Antares/KM3NeT
Programme Leader
Paul de Jong
Main points: scientific
Antares
- Point source searches and diffuse flux measurements with cascades and tracks (all neutrino flavors)
- Limits on neutrino flux from galactic plane
- Searches for neutrinos from various GW events, black-hole mergers as well as neutron star merger
- Dark matter searches from center of the earth and from Milky Way
KM3NeT
- In-situ calibration of the first two ARCA lines, timing calibration, determination of PMT efficiencies, and comparison to atmospheric muons MC
Main points: technical
- Further improvements in KM3NeT design, a.o. optical system, timing calibration procedure, CLB firmware, PMT bases, penetrators.
- Construction and tests of more than 90 DOMs, and integration of 2 ORCA DUs
- Deployment of the first ORCA line
Key positions in collaborations
KM3NeT
- Deputy spokesperson: Aart Heijboer
- Technical coordinator: Els Koffeman
- Optical systems coordinator: Gerard Kieft
- Mechanics coordinator: Edward Berbee
ANTARES
- Point sources group convener: Dorothea Samtleben
Main paper in 2017
- First all-flavor neutrino pointlike source search with the ANTARES neutrino telescope, Phys. Rev. D. 96 (2017) 082001
Cosmic Rays (Pierre Auger Observatory & GRAND)
Programme Leader
Sijbrand de Jong
Main points: scientific
- Observation of a Large-scale Anisotropy in the Arrival Directions of Cosmic Rays above 8×1018 eV
- Search for High-Energy Neutrinos from Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817
- Inferences on Mass Composition and Tests of Hadronic Interactions from 0.3 to 100 EeV using the water-Cherenkov Detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory
- Combined fit of spectrum and composition data as measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
Main points: technical
- Design of AugerPrime upgrade SSD modules completed under Nikhef leadership
- Improved arrival time variance model for the surface detector
- First full fit model for the surface detector time trace, revealing sensitivity to composition and photon identification;
- Start of SSD module production
Awards, fellowships etc.
- Physics World Top Ten Breakthrough of 2017 (2x!)
Key positions in collaborations
- Auger Eengineering Radion Array group leader: Jörg Hörandel
- Auger outreach co-convenor: Charles Timmermans
- GRAND technical coordinator: Charles Timmermans
Main paper in 2017
- Observation of a Large-scale Anisotropy in the Arrival Directions of Cosmic Rays above 8×1018 eV, The Pierre Auger Collaboration, Science 357 (2017) 1266-1270
Dark Matter
Programme Leader
Patrick Decowski
Main points: scientific
- The XENON1T has become the world’s most sensitive direct detection dark matter experiment
- First results from the XENON1T experiment. With only 34 days of data, the experiment published some of the world’s most stringent limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross sections.
- The experiment has accumulated more than 8x more data compared to the amount used in the first published results. Analysis of this blind data is ongoing.
Main points: technical
- Stellar performance of the Nikhef-designed trigger and event-builder, with very little down time.
- SURFsara/Nikhef Grid resources fully integrated in XENON data processing chain
Key positions in collaborations
- Chair of the XENON1T Editorial Board: Patrick Decowski
- XENONnT Technical Coordinator : Auke Pieter Colijn
Main paper in 2017
- XENON Collaboration (E. Aprile et al.), Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 181301 (2017). arXiv:1605.06655
Gravitational Waves
Programme Leader
Frank Linde
Main points: scientific
- Jo van den Brand becomes spokesperson Virgo
- Neutron star merger seen
- Nobel Prize Grav. Wave Detection
- Virgo made its first GW observation
- ET/PR event in Nieuwspoort, Den Haag
- Appointment Bas Swinkels, Matteo Tacca and Sarah Caudill
Main points: technical
- Virgo operational in August
- Deployment + analysis passive seismic sensors in Limburg/Terziet
Key positions in collaborations
- Spokesperson Virgo: Jo van den Brand
- Coordinator Suspended Optical Benches subsystem: Alessandro Bertolini
- Member LIGO-Virgo Collaboration Detection Committee: Alessandro Bertolini
- Professorship Un. Groningen: Chris Van Den Broeck
- Co-convenor science case for 3rd generation (GWIC committee): Chris Van Den Broeck
Main paper in 2017
- Neutron star merger (multi messenger): Phys.Rev.Lett. 119 (2017) no.16, 161101 and Astrophys.J. 848 (2017) no.2, L12