Dissertation
OPC-UA server for inner tracker of ATLAS experiment and ultra-high-energy neutrino propagation through Earth using nuPyProp
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2023
DOI: 10.25820/etd.006883
Abstract
Presently, the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider is preparing for high-luminosity operation, which is scheduled to start after 2028. The inner detector of the ATLAS experiment will be replaced with an all silicon-based Inner Tracker which will have five layers of silicon pixels and four layers of silicon strips. These devices must operate efficiently, so a Detector Control System (DCS) will be implemented to monitor the electrical and thermal states of the detector. The DCS has front-end detector electronics and back-end user-interface components which require a communication interface layer that is based on a server-client model. This interface is provided by the Open Platform Communication United Architecture (OPC-UA) and allows for machine-to-machine communication that can be used to read data from any hardware/sensor. To achieve the desired functionality and monitoring capabilities of the detectors, an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) called AMACStar is used on the staves and petals that can communicate with an OPC-UA server connection. This document details the work on developing an OPC-UA server for the AMACStar ASIC and the results obtained at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Neutrinos rarely interact with matter, owing to their charge neutrality and weak interaction, thus they can travel cosmological distances to reach Earth largely unhindered and can point back to their origin. However, this also means we require neutrino detectors to be of large volume in order to have a higher rate of neutrino detection. The interaction length for neutrinos at 40 TeV and above grows comparable to Earth's diameter, which makes Earth a suitable ultra-high-energy neutrino converter. Thus, terrestrial, sub-orbital and orbital neutrino detectors can detect signals from the extensive-air-showers induced by neutrinos. In this document, we describe the development of a simulation package nuPyProp, which simulates neutrinos (muon-neutrino and tau-neutrino) propagating through the Earth and interacting to produce the corresponding charged leptons (muons and tau-leptons). The code's outputs are lookup tables containing energy distributions and exit probabilities of the Earth-emerging charged leptons which can be used directly or as inputs to study extensive-air-showers produced by the emergent charged leptons. The uncertainty arising in the exit probability of tau-leptons due to the tau-leptons depolarization effect is also discussed, along with a methodology on calculating the depolarization effect.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- OPC-UA server for inner tracker of ATLAS experiment and ultra-high-energy neutrino propagation through Earth using nuPyProp
- Creators
- Diksha Garg
- Contributors
- Mary Hall Reno (Advisor)Usha Mallik (Advisor)Vincent G. J. Rodgers (Committee Member)Stefania A. Stucci (Committee Member)Carlos A. Argüelles (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Physics
- Date degree season
- Summer 2023
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.006883
- Number of pages
- xiv, 136 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2023 Diksha Garg
- Grant note
- I would like to thank the Department of Energy and NASA for funding my research.
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 07/21/2023
- Description illustrations
- illustrations (some color)
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 118-136).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
For several decades, the field of particle physics has been dedicated to study the fundamental particles that makes the matter around us. To achieve this, detection of elementary particles is important. Large-scale detectors have been constructed worldwide to identify and analyze particles such as electrons, muons, tau-leptons, neutrinos, and others. One such detector is the ATLAS experiment at CERN, which studies new particles formed from collision of protons. To push the boundaries of detection capabilities for emerging particles, significant upgrades are necessary. One such upcoming upgrade of the ATLAS experiment is scheduled for installation in the late 2026. Due to the complexity and size of the detector, there are many potential hazards that can damage the detector. Therefore, there is a need of a software that can continuously monitor the detector and can take actions if there is an anomaly. One such software is the Open Platform Communication United Architecture (OPC-UA) which provides a server-client system. OPC-UA server’s development is detailed in this document. This server utilizes an electronic chip present on the detector called AMACStar which is used for its monitoring capabilities.
The interaction rate of neutrinos with matter is low. Therefore, detecting neutrinos require detectors of large-volume in size. Neutrinos of very high energy have higher interaction rate and thus, higher probability of interacting with the Earth. Using the Earth as a neutrino converter is a great way to eliminate the need for constructing massive detectors of the size of the Earth. When the neutrinos interact with Earth, they create other particles like electrons, muons or tau-leptons. These particles can be detected by experiments situated in ice, water or the atmosphere. To assess the sensitivity and feasibility of these experiments, simulation packages have been developed to replicate the neutrino’s propagation until its detection by the experiment. This document provides a comprehensive overview of the structure and features of nuPyProp, one such simulation package.
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984454643002771
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