Neutrino Programme
Programme Leader
Dorothea Samtleben, Paul de Jong (deputy)
Main points: scientific
ANTARES
- Hints for TeV neutrino emission from the galactic ridge.
- Search for correlations between high-energy gamma rays and neutrinos with the HAWC and ANTARES detectors.
- Preparations for final analyses with the full ANTARES data sample
KM3NeT
- Measurement of neutrino oscillations and limits on neutrino decay and non-standard neutrino interactions in KM3NeT/ORCA.
- First searches for cosmic neutrino point sources with KM3NeT/ARCA.
- Observation of cosmic ray shadow of Sun and Moon with KM3NeT/ORCA.
DUNE
- Physics performance studies, e.g. on supernova neutrino detection, low-exposure long-baseline neutrino oscillation sensitivity, oscillation analysis systematics, and sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model.
Main points: technical
KM3NeT
- Deployment of ORCA Detection Units (DUs) and growth of ORCA to data taking with 18 DUs by the end of 2023.
- Deployment of ARCA DUs and growth of ARCA to data taking with 28 DUs by the end of 2023.
- Further mass production of Digital Optical Modules and DUs.
- Reconstruction and event classification software, general software, oscillation and cosmic neutrino analysis software frameworks.
- Calibration, including dynamical position calibration of optical modules in the sea with acoustics.
DUNE
- Further advances in the design of DUNE: evolution of near-detector design, and further development of the vertical-drift detector concept.
- Construction of Near Detector Liquid Argon prototypes.
- Completion of the ProtoDUNE 2 detectors at CERN.
- Excavation of the DUNE Far Detector cavities 95% complete.
Grants
- Infradev2: Towards full implementation of the KM3NeT research infrastructure (2023-2026)
- Netherlands eScience Center grant: A database-integrated KM3NeT solution for automated processing (DIKSAP) (2023-2025)
- NWO computing grant: Computing for (Proto)DUNE 2 (2022-2024)
- Horizon Europe Marie-Curie staff exchange program for DUNE: “SENSE” (2023-2026)
- NWO program ‘The Hidden Universe of Weakly Interacting Particles’ (2019-2025)
Key positions in collaborations
KM3NeT
- Physics and software manager: Aart Heijboer
- Software/computing co-coordinator: Mieke Bouwhuis
- Detection Unit integration coordinator: Daan van Eijk
- Optical systems coordinator: Jan Willem Schmelling
- Project control officer: Antonio D’Amico
- Mechanics coordinator: Edward Berbee
- Cosmic ray physics group convener: Ronald Bruijn
- Calibration group co-convener: Dorothea Samtleben
- EU Liaison officer: Maarten de Jong
- System Engineer: Ernst-Jan Buis (TNO)
ANTARES
- Point sources group co-convener: Dorothea Samtleben
- Conference committee chair: Mieke Bouwhuis
Main papers in 2023
ANTARES
- Hint for a TeV neutrino emission from the Galactic Ridge with ANTARES, Phys.Lett.B 841 (2023) 137951
KM3NeT
- First observation of the cosmic ray shadow of the Moon and the Sun with KM3NeT/ORCA, EPJC 83 (2023) 344
DUNE
- The DUNE Far Detector Vertical Drift Technology, Technical Design Report, arXiv:2312.03130 (2023)
Cosmic Rays (Pierre Auger Observatory & GRAND)
Programme Leader
Charles Timmermans
Main points: scientific
- Auger Radio Detector Upgrade prototypes performance as expected; air showers seen in the new Radio Detector combined with the Surface Detector
- A complete spectrum of cosmic rays from 0.1 EeV to beyond 100 EeV
Main points: technical
- AugerPrime (excluding Radio) close to 100% installed
- GRANDProto redistributed. 2 sites will be explored simultaneous, one in China and one in South America
- Array Auger Radio electronics delivery of parts is slowing down installation
Awards, fellowships, grants, etc.
- Prof. David Nitz received a Radboud Excellence Initiative (REI) professorship in 2022
- Teresa Bister obtained an REI excellence fellowship, started 1/1/2023.
- SURFsara Grid resource grant renewed
Key positions in collaborations
- Auger radio group leader: Jörg Hörandel
- GRAND technical coordinator: Charles Timmermans
Main papers in 2023
- AugerPrime Surface Detector Electronics, JINST 18 (2023) P10016
- Search for UHE Photons from Gravitational Wave Sources with the Pierre Auger Observatory, Astrophys. J. 952 (2023) 91
- Constraining the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays across and above the ankle with the spectrum and composition data measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory, JCAP 05 (2023) 024
- Search for photons above 10^19 eV with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory, JCAP 05 (2023) 021
- Limits to gauge coupling in the dark sector set by the non-observation of instanton-induced decay of Super-Heavy Dark Matter in the Pierre Auger Observatory data, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130 (2023) 061001
- Cosmological implications of photon-flux upper limits at ultra-high energies in scenarios of Planckian-interacting massive particles for dark matter, Phys. Rev. D 107 (2023) 042002
- A Catalog of the Highest-Energy Cosmic Rays recorded during Phase I of Operation of the Pierre Auger Observatory, Astrophys. J. Suppl. S. 264 (2023) 50
Dark Matter
Programme Leader
Patrick Decowski
Main points: scientific
- XENONnT has been taking data since May 2021 with 8.5 tons of liquid xenon. First WIMP results from the initial science run (SR0) with a 1.1 ton-year exposure were published in 2023, setting stringent limits on WIMP dark matter.
