Neutrino physics is a captivating field dedicated to studying the characteristics of lightweight, electrically neutral particles with fascinating properties. Due to their weak interactions, detecting neutrinos is challenging, but their study provides valuable insights into astrophysical phenomena, such as stellar processes and the early universe. Fundamental research on neutrinos has yielded groundbreaking discoveries, including their mass and flavor-changing abilities. This field expands our understanding of the universe and finds practical applications in nuclear reactor monitoring and particle astrophysics.
This master thesis will be conducted within the Alfons Weber group in Mainz, as part of the LiquidO consortium. The group actively contributes to globally significant neutrino oscillation experiments like T2K and DUNE.
LiquidO (since 2016) is a novel detection technology for fundamental research and innovation, exploring the possibilities of light detection in opaque madia. Through active exploration of LiquidO's scientific potential, we uncover a multitude of new projects and experiments. The development of LiquidO entails extensive R&D and prototyping, fine-tuning its performance for ultra-sensitive particle detection, especially in the neutrino research field.
The thesis will specifically focus on the first LiquidO-based neutrino experiment, known as the CLOUD experiment. After the CHOOZ and Double Chooz experiments, CLOUD opens the third generation of experiments at Chooz power plant (France), the most powerful European site for reactor neutrino research.
One of the first goal of the thesis will be to concentrate on modeling and simulating the detector, which is a crucial phase in the development of the experiment. This work will contribute to shaping the future design of the detector within the collaboration.