The Coherent Neutrino-Nucleus

Interaction Experiment (CONNIE)

Irina Nasteva
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
on behalf of the CONNIE collaboration

South American Dark Matter Workshop

ICTP – SAIFR, São Paulo, 11 May 2017
 Coherent elastic νN scattering

•  In Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEνNS), the neutrino

scatters off the nucleus as a whole.
•  Predicted by the Standard Model in 1974 but never observed so far.
D. Freedman, Phys.Rev. D 9 1389 (1974)

•  The nuclear form-factor is f(q) ≈ 1 for low energies: Eν<50 MeV.

•  The total cross-section is ≈ 4.22 x 10-45 N2 Eν2 cm2 (N=14 for Si)

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 2

 Coherent elastic νN scattering

•  CEνNS is the dominant interaction for energies Eν<50 MeV.

•  But nuclear recoil energies are in the keV-range:
•  And the ionisation signals are a fraction of Erec.
0.45
0.4

0.35

0.3
Q
0.25

0.2
Silicon quenching factor
0.15
measurements and Lindhard theory
0.1
0 5 10 15 20 25
Event energy (keV)
S.Brice et al, Phys.Rev. D 89, 072004 (2014) CONNIE collab., Phys.Rev. D 91, 072001 (2015)

Detecting coherent elastic νN scattering is a big experimental challenge!

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 3

 Motivations for CEνNS

•  Rate predicted by the Standard Model => search for non-standard

neutrino interactions.
•  Irreducible background for WIMP detection in direct DM searches.

•  Implication for energy

transport in supernovae.
•  New tool for neutrino
experiments (very short
baseline – low energy).
•  Possibility to monitor
nuclear reactors using
neutrinos.

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 4

 The CONNIE experiment

•  The idea is to detect the coherent neutrino-nucleus interactions by

measuring the ionisation of nuclear recoils.
•  Use silicon CCDs as targets and detectors.
•  Aim to achieve a very low energy threshold in silicon.

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 5

 The CONNIE collaboration
COherent Neutrino-Nucleus Interaction Experiment
About 25 members

Argentina Paraguay
Centro Atómico Bariloche Universidad Nacional de Asunción
Universidad del Sur / CONICET

Brazil Switzerland
Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas University of Zurich
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Mexico USA
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Fermilab National Laboratory

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 6

Charge Coupled Devices
CONNIE CCD

Developed by LBNL Microsystem Lab

Used by DES and DAMIC

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 7

Charge Coupled Devices
CONNIE CCD
High-resistivity silicon
Pixel size: 15 µm x 15 µm
Thickness: 675 µm
Mass: 5.75 g

Developed by LBNL Microsystem Lab

Used by DES and DAMIC

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 7

 CCD readout and noise

•  Noise is added to each pixel charge by the single output amplifier.

•  Optimal pixel readout time = 30 µs gives σRMS = 1.5 e- ≡ 5.5 eVee.
•  We can operate with a threshold of 40 eV.

with 60Co source

2.5 without 60Co source
σRMS (e-)

1.5

1
0 100 200 300
Pixel time (μs)

CONNIE collab., Phys.Rev. D 91, 072001 (2015)

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 8

 The CONNIE experiment
•  The COherent Neutrino Nucleus Interaction Experiment (CONNIE) is
located next to the Angra II reactor at the Almirante Álvaro Alberto
nuclear power plant, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

~ 160 km

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 9

 The CONNIE experiment
•  The COherent Neutrino Nucleus Interaction Experiment (CONNIE) is
located next to the Angra II reactor at the Almirante Álvaro Alberto
nuclear power plant, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 11

 The Angra II nuclear reactor
•  Antineutrino source with 3.8 GWth.
•  Lab at 30 m from the reactor core.
•  Flux of 7.8 x 1012 ν s-1cm-2 at the detector position.

Angra II
30 m

200 m

Angra I
~ 1% more neutrinos
! lab already installed
by Neutrinos Angra Project
CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 10
 The Angra II nuclear reactor
•  Antineutrino source with 3.8 GWth.
•  Lab at 30 m from the reactor core.
•  Flux of 7.8 x 1012 ν s-1cm-2 at the detector position.

-40
10
1
dNve/dEve (ve/process/MeV)

-1
10

σTot x (dNve/dEve) (a.u.)

10-1 -41
10

σTot (cm2)
-2
10 -3
10
-3
10 238 -42
U 10
10
-4 235

241
U – σT total cross-section in Si -5
Pu 10
10
-5 239
Pu -43
– σT weighed by reactor
-6
238
U n-capture 10
antineutrino spectrum
10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Eve (MeV) Eve (MeV)

TEXONO collab., Phys.Rev. D 75, 012001 (2007) CONNIE collab., Phys.Rev. D 91, 072001 (2015)

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 11

 The CONNIE detector
Polyethilene (neutrons) Lead (gamma)

Detectors

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 12

 Detector installed in 2014
CCDs in ViB readout Monsoon
copper box board readout system

Vacuum
pump

Dewar Cryocooler
(vacuum) (70 K)

Dewar Temperature
controller
CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 13
 Background measurement
•  4 CCDs with 4k x 2k pixels, 250 µm thickness, total mass 4 g.
•  Engineering run in 2015: background and detector performance studies.

