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B. H. LaRoque

Publications and source records attributed to B. H. LaRoque.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The real-time data processing and acquisition system for Project 8 Phase II

In Phase II of the Project 8 neutrino mass experiment, electrons from the decays of tritium or ${}^{83\mathrm{m}}$Kr are detected via their $\approx$26 GHz cyclotron radiation while contained within a circular waveguide. The signal from a given electron is characterized as a brief chirp, lasting $\lesssim$10 ms and changing in frequency by $\lesssim$1 MHz/ms. To detect these signals, the Project 8 collaboration developed a data acquisition (DAQ) system tailored to the signal properties. The DAQ is responsible for simultaneously selecting up to three 100 MHz-wide frequency windows to study, detect, and trigger on likely signals from different electron kinetic energies, and for writing the relevant data to disk. We describe the Phase II DAQ system in detail and address how the system was used for data-taking operations.

physics.ins-det

Antenna Arrays for CRES-based Neutrino Mass Measurement

CRES is a technique for precision measurements of kinetic energies of charged particles, pioneered by the Project 8 experiment to measure the neutrino mass using the tritium endpoint method. It was recently employed for the first time to measure the molecular tritium spectrum and place a limit on the neutrino mass using a cm$^3$-scale detector. Future direct neutrino mass experiments are developing the technique to overcome the systematic and statistical limitations of current detectors. This paper describes one such approach, namely the use of antenna arrays for CRES in free space. Phenomenology, detector design, simulation, and performance estimates are discussed, culminating with an example design with a projected sensitivity of $m_β < 0.04 \ \mathrm{eV}/c^2$. Prototype antenna array measurements are also shown for a demonstrator-scale setup as a benchmark for the simulation. By consolidating these results, this paper serves as a comprehensive reference for the development and performance of antenna arrays for CRES.

physics.ins-det

Project 8 Apparatus for Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy with $^\mathrm{83m}$Kr and Tritium

Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) is a novel technique for the precise measurement of relativistic electron energy. This technique is being employed by the Project~8 collaboration for measuring a high-precision tritium beta decay spectrum to perform a frequency-based measurement of the neutrino mass. In this work, we describe the Project 8 Phase II apparatus, used for the detection of the CRES signal from the conversion electrons of $\mathrm{^{83m}Kr}$ and the first CRES measurement of the beta-decay spectrum of molecular tritium.

physics.ins-det

Search for non-virialized axions with 3.3-4.2 $μ$eV mass at selected resolving powers

The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment is sensitive to narrow axion flows, given axions compose a fraction of the dark matter with a non-negligible local density. Detecting these low-velocity dispersion flows requires a high spectral resolution and careful attention to the expected signal modulation due to Earth's motion. We report an exclusion on the local axion dark matter density in narrow flows of $ρ_a \gtrsim 0.03\,\mathrm{GeV/cm^3}$ and $ρ_a \gtrsim 0.004\,\mathrm{GeV/cm^3}$ for Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnitski and Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov axion-photon couplings, respectively, over the mass range $3.3-4.2\,μ\text{eV}$. Measurements were made at selected resolving powers to allow for a range of possible velocity dispersions.

astro-ph.CO

Axion Dark Matter eXperiment: Run 1A Analysis Details

The ADMX collaboration gathered data for its Run 1A axion dark matter search from January to June 2017, scanning with an axion haloscope over the frequency range 645-680 MHz (2.66-2.81 ueV in axion mass) at DFSZ sensitivity. The resulting axion search found no axion-like signals comprising all the dark matter in the form of a virialized galactic halo over the entire frequency range, implying lower bound exclusion limits at or below DFSZ coupling at the 90% confidence level. This paper presents expanded details of the axion search analysis of Run 1A, including review of relevant experimental systems, data-taking operations, preparation and interpretation of raw data, axion search methodology, candidate handling, and final axion limits.

hep-ex

Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy of Electrons from Tritium Beta Decay and $^{83\rm m}$Kr Internal Conversion

Project 8 has developed a novel technique, Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES), for direct neutrino mass measurements. A CRES-based experiment on the beta spectrum of tritium has been carried out in a small-volume apparatus. We provide a detailed account of the experiment, focusing on systematic effects and analysis techniques. In a Bayesian (frequentist) analysis, we measure the tritium endpoint as $18553^{+18}_{-19}$ ($18548^{+19}_{-19}$) eV and set upper limits of 155 (152) eV (90% C.L.) on the neutrino mass. No background events are observed beyond the endpoint in 82 days of running. We also demonstrate an energy resolution of $1.66\pm0.19$ eV in a resolution-optimized magnetic trap configuration by measuring $^{83\rm m}$Kr 17.8-keV internal-conversion electrons. These measurements establish CRES as a low-background, high-resolution technique with the potential to advance neutrino mass sensitivity.

