Exploring Dark Matter in Southern Hemisphere with PAUL Project - A Scientific Journey

 
Seeking Dark Matter in the
Southern Hemisphere with PAUL
 
Marcello Messina and Fairouz Malek 
on behalf of the PAUL project
 
Jul 8-12 2024 L'Aquila (Italy)
 
1
 
Main operational underground labs
 
Map of the existing underground laboratories. SUPL facility in Australia is being commissioned and
will operate soon.
 
2
 
2019: Latest Updates on Developments of the
Underground Neutrino Facility in South Africa
 
2015: Towards the South African Underground Laboratory
 
Some history
 
3
 
New  Impetus
 
4
 
South African Astronomical Observatory
 
Square Kilometer Array
 
iThemba LABS
 
5
Stellenbosch University
University of Cape Town
 
University of the Western Cape
 
World Class Universities
 
6
 
The future underground laboratory
 
Red
 dots: Planned ULabs, ANDES at the Argentina-Chile border and INO in India. 
Yellow star
 is the
planned PAUL in South Africa in the Cape Town Region.
 
PAUL
Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory
 
7
 
8
 
The Huguenot-Tunnel
 
South Bore
(operating car trafic tunnel)
Worcester -> Paarl
 
North  Bore
Being upgraded in 2025
Paarl -> Worcester
 
9
The range mostly consists of 
Table Mountain sandstone
, an erosion-resistant quatzitic 
sandstone
 
Paarl
 
Worcester
East Entrance
West Entrance
 
10
 
A possible 10,000 m
3
 
laboratory (40x16x16) in the Huguenot tunnel.
Courtesy: Joaquin Venturino (CNEA), April 2023.
 
Preliminary mock-up of the facility
 
11
 
The final version would look like LS-Canfranc
 
LSC-Hall A
 
12
 
Muon Flux attenuation
 
Courtesy; Aldo Ianni, April 2024
 
13
 
 
Ultra-low radioactivity
 
Biological science (effect of cosmic radiation on cells and  reference
organisms – 
radiation biology
)
 
Possibly anti-neutrino monitoring (radiated from Koeberg Nuclear Power
Station) (
neutrino physics
)
 
Dark Matter 
search (compare Northen and Southern hemisphere data)
 
To 
complement 
indirect searches for Dark Matter (e.g. with SKA)
 
Envisaged science at PAUL
 
14
 
The challenge 
@PAUL
is to  develop detectors with  very
low energy  thresholds and
excellent  control over detector
backgrounds.
 
Dark matter with
mass below the
proton (sub-GeV)
 
Technology and experiments
@PAUL
 
Charge Coupled Devices  (CCDs),
Skipper-CCD  (SENSEI, DAMIC,
OSCURA)
Solid-state cryogenic  detectors
(Ge, Si, ..),  operating at T<15
mK,  (Edelweiss)
Noble Liquid target (Xe, Ar)
 
Possible Dark Matter searches @PAUL
 
@PAUL
 
15
 
 
1- Design and study of PAUL facility including the excavation work; This is accomplished together with SMEC, the tunnel
company for the civil engineering aspect and SANRAL, South African National Roads Agency, for the more strategic aspect
of the work;  
 
Seed-funding from DSI of R 5 million (250 K€)
 
 
The preliminary work to be followed during 2024 and 2025
 
16
 
B
u
d
g
e
t
 
(
R
 
2
0
=
1
)
 
 
2- Radiation measurement inside the tunnel to establish the specifications of PAUL facility;
b- 
Cosmic measurements open sky at Stellenbosch university + University of the Western Cape
 
The preliminary work to be followed during 2024 and 2025
 
17
 
b- 
Now measurements are on-going inside the tunnel at the position VCC2 
 
~5
 cosmic/per day
and VCC1 
 < 
5
 cosmic/per day  
(~max overburden)
 
The preliminary work to be followed during 2024 and 2025
 
VCC2
 
VCC1
 
F
a
u
l
t
 
18
 
VCC1
 
VCC2
 
Project Timeline
 
Current estimate to construct PAUL: 
R 130 million (~ US$ 6.5 million)
 
19
 
Project Timeline > 2025
 
Current estimate to construct PAUL: 
R 130 million (~ US$ 6.5 million)
 
20
 
Conclusions
 
PAUl project Launched January 2024, R 5M (250 K€) DSI Seed-Funding, Feasibility Study on-going;
 
Kicked-off a collaboration with the geology community at Wits (Johannesburg);
 
Prepare for the participation to the actual experiments and their R&Ds, e.g. Damic-M and SAFIRE at Modane;
 
Other plan are being discussed, eg. exploring life science underground;
 
5 years grant for the International Research Network programme 
PAULINE (CNRS-
FR/Africa/Canfranc/LNGS)
.
 
