ICARUS
Collaboration
Laboratory: Gran Sasso National Laboratory
National Responsible: C. Rubbia (Pv)
1. Goal of the experiment
The experiment aims at the demonstration and at a comprehensive
study of neutrino oscillations through the detection and detailed
analysis of neutrino events coming both from natural (solar and
atmospheric neutrinos) and artificial (CERN to Gran Sasso Long
Baseline Neutrino Beam) sources. The other major issue of the
ICARUS scientific program is the search for nucleon decay
especially in SUSY favored (N --> n K)
or exotic channels.
2.
Activities during 2002
In 2002 major efforts were devoted to settle the T600
installation in LNGS. A detailed project was produced and
submitted to the LNGS authorities. A complete risk analysis was
also performed on the basis the T600 design and its' specific
implementation in LNGS.
Unexpected delays in the evaluation and approval procedures required by the LNGS authorities prevented the Collaboration to meet the milestones fixed for 2002 (namely, installation and activation of the T600 module in the underground laboratory).
During 2002 the assembly of the second half-module was also completed.
Milestones 2003
Technical design of the Icarus T1200 detector | 30-06-2003 |
Completion of the installation of the Icarus T600 module in Hall B at LNGS | 30-11-2003 |
Tender completion of subsystems of the Icarus T1200 detector | 30-12-2003 |
3. INFN contribution to the experiment in
terms of manpower and financial support
Manpower:
Support to the experiment is largely dominated by the INFN
contribution both for funding and for manpower. Contribution of
INFN to the T600 corresponds to about 90 % of the total cost.
Correspondingly, the INFN groups have the construction
responsibility for the most relevant items (cryogenics and
purification systems, internal detector mechanics, readout
electronics, trigger systems, logistics). The number of
researchers involved is 50 (31.7 FTE).
Contributions from non INFN groups concern the slow control
system (ETH group) and the HV supply and control (UCLA group),
the contribution of the IHEP-Beijing group is expressed in terms
of manpower for the wiring of the chambers while the several
groups from Polish institutions gave contributions on the T600
external trigger and are currently involved in the analysis of
the events recorded during the T600 test run.
Budget for the Year 2003: 8.6% of the CSNII total
budget
4. Publications in refereed journals (in
2002): 2
5. Conference talks (in 2002):
2
6. Number of undergraduate and doctoral
thesis on the experiment: 3
7. Leadership roles in the experiment
C. Rubbia (Universita' degli Studi di Pavia ed INFN Sezione
di Pavia) - Spokesman
E. Calligarich (INFN Sezione di Pavia ) - Project leader
8. Innovative instruments
As part of the cryogenics of the T600 module we have built a new
type of modular evacuated thermal insulation suited for large
liquid argon, nitrogen and oxygen cryostats.
9. Competing experiments
The project is in competition with the Japanese (K2K), American
(MINOS) and European (OPERA) experiments for the search of
neutrino oscillations on long baselines. Points in favour of the
experiment are the direct demonstration of the oscillation
phenomenon by means of the identification of nt
and ne, the combined
analysis of beam and atmospheric neutrinos, the possibility to
extend the sensitivity by adding more detector units.