- We finished taking SR1 data, with about 100 days of live time, and after a detailed calibration campaign started a new science run (SR2).
- The XENONnT detector continues to operate well, with an electron lifetime of > 20 ms and a radon level of better than 1 𝝻Bq/kg.
- The Nikhef-designed triggerless data-acquisition (DAQ) system continues to work very well. We published a collaboration paper in 2023 detailing the design of the full DAQ system.
- The XLZD consortium, with members from the two leading liquid xenon dark matter collaborations LZ and DARWIN/XENON, continued to consolidate. We published a joint physics White Paper and are currently finalizing a design book detailing the XLZD rare event observatory.
Main points: technical
- Many ongoing R&D activities in the Nikhef XAMS and VUV lab setups. The upgraded XAMS TPC was commissioned. New Hamamatsu multi-anode R12699 PMTs are being tested.
Key positions in collaborations
- XENON Editorial Board: Patrick Decowski
- XENONnT Technical Coordinator: Auke-Pieter Colijn
- DARWIN Executive Board: Patrick Decowski
- DARWIN and XLZD Simulations and Sensitivity Studies WG Leader: Tina Pollmann
- XLZD Steering Committee: Patrick Decowski
Main paper in 2023
“First Dark Matter Search with Nuclear Recoils from the XENONnT Experiment”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 041003; arXiv:2303.14729.
Gravitational Waves
Programme leaders
Stefan Hild
Chris Van Den Broeck, Andreas Freise (deputies)
Main points: scientific
- Nikhef became third member of the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO), next to INFN and CNRS
- Final O3 analyses published
- National Growth funds approved (42+870 MEuro for ET), LISA roadmap proposal approved, ENW-XL@Utrecht for nuclear matter, next Virgo consortium approved (NWO infrastructure)
- O4 run starting in 2023. Run extended from 12 to 18 months on request of astronomy community.
Main points: technical
- Advanced Virgo + (Phase 1 completed): Strong hardware contribution from Nikhef, i.e. filter cavity for frequency dependent squeezing.
- ETpathfinder came really to life!
Key positions in the collaboration
- Matteo Tacca: Virgo commissioning coordinator 2020-2022.
- Alessandro Bertolini: AdV+ project, Filter Cavity subsystem manager since 2018.
- Bas Swinkels: AdV+ project, Electronics, Software and Controls system manager until 2022.
- Sebastian Steinlechner: AdV+ project, Optical System Design subsystem manager since 2020.
- Henk-Jan Bulten: AdV+ project, SBE subsystem manager since 2020.
- Jessica Steinlechner: co-chair of the Optics working group of the LIGO Scientific collaboration.
- Peter Pang (PhD student): coordinator of parameterized tests of GR for the dynamics of binary black hole mergers.
- Andreas Freise: Einstein Telescope directorate since 2022
- Andreas Freise: LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Council member since 2011
- Andreas Freise: Chair of Virgo Scattered Light working group 2020-2023
- Andreas Freise: Member of the STFC Oversight Committee for CTA
- Andreas Freise: Einstein Telescope Instrumentation Science Board co-chair 2019-2022.
- Andreas Freise: Representative for the Netherlands on the Project Supervisory Board for Advanced Virgo Plus 2020-2022
- Andreas Freise: Working group lead for Interferometer Simulations (IFOsim) in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration
- Andreas Freise: Member of the Einstein Telescope Steering Committee, 2018-2022
- Stefan Hild: Einstein Telescope Instrumentation Science Board co-chair, since 2022.
- Stefan Hild: Project leader of ETpathfinder
- Stefan Hild: Project leader of ET Technologies consortium
- Stefan Danilishin: Einstein Telescope Instrumentation Science Board co-chair of interferometer division, since 2022.
- Chris Van Den Broeck: Einstein Telescope Observational Science Board co-chair for Division 1 (Fundamental Physics) and Division 10 (Data Analysis Platform) since 2021.
Main papers in 2023
- Constraints on the Cosmic Expansion History from GWTC-3
Astrophys. J. 949 (2023) 76 - Frequency-Dependent Squeezed Vacuum Source for the Advanced Virgo Gravitational-Wave Detector
Phys. Rev. Lett. 131 (2023) 041403r - Science with the Einstein Telescope: a comparison of different designs
J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2023) 068