Si and Cu fluorescence
muons and high-energy e-
x-rays from U decay

CONNIE collab.,
JINST 11 (2016)
P07024

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 14

Particle identification

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 15

 Event selection
•  Charge diffusion measured as a function of interaction depth with muons.
•  Surface events are vetoed to reject low-energy x-ray recoils.
•  35% mass efficiency and a factor of 3 background reduction.
0.5
Cummulative

0.4
0.8

efficiency
0.6
0.3
Fiducial
0.4 volume 0.2

0.2 0.1

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0
fitted sigma(pix) 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
front event energy (keV)

back CONNIE collab., JINST 11 (2016) P07024

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 16

 Detector performance
•  Comparisons with the reactor ON and OFF: stability better than 3%.
•  In-situ energy calibration from Cu fluorescence x-rays.
χ2 / ndf 9.315 / 12
160
p0 155.8 22 Constant 16.32 ± 1.87
p1 8.004 20 Mean 10.6 ± 0.3

OFF OFF
140 p2 0.07085 Sigma 3.179 ± 0.271
p3 25.38 18
120 p4 8.862
p5 0.09423 16

100 14
12
80
10
60 8

40 6

4
20
2
0 0
7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 5 10 15 20 25 30
energy (keV) muons/exposure

χ2 / ndf 19.89 / 13
200 p0 195.9 Constant 21.88 ± 2.29
p1 8.009
180 25 Mean 10.98 ± 0.24
p2 0.07002
Sigma 2.7 ± 0.2

ON
p3

ON
160 32.95
p4 8.866
140 p5 0.08639 20

120
15
100

80
10
60

40
5
20

0
7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 0
energy (keV) 5 10 15 20 25 30
muons/exposure

Cu fluorescence peaks Number of muons per 8700 s exposure

rate ~38/day
CONNIE collab., JINST 11 (2016) P07024
CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 17
 Engineering run results
•  Run with 1 g, 30 days in 2015 (15 days reactor ON and 15 days OFF).
•  Upper limits at 95% CL on the coherent scattering rate.

Expected SM
neutrino signal

CONNIE collab., JINST 11 (2016) P07024

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 18

 CONNIE-80 upgrade
•  14 science-grade CCDs installed in July 2016.
•  4k x 4k and 675 µm thickness.
•  Total mass of 80.5 g. 4k
•  Taking data since then.
4k

JINST 11, 2016

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 19

 CONNIE-80 outlook
•  Background rate at sea level, passive shield ~600 /keV/kg/day, 8.5 /day.
•  Expect a signal rate of 13 ν/kg/day: total of 400 neutrinos per year.
•  Need 150 days of efficient running for a 3σ detection of CEνNS.
•  Run with reactor OFF as a cross-check.

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 20

 Conclusion
•  CONNIE is operating at the Angra II reactor since 2014.
•  In the engineering run, CCDs demonstrated excellent particle detection
capability with very low energy threshold ~40 eV.
•  The increased mass and lower contamination levels in 2016 enable
CONNIE to search for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering.
•  Currently taking data – new results coming soon.
•  Planned future improvements include noise filtering and nuclear recoil
calibrations at low energies.

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 21

 Back up

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 22

 Energy calibration
Calibration data to X-ray lines

Reconstructed energy / keV

Fluorescence x-rays from 55Fe. 60 keV
55Fe

Si Kα
10

241Am

O Kα
1
Ca Kα
Energy response linearity measured with x-rays Al Kα
and verified by simulations. C Kα
JINST 11, 2016
1 10
Energy / keV

0.45
0.4

0.35

0.3
Q
0.25

0.2
Silicon quenching factor Silicon ionisation
0.15 measurements and Lindhard theory by recoils
0.1
0 5 10 15 20 25
Event energy (keV)
Phys.Rev. D 91, 072001 (2015) Phys.Rev. D 94, 082007 (2016)
CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 25
 Expected event rates at Angra II
Total number of events vs threshold
Energy spectra in silicon detectors energy for different quenching factors

from nuclear recoils

with quenching factor
with selection efficiency

Total events vs max. detectable recoil for Q=1

Phys.Rev. D 91, 072001 (2015)
planned
improvements
Q = 0.20
Expected number of events (event/kg/day)
Eth = 5.5 eV (1"RMS) ~ 28.3
Eth = 28 eV (5"RMS) ~ 18.1
CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 26
 CONNIE-80 outlook
•  Assuming
•  57 g detector array (10 CCDs with 650 mm)
•  the background at sea level using passive shield can be reduced to
~600 events/keV/day/kg, i.e. 8.5 events/day
•  the rate of expected false positive is 3.18 events/day
•  Expected running time for different CL for a detector’s mass of 57 g

CL [%] T (days)

80 12
90 28
95 45
98 70
99 150

•  We need 150 days of running for a 3σ detection

Phys.Rev. D 91, 072001 (2015)
CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 27
 Diffusion measurement
•  Charge diffusion measured as a function of interaction depth using muons.

Charge diffusion is modeled with a

Gaussian with σ from 0 to 0.55 pixels.

Phys.Rev. D 91, 072001 (2015)

CONNIE experiment, I. Nasteva 28