nucl-ex

Non-Virialized Axion Search Sensitive to Doppler Effects in the Milky Way Halo

The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) has previously excluded Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnisky (DFSZ) axions between 680-790 MHz under the assumption that the dark matter is described by the isothermal halo model. However, the precise nature of the velocity distribution of dark matter is still unknown, and alternative models have been proposed. We report the results of a non-virialized axion search over the mass range 2.81-3.31 μeV, corresponding to the frequency range 680-800 MHz. This analysis marks the most sensitive search for non-virialized axions sensitive to Doppler effects in the Milky Way Halo to date. Accounting for frequency shifts due to the detector's motion through the Galaxy, we exclude cold flow relic axions with a velocity dispersion of order 10^-7 c with 95% confidence.

astro-ph.CO

Real-time Signal Detection for Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy Measurements using Antenna Arrays

Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) is a technique for precision measurement of the energies of charged particles, which is being developed by the Project 8 Collaboration to measure the neutrino mass using tritium beta-decay spectroscopy. Project 8 seeks to use the CRES technique to measure the neutrino mass with a sensitivity of 40~meV, requiring a large supply of tritium atoms stored in a multi-cubic meter detector volume. Antenna arrays are one potential technology compatible with an experiment of this scale, but the capability of an antenna-based CRES experiment to measure the neutrino mass depends on the efficiency of the signal detection algorithms. In this paper, we develop efficiency models for three signal detection algorithms and compare them using simulations from a prototype antenna-based CRES experiment as a case-study. The algorithms include a power threshold, a matched filter template bank, and a neural network based machine learning approach, which are analyzed in terms of their average detection efficiency and relative computational cost. It is found that significant improvements in detection efficiency and, therefore, neutrino mass sensitivity are achievable, with only a moderate increase in computation cost, by utilizing either the matched filter or machine learning approach in place of a power threshold, which is the baseline signal detection algorithm used in previous CRES experiments by Project 8.

physics.ins-det

Tritium Beta Spectrum and Neutrino Mass Limit from Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy

The absolute scale of the neutrino mass plays a critical role in physics at every scale, from the particle to the cosmological. Measurements of the tritium endpoint spectrum have provided the most precise direct limit on the neutrino mass scale. In this Letter, we present advances by Project 8 to the Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) technique culminating in the first frequency-based neutrino mass limit. With only a cm$^3$-scale physical detection volume, a limit of $m_β{<}$155 eV ($152$ eV) is extracted from the background-free measurement of the continuous tritium beta spectrum in a Bayesian (frequentist) analysis. Using $^{83{\rm m}}$Kr calibration data, an improved resolution of 1.66${\pm}$0.19 eV (FWHM) is measured, the detector response model is validated, and the efficiency is characterized over the multi-keV tritium analysis window. These measurements establish the potential of CRES for a high-sensitivity next-generation direct neutrino mass experiment featuring low background and high resolution.

nucl-ex

ADMX-Orpheus First Search for 70 $μ$eV Dark Photon Dark Matter: Detailed Design, Operations, and Analysis

Dark matter makes up 85% of the matter in the universe and 27% of its energy density, but we do not know what comprises dark matter. It is possible that dark matter may be composed of either axions or dark photons, both of which can be detected using an ultra-sensitive microwave cavity known as a haloscope. The haloscope employed by ADMX consists of a cylindrical cavity operating at the TM$_{010}$ mode and is sensitive to the QCD axion with masses of few $μ$eV. However, this haloscope design becomes challenging to implement for higher masses. This is because higher masses require smaller-diameter cavities, consequently reducing the detection volume which diminishes the detected signal power. ADMX-Orpheus mitigates this issue by operating a tunable, dielectrically-loaded cavity at a higher-order mode, allowing the detection volume to remain large. This paper describes the design, operation, analysis, and results of the inaugural ADMX-Orpheus dark photon search between 65.5 $μ$eV (15.8 GHz) and 69.3 $μ$eV (16.8 GHz), as well as future directions for axion searches and for exploring more parameter space.

hep-ex

Search for 70 μeV Dark Photon Dark Matter with a Dielectrically-Loaded Multi-Wavelength Microwave Cavity

Microwave cavities have been deployed to search for bosonic dark matter candidates with masses of a few $μ$eV. However, the sensitivity of these cavity detectors is limited by their volume, and the traditionally-employed half-wavelength cavities suffer from a significant volume reduction at higher masses. ADMX-Orpheus mitigates this issue by operating a tunable, dielectrically-loaded cavity at a higher-order mode, which allows the detection volume to remain large. The ADMX-Orpheus inaugural run excludes dark photon dark matter with kinetic mixing angle $χ> 10^{-13}$ between 65.5 $μ$eV (15.8 GHz) and 69.3 $μ$eV (16.8GHz), marking the highest-frequency tunable microwave cavity dark matter search to date.

