Detector components built at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Daresbury Laboratory have arrived at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States, marking the first shipment of these components to the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.
The anode plane assemblies, known as APAs, are being manufactured at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Daresbury Laboratory as part of the international DUNE programme. The project is one of the most ambitious scientific experiments ever constructed and is currently under development in the United States.
DUNE will send a beam of neutrinos across 1,300 kilometres of the country in an effort to answer one of the most fundamental questions in physics, why the Universe is dominated by matter rather than antimatter.
The arrival of the first four APAs at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, commonly known as Fermilab, marks an important milestone for Britain’s role in the project.
UK production milestone
The shipment coincides with a major production achievement at Daresbury Laboratory. Engineers and technicians at the site have now completed 50 of the 137 APAs the United Kingdom is responsible for building for the experiment.
Each assembly is a large rectangular detector frame measuring roughly six metres by two metres. Inside each frame are around 24 kilometres of extremely fine copper beryllium wire, wound in several directions and secured through thousands of hand soldered connections.
These frames will form the sensitive detection planes within DUNE’s liquid argon detectors. When neutrinos interact with the detector material they produce faint electrical signals, which the APAs are designed to record.
Big detectors, complex logistics
The size of the assemblies creates significant logistical challenges. Each APA stands roughly the height of a two storey building, meaning storage, handling and transport require considerable care to avoid damaging the delicate wire planes.
For their transatlantic journey the four assemblies were mounted within two specially engineered shipping frames designed to keep the structures rigid and stable.
Each frame includes sensors that monitor shock, vibration, tilt, temperature, humidity and location throughout the journey. Due to their size the frames must be transported using a dedicated 60 foot maritime platform when shipped by sea.
Earlier assemblies produced at Daresbury were sent to the European Council for Nuclear Research, CERN, for testing and trial transport exercises. This shipment marks the first time completed units have been sent directly from the United Kingdom to Fermilab.
Once in Illinois the components will undergo further testing before being prepared for installation in DUNE Far Detector 1 at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota.
A global experiment tackling fundamental questions
DUNE will send a beam of neutrinos from Fermilab to the Sanford Underground Research Facility, a distance of around 1,300 kilometres.
By comparing neutrinos at the point they are produced with those detected underground in South Dakota, researchers hope to unlock several key mysteries of the Universe.
Among the goals of the project are to understand why matter dominates over antimatter, to study the behaviour of neutrinos in greater detail, and to detect signals from supernova explosions in distant galaxies.
The detectors themselves will contain tens of thousands of tonnes of liquid argon. Within them, the APAs will serve as the readout planes capturing the electrical traces produced when neutrinos interact with the detector.
A proud milestone for British engineering
Ian Lazarus, Head of Technology at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, said:
“The arrival of the four APAs at Fermilab marks a major milestone for the UK’s contribution to the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, and they will now undergo testing at Fermilab before installation in DUNE’s enormous underground detectors.
Beyond being a source of pride for the DUNE team at Daresbury, this achievement is a really exciting example of international collaboration in action.
It paves the way for the UK’s continued delivery of detector planes to the United States, underscoring the strength of UK engineering expertise and our vital role in one of the most ambitious physics experiments ever undertaken.”
Dr Radosav Pantelic, Lead Engineer for the DUNE project at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, said:
“Reaching this point is the result of meticulous planning, precision engineering and close coordination with our partners in the United States.
Designing and preparing detector components of this scale and sensitivity for their journey overseas has required extraordinary care and teamwork, and I’m immensely proud of the dedication and expertise shown by our engineers and technicians at Daresbury Laboratory.
This first direct shipment marks the start of many shipments for DUNE, with many more APAs set to follow in the months ahead.”
Britain’s central role in the project
The United Kingdom is responsible for constructing 137 of the 150 anode plane assemblies required for the experiment, placing British engineering at the centre of one of the world’s most advanced particle physics programmes.
Alongside the detector planes, UK teams are also contributing to other key components of the DUNE project and the wider Long Baseline Neutrino Facility infrastructure.
Source: UKRI
Image: For illustration purposes only.
