Search

The International Muon Collider Collaboration (IMCC) [1] was established in 2020 following the recommendations of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP) and the implementation of the European Strategy for Particle Physics-Accelerator R&D Roadmap by the Laboratory Directors Group [2], hereinafter referred to as the the European LDG roadmap. The Muon Collider Study (MuC) covers the accelerator complex, detectors and physics for a future muon collider. In 2023, European Commission support was obtained for a design study of a muon collider (MuCol) [3]. This project started on 1st March 2023, with work-packages aligned with the overall muon collider studies. In preparation of and during the 2021-22 U.S. Snowmass process, the muon collider project parameters, technical studies and physics performance studies were performed and presented in great detail. Recently, the P5 panel [4] in the U.S. recommended a muon collider R&D, proposed to join the IMCC and envisages that the U.S. should prepare to host a muon collider, calling this their "muon shot". In the past, the U.S. Muon Accelerator Programme (MAP) [5] has been instrumental in studies of concepts and technologies for a muon collider., Comment: This document summarises the International Muon Collider Collaboration (IMCC) progress and status of the Muon Collider R&D programme

Semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) are light emitters with high quantum yield that are relatively easy to manufacture. There is therefore much interest in their possible application for the development of high-performance scintillators for use in high-energy physics. However, few previous studies have focused on the response of these materials to high-energy particles. To evaluate the potential for the use of nanocomposite scintillators in calorimetry, we are performing side-by-side tests of fine-sampling shashlyk calorimeter prototypes with both conventional and nanocomposite scintillators using electron and minimum-ionizing particle beams, allowing direct comparison of the performance obtained., Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, 1 table

Using the newly developed 530 MeV positron beam from the Mainz Microtron MAMI and employing a bent silicon crystal, we demonstrate the first successful manipulation with high efficiencies of the trajectories of positrons through planar channeling and volume reflection. This uncovered the presence of fine structure within the angular distribution of charged particles when they are channeled between the planes of bent crystals. The alignment of our experimental findings with simulation results not only demonstrates a deeper understanding of the interactions between charged particle beams and bent crystals but also signals a new phase in the development of innovative methodologies for slow extraction in circular accelerators operating in the GeV range, with implications for worldwide accelerators. Our results also mark a considerable progression in the generation of advanced x-ray sources through the channeling process in periodically bent crystals, rooted in a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between positron beams and such crystals.

Rare-event search experiments located on-surface, such as short-baseline reactor neutrino experiments, are often limited by muon-induced background events. Highly efficient muon vetos are essential to reduce the detector background and to reach the sensitivity goals. We demonstrate the feasibility of deploying organic plastic scintillators at sub-Kelvin temperatures. For the NUCLEUS experiment, we developed a cryogenic muon veto equipped with wavelength shifting fibers and a silicon photo multiplier operating inside a dilution refrigerator. The achievable compactness of cryostat-internal integration is a key factor in keeping the muon rate to a minimum while maximizing coverage. The thermal and light output properties of a plastic scintillation detector were examined. We report first data on the thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the polystyrene-based scintillator UPS-923A over a wide range of temperatures extending below one Kelvin. The light output was measured down to 0.8K and observed to increase by a factor of 1.61$\pm$0.05 compared to 300K. The development of an organic plastic scintillation muon veto operating in sub-Kelvin temperature environments opens new perspectives for rare-event searches with cryogenic detectors at sites lacking substantial overburden.

We present the first continuous operation in a surface lab of BULLKID, a detector for searches of light Dark Matter and precision measurements of the coherent and elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. The detector consists of an array of 60 cubic silicon particle absorbers of 0.34 g each, sensed by cryogenic kinetic inductance detectors. The data presented focusses on one of the central elements of the array and on its surrounding elements used as veto. The energy spectrum resulting from an exposure of 39 hours to ambient backgrounds, obtained without radiation shields, is flat at the level of $(2.0\pm0.1\,{\rm stat.}\pm0.2\,{\rm syst.})\times10^6$ counts / keV kg days down to the energy threshold of $160\pm13$ eV. The data analysis demonstrates the unique capability of rejecting backgrounds generated from interactions in other sites of the array, stemming from the segmented and monolithic structure of the detector.

