Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Disentangling sub-GeV dark matter from the diffuse supernova neutrino background using Hyper-Kamiokande

  Sandra Robles

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 065 (2023) · published 5 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The upcoming Hyper-Kamiokande (HyperK) experiment is expected to detect the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB). This requires to ponder all possible sources of background. Sub-GeV dark matter (DM) which annihilates into neutrinos is a potential background that has not been considered so far. We simulate DSNB and DM signals, as well as backgrounds in the HyperK detector. We find that DM-induced neutrinos could indeed alter the extraction of the correct values of the parameters of interest for DSNB physics. Since the DSNB is an isotropic signal, and DM originates primarily from the Galactic centre, we show that this effect could be alleviated with an on-off analysis.

  1 citation

• Photomultiplier characterisation and its impact on background for SABRE South

  William J. D. Melbourne, Owen Stanley, Phillip Urquijo, Madeleine J. Zurowski

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 061 (2023) · published 5 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  SABRE (Sodium iodide with Active Background REjection) South is a NaI(Tl) based dark matter direct detection experiment located at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) [J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 2156, 012064 (2021), arXiv:2205.13849]. It is designed to detect an annual modulation of WIMP recoils as an independent replication of the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA modulation signal. SABRE South will have a low energy threshold of 1 keV in the NaI(Tl) crystal detector and a low experimental background. This requires precise characterisation of the photomultipliers used to understand both their sensitivity at low thresholds and their contribution to the background. We report on the photomultiplier characterisation test bench developed for the crystal detector photomultipliers including studies of the single photon response, transit time, and dark noise. A specific focus is on estimating the contribution to the experimental background of coincident photomultiplier noise due to its predominance at low energy and inability to be modelled using traditional MC simulation.

  1 citation

• Reduction in radioactivity-induced backgrounds using a novel active veto detector for rare event search experiments

  Mouli Chaudhuri, Andrew Jastram, Glenn Agnolet, Samir Banik, Hao Chen, Vijay Iyer, Varchaswi K. S. Kashyap, Andrew Kubik, Matthew Lee, Rupak Mahapatra, Sandro Maludze, Nader Mirabolfathi, Nityasa Mishra, Bedangadas Mohanty, Himangshu Neog, Mark Platt

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 017 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The results of a newly developed annular cryogenic phonon-mediated active veto detector are discussed which shows a significant reduction of radioactivity-induced backgrounds in rare event search experiments. The veto detector is made up of germanium weighing $\sim$500 g with an outer diameter of 76 mm and an inner diameter of 28 mm. The detector can host a 25 mm diameter germanium inner target detector of mass $\sim$10 g. A GEANT4 simulation with the active veto and inner target detector shows a gamma background reduction of 50 - 80% which is further improved (> 90%) with 4$\pi$ veto coverage. Experimental measurements with the detector assembly agree well with the simulation.

  1 citation

• Particle Physics at PSI

  A. Signer, K. Kirch, C. M. Hoffman

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 5, 001 (2021) · published 6 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Particle physics results of constant value and significant impact have been obtained at PSI, and several efforts are presently ongoing and expected to deliver new findings in the near future. In this special SciPost volume we collect them together in a concise manner. Not yet included are ideas for future facility upgrades or completely new experimental efforts, but we are set to extend this volume in the years to come.

  1 citation

• Shadow generalized parton distributions: a practical approach to the deconvolution problem of DVCS

  V. Bertone, H. Dutrieux, C. Mezrag, H. Moutarde, P. Sznajder

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 107 (2022) · published 13 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) attracts a lot of interest due to its sensitivity to generalized parton distributions (GPDs) which provide a rich access to the partonic structure of hadrons. However, the practical extraction of GPDs for this channel requires a deconvolution procedure, whose feasibility has been disputed. We provide a practical approach to this problem based on a next-to-leading order analysis and a careful study of evolution effects, by exhibiting shadow GPDs with arbitrarily small imprints on DVCS observables at current and future experimental facilities. This shows that DVCS alone will not allow for a model independent extraction of GPDs and a multi-channel analysis is required for this purpose.

