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Towards the investigation of the nature of neutrinos with SNO+ (NeutrinosSNOPlus)
Start date: Dec 1, 2010, End date: Nov 30, 2012 PROJECT  FINISHED 

SNO+ is a high potential, multi-faceted neutrino experiment consisting of a kiloton liquid scintillator detector surveyed by about 10,000 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Its main goal is the determination of the nature of the neutrino, Dirac or Majorana, via the search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 150Nd. This is recognized to be one of the most important current topics in particle physics because the Majorana nature of neutrinos would account for the very small neutrinos masses and provide a strong experimental argument in favour of the leptogenesis theory, which has the potential to explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. SNO+ is expected to achieve a very high sensitivity level (mββ≈100 meV) very quickly (2014) thanks to its large volume. It is therefore one of the most competitive neutrinoless double beta decay experiment that is fully funded. SNO+ will also be able to study many other aspects of neutrino physics, using solar, geo, reactor and astrophysical neutrinos. Currently it is in its construction phase, with a start scheduled late 2010. The programme described in this proposal fits into the early stage of the experiment and offers the candidate a rich experience within SNO+: during the end of the construction, the candidate will participate in the crucial initial calibration of the full detector. Her instrumental background in precise calibration of optical detectors and commissioning will allow her to take a significant role in this step of SNO+. When the data taking starts, she will use her current experience in the MINOS experiment to analyze the first neutrinoless double beta decay data. The long-standing involvement of the host group at the University of Sussex in neutrino experiments, with its expertise in both commissioning and data analysis techniques, and the participation in an international collaboration provide an outstanding professional opportunity for the implementation of this project and the candidate’s career.
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