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arXiv · 2104.11687

The SNO+ Experiment

SNO+ Collaboration·:·V. Albanese·R. Alves·M. R. Anderson·S. Andringa·L. Anselmo·E. Arushanova·S. Asahi·M. Askins·D. J. Auty·A. R. Back·S. Back·F. Barão·Z. Barnard·A. Barr·N. Barros·D. Bartlett·R. Bayes·C. Beaudoin·E. W. Beier·G. Berardi·A. Bialek·S. D. Biller·E. Blucher·R. Bonventre·M. Boulay·D. Braid·E. Caden·E. J. Callaghan·J. Caravaca·J. Carvalho·L. Cavalli·D. Chauhan·M. Chen·O. Chkvorets·K. J. Clark·B. Cleveland·C. Connors·D. Cookman·I. T. Coulter·M. A. Cox·D. Cressy·X. Dai·C. Darrach·B. Davis-Purcell·C. Deluce·M. M. Depatie·F. Descamps·F. Di Lodovico·J. Dittmer·A. Doxtator·N. Duhaime·F. Duncan·J. Dunger·A. D. Earle·D. Fabris·E. Falk·A. Farrugia·N. Fatemighomi·C. Felber·V. Fischer·E. Fletcher·R. Ford·K. Frankiewicz·N. Gagnon·A. Gaur·J. Gauthier·A. Gibson-Foster·K. Gilje·O. I. González-Reina·D. Gooding·P. Gorel·K. Graham·C. Grant·J. Grove·S. Grullon·E. Guillian·S. Hall·A. L. Hallin·D. Hallman·S. Hans·J. Hartnell·P. Harvey·M. Hedayatipour·W. J. Heintzelman·J. Heise·R. L. Helmer·B. Hodak·M. Hodak·M. Hood·D. Horne·B. Hreljac·J. Hu·S. M. A. Hussain·T. Iida·A. S. Inácio·C. M. Jackson·N. A. Jelley·C. J. Jillings
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Abstract

The SNO+ experiment is located 2 km underground at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Canada. A low background search for neutrinoless double beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay will be conducted using 780 tonnes of liquid scintillator loaded with 3.9 tonnes of natural tellurium, corresponding to 1.3 tonnes of $^{130}$Te. This paper provides a general overview of the SNO+ experiment, including detector design, construction of process plants, commissioning efforts, electronics upgrades, data acquisition systems, and calibration techniques. The SNO+ collaboration is reusing the acrylic vessel, PMT array, and electronics of the SNO detector, having made a number of experimental upgrades and essential adaptations for use with the liquid scintillator. With low backgrounds and a low energy threshold, the SNO+ collaboration will also pursue a rich physics program beyond the search for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay, including studies of geo- and reactor antineutrinos, supernova and solar neutrinos, and exotic physics such as the search for invisible nucleon decay. The SNO+ approach to the search for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay is scalable: a future phase with high $^{130}$Te-loading is envisioned to probe an effective Majorana mass in the inverted mass ordering region.

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SNO+ Collaboration, :, V. Albanese, R. Alves, M. R. Anderson, S. Andringa, L. Anselmo, E. Arushanova, S. Asahi, M. Askins, D. J. Auty, A. R. Back, S. Back, F. Barão, Z. Barnard, A. Barr, N. Barros, D. Bartlett, R. Bayes, C. Beaudoin, E. W. Beier, G. Berardi, A. Bialek, S. D. Biller, E. Blucher, R. Bonventre, M. Boulay, D. Braid, E. Caden, E. J. Callaghan, J. Caravaca, J. Carvalho, L. Cavalli, D. Chauhan, M. Chen, O. Chkvorets, K. J. Clark, B. Cleveland, C. Connors, D. Cookman, I. T. Coulter, M. A. Cox, D. Cressy, X. Dai, C. Darrach, B. Davis-Purcell, C. Deluce, M. M. Depatie, F. Descamps, F. Di Lodovico, J. Dittmer, A. Doxtator, N. Duhaime, F. Duncan, J. Dunger, A. D. Earle, D. Fabris, E. Falk, A. Farrugia, N. Fatemighomi, C. Felber, V. Fischer, E. Fletcher, R. Ford, K. Frankiewicz, N. Gagnon, A. Gaur, J. Gauthier, A. Gibson-Foster, K. Gilje, O. I. González-Reina, D. Gooding, P. Gorel, K. Graham, C. Grant, J. Grove, S. Grullon, E. Guillian, S. Hall, A. L. Hallin, D. Hallman, S. Hans, J. Hartnell, P. Harvey, M. Hedayatipour, W. J. Heintzelman, J. Heise, R. L. Helmer, B. Hodak, M. Hodak, M. Hood, D. Horne, B. Hreljac, J. Hu, S. M. A. Hussain, T. Iida, A. S. Inácio, C. M. Jackson, N. A. Jelley, C. J. Jillings. 2021-04-23. The SNO+ Experiment. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221%2F16%2F08%2Fp08059

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