arXiv subjects

F. Alemanno

Publications and source records attributed to F. Alemanno.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

European Contributions to Fermilab Accelerator Upgrades and Facilities for the DUNE Experiment

The Proton Improvement Plan (PIP-II) to the FNAL accelerator chain and the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) will provide the world's most intense neutrino beam to the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) enabling a wide-ranging physics program. This document outlines the significant contributions made by European national laboratories and institutes towards realizing the first phase of the project with a 1.2 MW neutrino beam. Construction of this first phase is well underway. For DUNE Phase II, this will be closely followed by an upgrade of the beam power to > 2 MW, for which the European groups again have a key role and which will require the continued support of the European community for machine aspects of neutrino physics. Beyond the neutrino beam aspects, LBNF is also responsible for providing unique infrastructure to install and operate the DUNE neutrino detectors at FNAL and at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). The cryostats for the first two Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber detector modules at SURF, a contribution of CERN to LBNF, are central to the success of the ongoing execution of DUNE Phase I. Likewise, successful and timely procurement of cryostats for two additional detector modules at SURF will be critical to the success of DUNE Phase II and the overall physics program. The DUNE Collaboration is submitting four main contributions to the 2026 Update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics process. This paper is being submitted to the 'Accelerator technologies' and 'Projects and Large Experiments' streams. Additional inputs related to the DUNE science program, DUNE detector technologies and R&D, and DUNE software and computing, are also being submitted to other streams.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2025

The DUNE Science Program

The international collaboration designing and constructing the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) has developed a two-phase strategy for the implementation of this leading-edge, large-scale science project. The 2023 report of the US Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) reaffirmed this vision and strongly endorsed DUNE Phase I and Phase II, as did the previous European Strategy for Particle Physics. The construction of DUNE Phase I is well underway. DUNE Phase II consists of a third and fourth far detector module, an upgraded near detector complex, and an enhanced > 2 MW beam. The fourth FD module is conceived as a 'Module of Opportunity', aimed at supporting the core DUNE science program while also expanding the physics opportunities with more advanced technologies. The DUNE collaboration is submitting four main contributions to the 2026 Update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics process. This submission to the 'Neutrinos and cosmic messengers', 'BSM physics' and 'Dark matter and dark sector' streams focuses on the physics program of DUNE. Additional inputs related to DUNE detector technologies and R&D, DUNE software and computing, and European contributions to Fermilab accelerator upgrades and facilities for the DUNE experiment, are also being submitted to other streams.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

The DUNE Phase II Detectors

The international collaboration designing and constructing the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) has developed a two-phase strategy for the implementation of this leading-edge, large-scale science project. The 2023 report of the US Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) reaffirmed this vision and strongly endorsed DUNE Phase I and Phase II, as did the previous European Strategy for Particle Physics. The construction of DUNE Phase I is well underway. DUNE Phase II consists of a third and fourth far detector module, an upgraded near detector complex, and an enhanced > 2 MW beam. The fourth FD module is conceived as a 'Module of Opportunity', aimed at supporting the core DUNE science program while also expanding the physics opportunities with more advanced technologies. The DUNE collaboration is submitting four main contributions to the 2026 Update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics process. This submission to the 'Detector instrumentation' stream focuses on technologies and R&D for the DUNE Phase II detectors. Additional inputs related to the DUNE science program, DUNE software and computing, and European contributions to Fermilab accelerator upgrades and facilities for the DUNE experiment, are also being submitted to other streams.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Hadronic cross section measurements with the DAMPE space mission using 20GeV-10TeV cosmic-ray protons and $^4$He

Precise direct cosmic-ray (CR) measurements provide an important probe to study the energetic particle sources in our Galaxy, and the interstellar environment through which these particles propagate. Uncertainties on hadronic models, ion-nucleon cross sections in particular, are currently the limiting factor towards obtaining more accurate CR ion flux measurements with calorimetric space-based experiments. We present an energy-dependent measurement of the inelastic cross section of protons and helium-4 nuclei (alpha particles) on a Bi$_4$Ge$_3$O$_{12}$ target, using 88 months of data collected by the DAMPE space mission. The kinetic energy range per nucleon of the measurement points ranges from 18 GeV to 9 TeV for protons, and from 5 GeV/n to 3 TeV/n for helium-4 nuclei. Our results lead to a significant improvement of the CR flux normalisation. In the case of helium-4, these results correspond to the first cross section measurements on a heavy target material at energies above 10 GeV/n.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Observation of a spectral hardening in cosmic ray boron spectrum with the DAMPE space mission

