CHerenkov detectors In mine PitS (CHIPS) Letter of Intent to FNAL

TL;DR

The paper proposes a large, cost-effective water Cherenkov detector to be deployed in flooded mine pits for neutrino experiments, initially in the NuMI beam line, with potential relocation to LBNE.

Contribution

It introduces a novel detector design utilizing flooded mine pits to reduce costs and enable large-scale neutrino detection with flexibility for future beam lines.

Findings

Conceptual design of a 100 kton detector in mine pits

Feasibility of deployment in Minnesota mine pits

Potential for measuring CP violation in neutrino physics

Abstract

This Letter of Intent outlines a proposal to build a large, yet cost-effective, 100 kton fiducial mass water Cherenkov detector that will initially run in the NuMI beam line. The CHIPS detector (CHerenkov detector In Mine PitS) will be deployed in a flooded mine pit, removing the necessity and expense of a substantial external structure capable of supporting a large detector mass. There are a number of mine pits in northern Minnesota along the NuMI beam that could be used to deploy such a detector. In particular, the Wentworth Pit 2W is at the ideal off-axis angle to contribute to the measurement of the CP violating phase. The detector is designed so that it can be moved to a mine pit in the LBNE beam line once that becomes operational.