  1 citation

• Searching for wave-like dark matter with QSHS

  Ian Bailey, Bhaswati Chakraborty, Gemma Chapman, Edward J. Daw, John Gallop, Gianluca Gregori, Edward Hardy, Ling Hao, Edward Laird, Peter Leek, John March-Russell, Phil Meeson, Seaárbhan Ó Peatáin, Yuri Pashkin, Mitchell G. Perry, Michele Piscitelli, Edward Romans, Subir Sarkar, Paul J. Smith, Ningqiang Song, Mahesh Soni, Boon K. Tan, Stephen West, Stafford Withington

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 040 (2023) · published 4 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In 2021 the Quantum Sensors for the Hidden Sector (QSHS) collaboration was founded in the UK and received funding to develop and demonstrate quantum devices with the potential to detect hidden sector particles in the $\mu$eV to 100 $\mu$eV mass window. The collaboration has been developing a range of devices. It is building a high-field, low-temperature facility at the University of Sheffield to characterise and test the devices in a haloscope geometry. This paper introduces the collaboration's motivation, aims, and progress.

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• Recent progress on the study of nucleon structure from lattice QCD and future perspectives

  Constantia Alexandrou

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 3, 015 (2020) · published 25 February 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We review the progress achieved within the last five years in the simulations of lattice QCD, as well as in the analysis for selected quantities probing nucleon structure. In particular, we discuss results on the nucleon electromagnetic form factors, $\sigma$-terms, the momentum fraction carried b quark in the nucleon and the helicity and transversity. All quantities are obtained using simulations generated with quark masses fixed to their physical values. In addition, we review the on-going effort to extract parton distribution functions (PDFs) directly from lattice QCD using the quasi-PDFs approach.

  1 citation

• The Hyper-Kamiokande experiment: Status and prospect

  Umut Kose, on behalf of Hyper-Kamiokande collaboration

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 17, 019 (2025) · published 23 July 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Hyper-Kamiokande is the next-generation neutrino observatory, aiming to tackle a broad spectrum of physics programs. These include probing leptonic CP violation through long baseline accelerator neutrino oscillations, determining neutrino mass ordering, potentially discovering the proton decay, and capturing neutrinos from supernova relics, other astrophysical sources, and the sun. As the world's largest underground Cherenkov detector, Hyper-Kamiokande boasts a fiducial volume eight times that of its predecessor, Super-Kamiokande. With 258 kton of ultrapure water as its medium, Hyper-Kamiokande is scheduled to begin its groundbreaking operations in 2027, located in Kamioka, Japan. This proceeding outlines the ambitious physics program of Hyper-Kamiokande, details of the design of the detector, and provides an update on its current status.

  1 citation

• The prediction of anyons: Its history and wider implications

  Gerald A. Goldin

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 14, 005 (2023) · published 23 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Prediction of "anyons," often attributed exclusively to Wilczek, came first from Leinaas and Myrheim in 1977, and independently from Goldin, Menikoff, and Sharp in 1980-81. In 2020, experimentalists successfully created anyonic excitations. This paper discusses why the possibility of quantum particles in two-dimensional space with intermediate exchange statistics eluded physicists for so long after bosons and fermions were understood. The history suggests ideas for the preparation of future researchers. I conclude by addressing failures to attribute scientific achievements accurately, both inadvertent and intentional. Such practices disproportionately hurt women and minorities in physics.

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• Even lighter particle dark matter

  Alvaro E. Chavarria

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 001 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We report on recent progress in the search for dark matter particles with masses from 1 Mev to 1 Gev . Several dark matter candidates in this mass range are expected to generate measurable electronic-recoil signals in direct-detection experiments. We focus on dark matter particles scattering with electrons in semiconductor detectors since they have fundamentally the highest sensitivity due to their low ionization threshold. Charge-coupled device (CCD) silicon detectors are the leading technology, with significant progress expected in the coming years. We present the status of the CCD program and briefly report on other efforts.

  1 citation