Secondary cosmic ray fluxes are important probes of the propagation and interaction of high-energy particles in the Galaxy. Recent measurements of primary and secondary cosmic ray nuclei have revealed unexpected spectral features that demand a deeper understanding. In this work we report the direct measurement of the cosmic ray boron spectrum from 10 GeV/n to 8 TeV/n with eight years of data collected by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) mission. The measured spectrum shows an evident hardening at $182\pm24$ GeV/n with a spectral power index of $γ_1 = 3.02 \pm 0.01$ before the break and an index change of $Δγ= 0.31 \pm 0.05$ after the break. A simple power law model is disfavored at a confidence level of 8$σ$. Compared with the hardenings measured in the DAMPE proton and helium spectra, the secondary boron spectrum hardens roughly twice as much as these primaries, which is consistent with a propagation related mechanism to interpret the spectral hardenings of cosmic rays observed at hundreds of GeV/n.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Measurement of the cosmic p+He energy spectrum from 50 GeV to 0.5 PeV with the DAMPE space mission

Recent observations of the light component of the cosmic-ray spectrum have revealed unexpected features that motivate further and more precise measurements up to the highest energies. The Dark Matter Particle Explorer is a satellite-based cosmic-ray experiment that has been operational since December 2015, continuously collecting data on high-energy cosmic particles with very good statistics, energy resolution, and particle identification capabilities. In this work, the latest measurements of the energy spectrum of proton+helium in the energy range from 46 GeV to 464 TeV are presented. Among the most distinctive features of the spectrum, a spectral hardening at 600 GeV has been observed, along with a softening at 29 TeV measured with a 6.6σ significance. Moreover, the detector features and the analysis approach allowed for the extension of the spectral measurement up to the sub-PeV region. Even if with small statistical significance due to the low number of events, data suggest a new spectral hardening at about 150 TeV.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Study of silicon photomultipliers for the readout of a lead/scintillating-fiber calorimeter

The KLOE electromagnetic calorimeter is expected to be reused in the Near Detector complex of the DUNE experiment at Fermilab. The possible substitution of traditional Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) with Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) in the refurbished calorimeter is the object of this investigation. A block of the KLOE lead-scintillating fiber calorimeter has been equipped with light guides and external trigger scintillators. The signals induced by cosmic rays and environmental radioactivity have been collected by SiPM arrays on one side of the calorimeter, and by conventional PMTs on the opposite side. Efficiency, stability, and timing resolution of SiPMs have been studied and compared with KLOE-PMTs performance. Conclusions about the convenience of substituting PMTs with SiPMs are drawn.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Search for relativistic fractionally charged particles in space

More than a century after the performance of the oil drop experiment, the possible existence of fractionally charged particles FCP still remains unsettled. The search for FCPs is crucial for some extensions of the Standard Model in particle physics. Most of the previously conducted searches for FCPs in cosmic rays were based on experiments underground or at high altitudes. However, there have been few searches for FCPs in cosmic rays carried out in orbit other than AMS-01 flown by a space shuttle and BESS by a balloon at the top of the atmosphere. In this study, we conduct an FCP search in space based on on-orbit data obtained using the DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) satellite over a period of five years. Unlike underground experiments, which require an FCP energy of the order of hundreds of GeV, our FCP search starts at only a few GeV. An upper limit of $6.2\times 10^{-10}~~\mathrm{cm^{-2}sr^{-1} s^{-1}}$ is obtained for the flux. Our results demonstrate that DAMPE exhibits higher sensitivity than experiments of similar types by three orders of magnitude that more stringently restricts the conditions for the existence of FCP in primary cosmic rays.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Measurement of the cosmic ray helium energy spectrum from 70 GeV to 80 TeV with the DAMPE space mission

The measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic ray helium nuclei from 70 GeV to 80 TeV using 4.5 years of data recorded by the DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is reported in this work. A hardening of the spectrum is observed at an energy of about 1.3 TeV, similar to previous observations. In addition, a spectral softening at about 34 TeV is revealed for the first time with large statistics and well controlled systematic uncertainties, with an overall significance of $4.3σ$. The DAMPE spectral measurements of both cosmic protons and helium nuclei suggest a particle charge dependent softening energy, although with current uncertainties a dependence on the number of nucleons cannot be ruled out.

astro-ph.HE↗