hep-ex

Viterbi Decoding of CRES Signals in Project 8

Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) is a modern approach for determining charged particle energies via high-precision frequency measurements of the emitted cyclotron radiation. For CRES experiments with gas within the fiducial volume, signal and noise dynamics can be modelled by a hidden Markov model. We introduce a novel application of the Viterbi algorithm in order to derive informational limits on the optimal detection of cyclotron radiation signals in this class of gas-filled CRES experiments, thereby providing concrete limits from which future reconstruction algorithms, as well as detector designs, can be constrained. The validity of the resultant decision rules is confirmed using both Monte Carlo and Project 8 data.

physics.ins-det

Search for "Invisible" Axion Dark Matter in the $3.3\text{-}4.2~μ$eV Mass Range

We report the results from a haloscope search for axion dark matter in the $3.3\text{-}4.2~μ$eV mass range. This search excludes the axion-photon coupling predicted by one of the benchmark models of "invisible" axion dark matter, the KSVZ model. This sensitivity is achieved using a large-volume cavity, a superconducting magnet, an ultra low noise Josephson parametric amplifier, and sub-Kelvin temperatures. The validity of our detection procedure is ensured by injecting and detecting blind synthetic axion signals.

hep-ex

Dark Matter Axion Search Using a Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifier

We present a new exclusion bound of axion-like particle dark matter with axion-photon couplings above $\mathrm{10^{-13}}$ $\mathrm{GeV^{-1}}$ over the frequency range 4796.7--4799.5 MHz, corresponding to a narrow range of axion masses centered around 19.84 $μ$eV. This measurement represents the first implementation of a Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifier (JTWPA) in a dark matter search. The JTWPA was operated in the insert of the Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) as part of an independent receiver chain that was attached to a 0.588-liter cavity. The ability of the JTWPA to deliver high gain over a wide (3 GHz) bandwidth has engendered interest from those aiming to perform broadband axion searches, a longstanding goal in this field.

hep-ex

Bayesian Analysis of a Future Beta Decay Experiment's Sensitivity to Neutrino Mass Scale and Ordering

Bayesian modeling techniques enable sensitivity analyses that incorporate detailed expectations regarding future experiments. A model-based approach also allows one to evaluate inferences and predicted outcomes, by calibrating (or measuring) the consequences incurred when certain results are reported. We present procedures for calibrating predictions of an experiment's sensitivity to both continuous and discrete parameters. Using these procedures and a new Bayesian model of the $β$-decay spectrum, we assess a high-precision $β$-decay experiment's sensitivity to the neutrino mass scale and ordering, for one assumed design scenario. We find that such an experiment could measure the electron-weighted neutrino mass within $\sim40\,$meV after 1 year (90$\%$ credibility). Neutrino masses $>500\,$meV could be measured within $\approx5\,$meV. Using only $β$-decay and external reactor neutrino data, we find that next-generation $β$-decay experiments could potentially constrain the mass ordering using a two-neutrino spectral model analysis. By calibrating mass ordering results, we identify reporting criteria that can be tuned to suppress false ordering claims. In some cases, a two-neutrino analysis can reveal that the mass ordering is inverted, an unobtainable result for the traditional one-neutrino analysis approach.

physics.data-an

Axion Dark Matter eXperiment: Detailed Design and Operations

Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) ultra low noise haloscope technology has enabled the successful completion of two science runs (1A and 1B) that looked for dark matter axions in the $2.66$ to $3.1$ $μ$eV mass range with Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnisky (DFSZ) sensitivity Ref. [1,2]. Therefore, it is the most sensitive axion search experiment to date in this mass range. We discuss the technological advances made in the last several years to achieve this sensitivity, which includes the implementation of components, such as state-of-the-art quantum limited amplifiers and a dilution refrigerator. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a frequency tunable Microstrip Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Amplifier (MSA), in Run 1A, and a Josephson Parametric Amplifier (JPA), in Run 1B, along with novel analysis tools that characterize the system noise temperature.

astro-ph.IM

Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy Signal Classification with Machine Learning in Project 8

The Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) technique pioneered by Project 8 measures electromagnetic radiation from individual electrons gyrating in a background magnetic field to construct a highly precise energy spectrum for beta decay studies and other applications. The detector, magnetic trap geometry, and electron dynamics give rise to a multitude of complex electron signal structures which carry information about distinguishing physical traits. With machine learning models, we develop a scheme based on these traits to analyze and classify CRES signals. Understanding and proper use of these traits will be instrumental to improve cyclotron frequency reconstruction and help Project 8 achieve world-leading sensitivity on the tritium endpoint measurement in the future.

nucl-ex

Locust: C++ software for simulation of RF detection

The Locust simulation package is a new C++ software tool developed to simulate the measurement of time-varying electromagnetic fields using RF detection techniques. Modularity and flexibility allow for arbitrary input signals, while concurrently supporting tight integration with physics-based simulations as input. External signals driven by the Kassiopeia particle tracking package are discussed, demonstrating conditional feedback between Locust and Kassiopeia during software execution. An application of the simulation to the Project 8 experiment is described. Locust is publicly available at https://github.com/project8/locust_mc.

physics.comp-ph