutrino Properties at NSF (PHY and AST) Neutrinoless double beta decay searches: CUORE (LNGS): NSF is funding the construction, testing and installation of the electronics (Milano design) Tech support for CUORE-0 (DOE-ONP) MJD at Homestake; providing funds to import ~60 kg of germanium enriched to ~86% in 76Ge 13 in the form of GeO2, reduce it, purify it, and zone refine it to the level of ~10 electrically active impurities/cm3, normally accepted by the germanium detector manufacturers. (DOE-ONP) NSF is also funding R&D into P-type Point Contact (PPC) Ge detectors 136 21 EXO-200 WIPP (2ν DBD result: T½ ( Xe) = 2.11x10 yrs) Base support for 2 groups and Ba Tagging R&D both Liquid and Gas Xe NEMO-3 (Modane Underground Laboratory in the Fr´ejus Tunnel under the French-Italian Alps) combines tracking, calorimetry and ToF For Super-NEMO: 82Se 0.04-0.14 eV (>1.5x1026 yr) Neutrino mass measurements: Mare-II cryogenic microcalorimeters measuring beta decay of 163Ho Sensitivity goal of 0.1-0.2 eV/c2 November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 10 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) Gravitational Waves • LIGO and ADV-LIGO • Funded by MREFC (Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction) • and by Gravitation Program in PHY November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 11 Particle Astrophysics at NSF (PHY and AST) UndergroundUnderground PhysicsPhysics ResearchResearch atat thethe NationalNational ScienceScience FoundationFoundation Jon Kotcher DPF Meeting 2011 Forum on Underground‐based Physics Brown University, Providence, RI August 11, 2011 November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting 12 Particle Astrophysics DeepDeep UndergroundUnderground ScienceScience andand at NSF (PHY and AST) EngineeringEngineering LaboratoryLaboratory (DUSEL)(DUSEL) • DUSEL is being envisioned as a unique, dedicated international underground education & research facility that would support potentially transformational experiments in multiple disciplines. • The U.S. particle, nuclear, and astrophysics communities have selected DUSEL as central to their national programs. • Site selection was exhaustively reviewed by 22‐member world‐class • The engineering, geology and biology panel: communities are proactively engaged, and participate in all aspects of DUSEL • PHY, GEO, BIO, ENG, ES&H, planning. underground construction, geotechnical/civil engineering, mining • Development focused on the former and operations, large project Homestake Gold Mine (Lead, SD), the management, cost & schedule, E&O, deepest mine in North America. US & foreign representation.Davis Cavern November 22, 2011 J. Whitmore -- ASPERA Meeting Sep 21,13 2009 Particle Astrophysics Developing the DUSEL Experimental at NSF (PHY and AST) Program: S4 • Solicitation 4 (S4): called for proposals to develop designs and pursue targeted R&D for potential DUSEL experiments (Jan 2009) • Nine proposals funded in physics: • Seven proposals funded in – Dark matter (4) BIO, GEO & ENG sciences: – Neutrino‐less double‐beta decay (2) – Fracture processes – Coupled