21
 
Back up slides
 
22
 
Steering Committee
Project Management office 
being constituted (July 24)
International Advisory Board
Task Forces:
Biology
Dark Matter
Design and study
Geophysics
Muography
Quantum Computing
Low radiation and neutrons measurements
All info on Twiki Home page: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/PaulLab/WebHome
Note: PAUL not yet a legal entity
 
Organisation
 
23
 
Founding article
 
24
 
Founding Symposium
 
https://indico.cern.ch/event/1316503/
 
25
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Join the PAUL project team as they delve into the search for dark matter in the Southern Hemisphere at L'Aquila, Italy. Discover operational underground labs, historical milestones, new developments, and future projects in South Africa. Explore the collaboration with world-class universities and the vision for the PAUL underground laboratory in Africa. Witness the upgrades and potential of the Huguenot Tunnel for scientific research.


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  1. Seeking Dark Matter in the Southern Hemisphere with PAUL Marcello Messina and Fairouz Malek on behalf of the PAUL project Jul 8-12 2024 L'Aquila (Italy) 1

  2. Main operational underground labs Map of the existing underground laboratories. SUPL facility in Australia is being commissioned and will operate soon. 2

  3. Some history 2015: Towards the South African Underground Laboratory 2019: Latest Updates on Developments of the Underground Neutrino Facility in South Africa 3

  4. New Impetus 4

  5. South African Astronomical Observatory Square Kilometer Array iThemba LABS 5

  6. World Class Universities Stellenbosch University University of Cape Town 6 University of the Western Cape

  7. The future underground laboratory PAUL Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory Red dots: Planned ULabs, ANDES at the Argentina-Chile border and INO in India. Yellow star is the planned PAUL in South Africa in the Cape Town Region. 7

  8. 8

  9. The Huguenot-Tunnel South Bore (operating car trafic tunnel) Worcester -> Paarl North Bore Being upgraded in 2025 Paarl -> Worcester 9

  10. West Entrance East Entrance Worcester Paarl The range mostly consists of Table Mountain sandstone, an erosion-resistant quatzitic sandstone 10

  11. Preliminary mock-up of the facility A possible 10,000 m3laboratory (40x16x16) in the Huguenot tunnel. Courtesy: Joaquin Venturino (CNEA), April 2023. 11

  12. The final version would look like LS-Canfranc LSC-Hall A 12

  13. Muon Flux attenuation Courtesy; Aldo Ianni, April 2024 13

  14. Envisaged science at PAUL Ultra-low radioactivity Biological science (effect of cosmic radiation on cells and reference organisms radiation biology) Possibly anti-neutrino monitoring (radiated from Koeberg Nuclear Power Station) (neutrino physics) Dark Matter search (compare Northen and Southern hemisphere data) To complement indirect searches for Dark Matter (e.g. with SKA) 14

  15. Possible Dark Matter searches @PAUL The challenge @PAUL is to develop detectors with very low energy thresholds and excellent control over detector backgrounds. Technology and experiments @PAUL Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs), Skipper-CCD (SENSEI, DAMIC, OSCURA) Solid-state cryogenic detectors (Ge, Si, ..), operating at T<15 mK, (Edelweiss) Noble Liquid target (Xe, Ar) Dark matter with mass below the proton (sub-GeV) @PAUL 15

  16. The preliminary work to be followed during 2024 and 2025 1- Design and study of PAUL facility including the excavation work; This is accomplished together with SMEC, the tunnel company for the civil engineering aspect and SANRAL, South African National Roads Agency, for the more strategic aspect of the work; Seed-funding from DSI of R 5 million (250 K ) Budget (R 20=1 ) item Cost in Rands 10000000,00 excavation 24000000,00 structural reinforcement 12000000,00 foundation work 14400000,00 utilities 30000000,00 interior finishes above ground offices/workshops 5000000,00 Grand Total + 20 % contingencies 120000000,00 (6 M ) 16

  17. The preliminary work to be followed during 2024 and 2025 2- Radiation measurement inside the tunnel to establish the specifications of PAUL facility; b- Cosmic measurements open sky at Stellenbosch university + University of the Western Cape 17

  18. The preliminary work to be followed during 2024 and 2025 b- Now measurements are on-going inside the tunnel at the position VCC2 ~5 cosmic/per day and VCC1 < 5 cosmic/per day (~max overburden) VCC2 VCC1 Fault VCC2 VCC1 18

  19. Project Timeline Current estimate to construct PAUL: R 130 million (~ US$ 6.5 million) 19

  20. Project Timeline > 2025 Current estimate to construct PAUL: R 130 million (~ US$ 6.5 million) 20

  21. Conclusions PAUl project Launched January 2024, R 5M (250 K ) DSI Seed-Funding, Feasibility Study on-going; Kicked-off a collaboration with the geology community at Wits (Johannesburg); Prepare for the participation to the actual experiments and their R&Ds, e.g. Damic-M and SAFIRE at Modane; Other plan are being discussed, eg. exploring life science underground; 5 years grant for the International Research Network programme PAULINE (CNRS- FR/Africa/Canfranc/LNGS). 21

  22. Back up slides 22

  23. Organisation Steering Committee Project Management office being constituted (July 24) International Advisory Board Task Forces: Biology Dark Matter Design and study Geophysics Muography Quantum Computing Low radiation and neutrons measurements All info on Twiki Home page: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/PaulLab/WebHome Note: PAUL not yet a legal entity 23

  24. Founding article 24

  25. Founding Symposium https://indico.cern.ch/event/1316503/ 25

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