Crilin (Crystal Calorimeter with Longitudinal Information) is a semi-homogeneous, longitudinally segmented electromagnetic calorimeter based on high-$Z$, ultra-fast crystals with UV-extended SiPM readout. The Crilin design has been proposed as a candidate solution for both a future Muon Collider barrel ECAL and for the Small Angle Calorimeter of the HIKE experiment. As a part of the Crilin development program, we have carried out beam tests of small ($10\times10\times40$~mm$^3$) lead fluoride (PbF$_2$) and ultra-fast lead tungstate (PbWO$_4$, PWO) crystals with 120~GeV electrons at the CERN SPS to study the light yield, timing response, and systematics of light collection with a proposed readout scheme. For a single crystal of PbF$_2$, corresponding to a single Crilin cell, a time resolution of better than 25~ps is obtained for $>$3 GeV of deposited energy. For a single cell of \pwo, a time resolution of better than 45~ps is obtained for the same range of deposited energy. This timing performance fully satisfies the design requirements for the Muon Collider and HIKE experiments. Further optimizations of the readout scheme and crystal surface preparation are expected to bring further improvements.

A timely and long-term programme of kaon decay measurements at a new level of precision is presented, leveraging the capabilities of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). The proposed programme is firmly anchored on the experience built up studying kaon decays at the SPS over the past four decades, and includes rare processes, CP violation, dark sectors, symmetry tests and other tests of the Standard Model. The experimental programme is based on a staged approach involving experiments with charged and neutral kaon beams, as well as operation in beam-dump mode. The various phases will rely on a common infrastructure and set of detectors., Comment: Letter of Intent submitted to CERN SPSC. Address all correspondence to hike-eb@cern.ch

The NUCLEUS experiment aims to perform a high-precision measurement of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS) at the EdF Chooz B nuclear power plant in France. CEvNS is a unique process to study neutrino properties and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model. The study of CEvNS is also important for light Dark-Matter searches. It could be a possible irreducible background for high-sensitivity Dark-Matter searches. NUCLEUS is an experiment under construction based on ultra-low threshold (20 eVnr) cryogenic calorimeters, operated at tens-of-mK temperatures., Comment: Procceding for 14th International Conference on Identification of Dark Matter Vienna, Austria, 18-22 July 2022 - Submitted to SciPost

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and low-mass Dark Matter detectors rely crucially on the understanding of their response to nuclear recoils. We report the first observation of a nuclear recoil peak at around 112 eV induced by neutron capture. The measurement was performed with a CaWO$_4$ cryogenic detector from the NUCLEUS experiment exposed to a $^{252}$Cf source placed in a compact moderator. The measured spectrum is found in agreement with simulations and the expected peak structure from the single-$\gamma$ de-excitation of $^{183}$W is identified with 3 $\sigma$ significance. This result demonstrates a new method for precise, in-situ, and non-intrusive calibration of low-threshold experiments.

We introduce BULLKID, an innovative phonon detector consisting of an array of dices acting as particle absorbers sensed by multiplexed Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs). The dices are carved in a thick crystalline wafer and form a monolithic structure. The carvings leave a thin common disk intact in the wafer, acting both as holder for the dices and as substrate for the KID lithography. The prototype presented consists of an array of 64 dices of 5.4x5.4x5 mm$^3$ carved in a 3" diameter, 5 mm thick silicon wafer, with a common disk 0.5 mm thick hosting a 60 nm patterned aluminum layer. The resulting array is highly segmented but avoids the use of dedicated holding structures for each unit. Despite the fact that the uniformity of the KID electrical response across the array needs optimization, the operation of 8 units with similar features shows, on average, a baseline energy resolution of $26\pm7$ eV. This makes it a suitable detector for low-energy processes such as direct interactions of dark matter and coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering.

