Position determination in a muon detector composed of plastic scintillator and scintillating fibers

• Grant number: 25/04439-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Nelson Carlin Filho
• Grantee: Carlos Henrique Palugan Gomes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The nature of the so-called dark matter is one of the most notorious open problems in Physics, and is the subject of constant theoretical and experimental investigations. In this latter area, the COSINE-100 collaboration seeks to study the subject by direct detection. One of the fundamental segments for maintaining the experiment is the detection of muons, particles that can generate interference even in detectors subjected to shielding conditions and highly controlled environmental conditions.The project to be developed consists of an extension of the apparatus adopted for detecting muons by means of a similar prototype. The aim is to determine the position of incidence of the particles. To this end, a detector of a similar nature to that used in the COSINE-100 experiment (scintillator), silicon photomultipliers linked to electronic circuits positioned on the sides of the detector and scintillator fibers to capture electrical signals will be used. For data analysis, the project will rely on two data acquisition systems (DAQs) connected to the main apparatus and linked to computers, enabling the study to be conducted accurately. The aim is to reliably determine the positions of muon incidence on the detector. (AU)