Design Of The LBNF Beamline

TL;DR

The paper details the design, parameters, and challenges of the LBNF beamline at Fermilab, aimed at producing a high-intensity neutrino beam for the DUNE experiment, including plans for upgrades and improvements.

Contribution

It presents the comprehensive design status and development plans for the LBNF beamline, addressing technical challenges and future enhancements.

Findings

Design parameters meet physics and safety constraints.

Initial operation planned at 1.2 MW with upgrade capability to 2.4 MW.

Progress in R&D and planning for facility improvements.

Abstract

The Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) will utilize a beamline located at Fermilab to provide and aim a neutrino beam of sufficient intensity and appropriate energy range toward the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) detectors, placed deep underground at the SURF Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The primary proton beam (60-120 GeV) will be extracted from the MI-10 section of Fermilab's Main Injector. Neutrinos will be produced when the protons interact with a solid target to produce mesons which will be subsequently focused by magnetic horns into a 194m long decay pipe where they decay into muons and neutrinos. The parameters of the facility were determined taking into account the physics goals, spatial and radiological constraints, and the experience gained by operating the NuMI facility at Fermilab. The Beamline facility is designed for initial operation at a proton-beam power of 1.2 MW, with the capability to support an upgrade to 2.4 MW. LBNF/DUNE obtained CD-1 approval in November 2015. We discuss here the design status and the associated challenges as well as the R&D and plans for improvements before baselining the facility.