Scintillating homogeneous detectors represent the state of the art in electromagnetic calorimetry. Moreover, the currently neglected crystalline nature of the most common inorganic scintillators can be exploited to achieve an outstanding performance boost in terms of compactness and energy resolution. In fact, it was recently demonstrated by the AXIAL/ELIOT experiments that a strong reduction in the radiation length inside PWO, and a subsequent enhancement in the scintillation light emitted per unit thickness, are attained when the incident particle trajectory is aligned with a crystal axis within $\sim 1^\circ$. A SiPM-based system has been developed to directly probe this remarkable effect by measuring the scintillation light emitted by a PWO sample. The same concept could be applied to full-scale detectors that would feature a design significantly more compact than currently achievable and unparalleled resolution in the range of interest for present and future experiments.

An intense positron sources is a demanding element in the design of future lepton colliders. A crystal-based hybrid positron source could be an alternative to a more conventional scheme based on the electron conversion into positron in a thick amorphous target. The conceptual idea of the hybrid source is to have two separate objects, a photon radiator and a photon-to-positron converter target. In such a scheme an electron beam crosses a thin axially oriented crystal with the emission of a channeling radiation, characterized by a considerably larger amount of photons if compared to Bremsstrahlung. The net result is an increase in the number of produced positrons at the converter target. In this paper we present the results of a beam test conducted at the DESY TB 21 with 5.6 GeV electron beam and a crystalline tungsten radiator. Experimental data clearly highlight an increased production of photons and they are critically compared with the outcomes of novel method to simulate the number of radiated photons, showing a very good agreement. Strong of this, the developed simulation tool has been exploited to design a simple scheme for a positron source based on oriented crystal, demonstrating the advantages in terms of reduction of both deposited energy and the peak energy deposition density if compared to conventional sources. The presented work opens the way for a realistic and detailed design of a hybrid crystal-based positron source for future lepton colliders.

We have observed a significant enhancement in the energy deposition by $25$--$100~\mathrm{GeV}$ photons in a $1~\mathrm{cm}$ thick tungsten crystal oriented along its $\langle 111 \rangle$ lattice axes. At $100~\mathrm{GeV}$, this enhancement, with respect to the value observed without axial alignment, is more than twofold. This effect, together with the measured huge increase in secondary particle generation is ascribed to the acceleration of the electromagnetic shower development by the strong axial electric field. The experimental results have been critically compared with a newly developed Monte Carlo adapted for use with crystals of multi-$X_0$ thickness. The results presented in this paper may prove to be of significant interest for the development of high-performance photon absorbers and highly compact electromagnetic calorimeters and beam dumps for use at the energy and intensity frontiers.

We present the results of an experimental study of multiple scattering of positively charged high energy particles in bent samples of monocrystalline silicon. This work confirms the recently discovered effect of a strong reduction in the rms multiple scattering angle of particles channeled in the silicon (111) plane. The effect is observed in the plane orthogonal to the bending plane. We show in detail the influence of angular constraints on the magnitude of the effect. Comparison of the multiple scattering process at different energies indicates a violation of the law of inverse proportionality of the rms angle of channeled particles with energy. By increasing the statistics, we have improved the results of multiple scattering measurements for particles moving, but not channeled, in silicon crystals., Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1910.00250 minor fixes

A proof-of-principle experimental setup for the extraction of 6 GeV electrons from the DESY II Booster Synchrotron using the channeling effect in a bent crystal is elaborated. Various aspects of the experimental setup were investigated in detail, such as the particle beam dynamics during the extraction process, the manufacturing and characterization of bent crystals, and the detection of the extracted beam. In order to optimize the crystal geometry, the overall process of beam extraction was simulated, taking into account the influence of radiation energy losses. As result it is concluded that the multi-turn electron beam extraction efficiency can reach up to 16 %. In principle this crystal-based beam extraction technique can be applied at any electron synchrotron in order to provide multi-GeV electron beams in a parasitic mode. This technique will allow to supply fixed-target experiments by intense high-quality monoenergetic electron beams. Furthermore, electron/positron crystal-based extraction from future lepton colliders may provide an access to unique experimental conditions for ultra-high energy fixed-target experiments including searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

