Thesis

Measurement of Collider Neutrinos with the SND@LHC Experiment

• Call:

  PT-CERN Call 2021/1

• Academic Year:

  2021

• Domain:

  Astrophysics

• Supervisor:

  Nuno Leonardo

• Co-Supervisor:

  Alberto Blanco castro

• Institution:

  Instituto Superior Técnico (Universidade de Lisboa)

• Host Institution:

  Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas

• Abstract:

  Neutrinos are produced abundantly at colliders, still collider neutrinos have yet to be detected. The LHC will deliver the highest energies yet of man-made neutrinos, and their detection will be a milestone. This will be achieved at the SND@LHC experiment, which is located away from the ATLAS interaction point, near the beam line direction. The experiment will be assembled before the start of Run3, and features technology from the LIP campus in the Muon Detector system. The thesis will involve participation in the installation and commissioning of the Muon Detector system, as well as the optimization of the muon selection algorithms resorting to Machine Learning methods. The experiment will be followed closely throughout, with participation in data taking and the first ever observation of collider muon neutrinos, with energies of over 100 GeV. Additionally, sealed RPCs, a novel technology developed by LIP that is able to surpass the usual need for fresh gas supplies without compromising performance, are strong contenders for upgrades at SND@LHC, as well as for next generation experiments such as SHiP. The SND@LHC experiment will provide a prime testing ground for the sealed RPC technology in regards to muon flux characterization and beam line simulation validations.