Optimization Studies for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility at Fermilab

TL;DR

This paper presents recent optimization studies for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility at Fermilab, focusing on design improvements for the neutrino beamline to enhance scientific objectives like neutrino oscillation research.

Contribution

It provides new optimization results for the LBNF beamline components using MARS15 simulations, aiding in design refinement for the upcoming project phases.

Findings

Optimized target and horn system design for improved neutrino beam quality

Enhanced energy deposition and radiological safety measures

Refined component configurations for future project stages

Abstract

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment and Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (DUNE-LBNF) are under development at Fermilab since early 2010s [1]. At present, the work is being performed towards a comprehensive review conducted by US Department of Energy (DOE)-the Critical Decision 2 (CD-2)-that is planned to take place in the middle of 2022. The primary scientific objectives of DUNE are to carry out a comprehensive investigation of neutrino oscillations to test CP violation in the lepton sector, determine the ordering of the neutrino masses, and to test the three-neutrino paradigm (electron, muon and tau neutrino). The LBNF will provide a 120-GeV proton beam on a neutrino production target utilizing a new 800-MeV superconducting Linac which is expected to be completed in 2027 [2]. The neutrino beamline, which utilizes a target and horn systems, decay pipe, hadron absorber and other systems, is a core component of the LBNF. At present-as a result of numerous iterations-there exists an optimized design with a 1.5-m graphite target and focusing system consisting of three horns. Further optimization energy deposition and radiological calculations are performed towards CD-2 and beyond. This paper describes results of the most recent MARS15 [3] optimization studies.