An investigation on stochastic deflection of high-energy charged particles in a bent crystal was carried out. In particular, we investigated the deflection efficiency under axial confinement of both positively and negatively charged particles as a function of the crystal orientation, the choice of the bending plane, and of the charge sign. Analytic estimations and numerical simulations were compared with dedicated experiments at the H4 secondary beam line of SPS North Area, with 120 GeV/$c$ electrons and positrons. In the work presented in this article, the optimal orientations of the plane of bending of the crystal, which allow deflecting the largest number of charged particles using a bent crystal in axial orientation, were found.

Electromagnetic dipole moments of short-lived particles are sensitive to physics within and beyond the Standard Model of particle physics but have not been accessible experimentally to date. To perform such measurements it has been proposed to exploit the spin precession of channeled particles in bent crystals at the LHC. Progress that enables the first measurement of charm baryon dipole moments is reported. In particular, the design and characterization on beam of silicon and germanium bent crystal prototypes, the optimization of the experimental setup, and advanced analysis techniques are discussed. Sensitivity studies show that first measurements of $\Lambda_c^+$ and $\Xi_c^+$ baryon dipole moments can be performed in two years of data taking with an experimental setup positioned upstream of the LHCb detector., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, aligned with published version

Experimental results and simulation models show that crystals might play a relevant role for the development of new generations of high-energy and high-intensity particle accelerators and might disclose innovative possibilities at existing ones. In this paper we describe the most advanced manufacturing techniques of crystals suitable for operations at ultra-high energy and ultra-high intensity particle accelerators, reporting as an example of potential applications the collimation of the particle beams circulating in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, which will be upgraded through the addition of bent crystals in the frame of the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider project.

We report on the measurements of the spectra of gamma radiation generated by 855 MeV electrons in bent silicon and germanium crystals at MAMI (MAinzer MIkrotron). The crystals were 15 {\mu}m thick along the beam direction to ensure high deflection efficiency. Their (111) crystalline planes were bent by means of a piezo-actuated mechanical holder, which allowed to remotely change the crystal curvature. In such a way it was possible to investigate the radiation emitted under planar channeling and volume reflection as a function of the curvature of the crystalline planes. We show that using volume reflection, one can produce intense gamma radiation with comparable intensity but higher angular acceptance than for channeling. We studied the trade-off between radiation intensity and angular acceptance at different values of the crystal curvature. The measurements of radiation spectra have been carried out for the first time in bent Germanium crystals. In particular, the intensity of radiation in the Ge crystal is higher than in the Si one due to the higher atomic number, which is important for the development of the X-ray and gamma radiation sources based on higher-Z deformed crystals, such as crystalline undulator., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures

The method of relativistic molecular dynamics is applied for accurate computational modelling and numerical analysis of the channelling phenomena for 855 MeV electrons in bent oriented silicon (111) crystal. Special attention is devoted to the transition from the axial channelling regime to the planar one in the course of the crystal rotation with respect to the incident beam. Distribution in the deflection angle of electrons and spectral distribution of the radiation emitted are analysed in detail. The results of calculations are compared with the experimental data collected at the MAinzer MIctrotron (MAMI) facility., Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures, submitted to the European Physical Journal Plus (EPJ Plus)

Steering of negatively charged particle beams below 1 GeV has demonstrated to be possible with thin bent silicon and germanium crystals. A newly designed mechanical holder was used for bending crystals, since it allows a remotely-controlled adjustment of crystal bending and compensation of unwanted torsion. Bent crystals were installed and tested at the MAMI Mainz MIcrotron to achieve steering of 0.855-GeV electrons at different bending radii. We report the description and characterization of the innovative bending device developed at INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL).

