The Heeger Group carries out cutting-edge experiments to study the properties of neutrinos, in search of rare event processes to solve some of the greatest mysteries of the Universe. A list of experiments with Heeger group involvement is below; please go to the experiment webpages linked within each entry for more detailed information.
CUORE & CUPID
Science goal: Search for neutrinoless double beta decay, which could answer why we live in a Universe of matter, not antimatter.
Group involvement: Yale is responsible for detector calibration, the study of cosmogenic backgrounds, double beta decay analysis, & the search for solar axions. Heeger and Reina Maruyama are CO-PIs of CUORE & CUPID.
Project 8
Science goal: Utilize a novel technique (CRES) to perform a precision measurement of the yet unknown neutrino mass.
Group involvement: The Heeger group performs R&D on antenna and cavity prototypes; develops algorithms for event reconstruction and analysis; and performs simulations to optimize the detector resolution.
DUNE
Science goal: Enable the study of parameters that determine the matter-antimatter imbalance in the Universe and the ordering of neutrino mass states.
Group involvement: The Heeger Group is responsible for the assembly of Charge Readout Planes at Wright Lab and studying the detector response.
ALPHA
Science Goal: Search for axion dark matter using quantum and microwave technologies.
Group Involvement: Yale is responsible for systems engineering, cryogenics, and magnetics. Yale faculty involvement in ALPHA includes Heeger, Keith Baker, Sean Barrett, Charles Brown, Steve Lamoreaux, Konrad Lehnert, and Reina Maruayma. Maruyama is deputy spokesperson of ALPHA.
AI & Machine Learning
We are engaged in a variety of artificial intelligence and machine learning initiatives to enhance our research.
Quantum Sensing
We are engaged in experiments and efforts to develop quantum sensing tools and techniques for fundamental science.
Daya Bay
Science goal: Search for and measure the yet unknown neutrino mixing angle theta13.
Group involvement: Yale had overall responsibility in the U.S. for the design and construction of the antineutrino detectors and is involved in data analysis and measurements.
KamLAND
Karsten Heeger was involved in the first observation of reactor antineutrino oscillation with the KAMioka Liquid scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector (KamLAND). The detector consists of 1,000 tons of liquid scintillator housed in the old Kamiokande cavern.
PROSPECT
Science goal: Precision measurements of antineutrinos, search for sterile neutrinos, & develop technology for monitoring nuclear reactors for safeguard and non-proliferation.
Group involvement: PROSPECT was designed and built by the Heeger group at Wright Lab in collaboration with national labs and other universities.
SNO
Karsten Heeger was involved in the resolution of the solar neutrino problem with the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). The detector was built 6800 feet under ground, in VALE’s Creighton mine near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
Funding
We gratefully acknowledge support from the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Nuclear Physics; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and Yale University.