LANSCE-mQ: Dedicated search for milli/fractionally charged particles at LANL

In this paper, we propose an experiment, LANSCE-mQ, aiming to detect fractionally charged and millicharged particles (mCP) using an 800 MeV proton beam fixed target at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) facility. This search can shed new light on numerous fundamental questions, including...

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Published inarXiv.org
Main Authors Yu-Dai, Tsai, Hwang, Insung, Schmitz, Ryan, Citron, Matthew, Gunthoti, Kranti, Steenis, Jacob, Jeong, Hoyong, Moon, Hyunki, Yoo, Jae Hyeok, Ming Xiong Liu
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 09.07.2024
Subjects
Charged particles
Dark current
Heating
In situ measurement
Muons
Neutrons
Particle physics
Photomultiplier tubes
Proton beams
Searching
Standard model (particle physics)
Target detection
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Summary:In this paper, we propose an experiment, LANSCE-mQ, aiming to detect fractionally charged and millicharged particles (mCP) using an 800 MeV proton beam fixed target at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) facility. This search can shed new light on numerous fundamental questions, including charge quantization, the predictions of string theories and grand unification theories, the gauge symmetry of the Standard Model, dark sector models, and the tests of cosmic reheating. We propose to install two-layer scintillation detectors made of plastic (such as EJ-200) or CeBr3 to search for mCPs. Dedicated Geant4 detector simulations and in situ measurements have been conducted to obtain a preliminary determination of the background rate. The dominant backgrounds are beam-induced neutrons and coincident dark current signals from the photomultiplier tubes, while beam-induced gammas and cosmic muons are subdominant. We determined that LANSCE-mQ, the dedicated mCP experiment, has the leading mCP sensitivity for mass between ~ 1 MeV to 300 MeV.
ISSN:2331-8422