We observed reduction of multiple Coulomb scattering of 855 MeV electrons within a Si crystalline plate w.r.t. an amorphous plate with the same mass thickness. The reduction owed to complete or partial suppression of the coherent part of multiple scattering in a crystal vs crystal orientation with the beam. Experimental data were collected at Mainz Mikrotron and critically compared to theoretical predictions and Monte Carlo simulations. Our results highlighted maximal 7 % reduction of the r.m.s. scattering angle at certain beam alignment with the [100] crystal axes. However, partial reduction was recorded over a wide range of alignment of the electron beam with the crystal up to 15 deg. This evidence may be relevant to refine the modelling of multiple scattering in crystals for currently used software, which is interesting for detectors in nuclear, medical, high energy physics., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to the European Physical Journal C

Precise measurements of the branching ratios for the flavor-changing neutral current decays $K\to\pi\nu\bar{\nu}$ can provide unique constraints on CKM unitarity and, potentially, evidence for new physics. It is important to measure both decay modes, $K^+\to\pi^+\nu\bar{\nu}$ and $K_L\to\pi^0\nu\bar{\nu}$, since different new physics models affect the rates for each channel differently. The goal of the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS is to measure the BR for the charged channel to within 10%. For the neutral channel, the BR has never been measured. We are designing the KLEVER experiment to measure BR($K_L\to\pi^0\nu\bar{\nu}$) to $\sim$20% using a high-energy neutral beam at the CERN SPS starting in LHC Run 4. The boost from the high-energy beam facilitates the rejection of background channels such as $K_L\to\pi^0\pi^0$ by detection of the additional photons in the final state. On the other hand, the layout poses particular challenges for the design of the small-angle vetoes, which must reject photons from $K_L$ decays escaping through the beam exit amidst an intense background from soft photons and neutrons in the beam. Background from $\Lambda \to n\pi^0$ decays in the beam must also be kept under control. We present findings from our design studies for the beamline and experiment, with an emphasis on the challenges faced and the potential sensitivity for the measurement of BR($K_L\to\pi^0\nu\bar{\nu}$)., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. Submitted as input to the 2020 update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics. v2: Included authors unintentionally omitted in v1

We measured a considerable increase of the emitted radiation by 120 GeV/c electrons in an axially oriented lead tungstate scintillator crystal, if compared to the case in which the sample was not aligned with the beam direction. This enhancement resulted from the interaction of particles with the strong crystalline electromagnetic field. The data collected at the external lines of CERN SPS were critically compared to Monte Carlo simulations based on the Baier Katkov quasiclassical method, highlighting a reduction of the scintillator radiation length by a factor of five in case of beam alignment with the [001] crystal axes. The observed effect opens the way to the realization of compact electromagnetic calorimeters/detectors based on oriented scintillator crystals in which the amount of material can be strongly reduced with respect to the state of the art. These devices could have relevant applications in fixed-target experiments as well as in satellite-borne gamma-telescopes.

We report the observation of the steering of 855 MeV electrons by bent silicon and germanium crystals at the MAinzer MIkrotron. 15 $\mu $m long crystals, bent along (111) planes, were exploited to investigate orientational coherent effects. By using a piezo-actuated mechanical holder, which allowed to remotely change the crystal curvature, it was possible to study the steering capability of planar channeling and volume reflection vs. the curvature radius and the atomic number, Z. For silicon, the channeling efficiency exceeds 35 %, a record for negatively charged particles. This was possible due to the realization of a crystal with a thickness of the order of the dechanneling length. On the other hand, for germanium the efficiency is slightly below 10 % due to the stronger contribution of multiple scattering for a higher-Z material. Nevertheless this is the first evidence of negative beam steering by planar channeling in a Ge crystal. Having determined for the first time the dechanneling length, one may design a Ge crystal based on such knowledge providing nearly the same channeling efficiency of silicon. The presented results are relevant for crystal-based beam manipulation as well as for the generation of e.m. radiation in bent and periodically bent crystals., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J. C