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Visual Experience Enhancement In Augmented Reality Displays, Qian Yang Jan 2024

Visual Experience Enhancement In Augmented Reality Displays, Qian Yang

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

In the dynamic arena of display technology, augmented reality (AR) displays represent a pivotal advancement, seamlessly bridging the digital and physical worlds. This dissertation delves into the realm of AR display technologies, spotlighting the challenges and limitations of current systems, including transparent and near-eye displays, and proposes innovative solutions to enhance user experience and display performance. With a focus on overcoming issues such as diffraction-induced image blur, the trade-off between resolution and field of view (FoV) in near-eye displays, and FoV constraints in waveguide-based displays, this research introduces new evaluation methods, optimization techniques, and system designs. First, the dissertation presents …


Human Visual Search Performance For Close Range Detection Of Static Targets From Moving Sensor Platforms, Jennifer Hewitt Jan 2024

Human Visual Search Performance For Close Range Detection Of Static Targets From Moving Sensor Platforms, Jennifer Hewitt

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Search models based on human perception have been developed by military researchers over the past few decades and have both military and commercial applications for sensor design and implementation. These models are created primarily for static imagery, and accurately predict task performance for systems with stationary targets and stationary sensors, if the observer is given infinite time to make targeting decisions. To account for situations where decisions must be made on a shortened time scale, the time-limited search model was developed to describe how task performance evolves with time. Recent variations of this model have been made to account for …


Enhancing Scanning Tunneling Microscopy With Automation And Machine Learning, Darian Smalley Jan 2024

Enhancing Scanning Tunneling Microscopy With Automation And Machine Learning, Darian Smalley

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is one of the most advanced surface science tools capable of atomic resolution imaging and atomic manipulation. Unfortunately, STM has many time-consuming bottlenecks, like probe conditioning, tip instability, and noise artificing, which causes the technique to have low experimental throughput. This dissertation describes my efforts to address these challenges through automation and machine learning. It consists of two main sections each describing four projects for a total of eight studies.

The first section details two studies on nanoscale sample fabrication and two studies on STM tip preparation. The first two studies describe the fabrication of …


Respiratory-Motion Matched Attenuation Correction For Dual-Gated Cardiac Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (Spect), Christina Xing Jan 2024

Respiratory-Motion Matched Attenuation Correction For Dual-Gated Cardiac Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (Spect), Christina Xing

Physics Theses - Archive

Cardiac and respiratory dual-gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a promising technique for minimizing the motion artifacts in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). However, attenuation correction (AC) for dual-gated SPECT using an attenuation map averaged over the respiratory cycle may lead to mismatched attenuation correction artifacts. In this study, we propose a respiratory motion-matched attenuation correction (RMM-AC) to further improve dual-gated SPECT. For each respiratory gate, RMM-AC uses an attenuation map that matches the SPECT image in a 4D reconstruction framework. Filtered backprojection reconstruction without AC (FBP-nAC) and 4D reconstruction with the attenuation map averaged over all respiratory gates (AVE-AC) …


A Method Of Measuring Hot Charge Carrier Drift Mobility In Germanium Detectors, Kyler Kooi Jan 2024

A Method Of Measuring Hot Charge Carrier Drift Mobility In Germanium Detectors, Kyler Kooi

Dissertations and Theses

High purity germanium is a popular radiation detecting medium due to the excellent energy resolution that is achieved. The unique semiconducting properties of germanium allow a small amount of energy to create free charges in the germanium, which are then collected as a signal. Germanium detectors also have good spatial resolution. The shape of the signal can be used to identify the location of energy deposition in the crystal. Both of these properties make germanium detectors a popular choice in many felds, including security, medical, astrophysics, and particle physics. The properties of a germanium crystal should be well understood and …


Development Of Cryogenic Scintillation Detectors For The Search Of New Physics, Keyu Ding Jan 2024

Development Of Cryogenic Scintillation Detectors For The Search Of New Physics, Keyu Ding

Dissertations and Theses

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) was first proposed in 1974. Despite having the largest cross-section among all low-energy neutrino couplings predicted in the Standard Model (SM), CEvNS detection remains challenging due to its only experimental signature being a low-energy nuclear recoil. In 2017, the COHERENT collaboration successfully observed CEvNS for the first time. A 14.6 kg low-background doped CsI at room temperature was placed 20 meters away from the 1.4 MW Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The SNS's pulsed proton beam provides exceptional background rejection and high-intensity neutrinos, making it ideal for CEvNS detections. …


Development Of Low Threshold Germanium Detectors For The Search Of Low Mass Dark Matter, Pramod Acharya Jan 2024

Development Of Low Threshold Germanium Detectors For The Search Of Low Mass Dark Matter, Pramod Acharya

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation explores using high-purity germanium (Ge) crystals for low-mass dark matter (DM) detection, focusing on enhancing crystal quality and identifying key crystal growth parameters. The study assesses the electrical properties of refined Ge materials through Hall Effect measurements and uses machine learning to predict impurity profiles, achieving levels conducive to high-resolution DM detectors. Utilizing a planar Ge detector fabricated at Texas A$\&$M and operated at cryogenic temperatures at the University of Minnesota, the study reveals time-dependent internal charge amplification through impact ionization. Research on charge transport dynamics in a cryogenic p-type Ge detector uncovers evolving charge dynamics and cluster …


Next-Generation High-Performance Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality Light Engines, Zhiyong Yang Jan 2024

Next-Generation High-Performance Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality Light Engines, Zhiyong Yang

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The immersive virtual reality (VR) and the optical see-through augmented reality (AR) are expected to revolutionize human lives in work, education, entertainment, healthcare, spatial computing, and digital twins, just to name a few. Next-generation VR/AR devices should exhibit a wide field-of-view (FoV), crisp image without screen-door effect, high dynamic range, compact form factor and lightweight, and low power consumption. Such demanding requirements pose a significant challenge to traditional direct-view display panels. To address these technical challenges, novel approaches need to be proposed. This dissertation is devoted to developing next-generation high-performance display light engines toward high resolution density, high optical efficiency, …


Synthesis Of Cu-Cy Nanoparticles For Treating Pfas In Water, Ligang Wang Jan 2024

Synthesis Of Cu-Cy Nanoparticles For Treating Pfas In Water, Ligang Wang

Physics Theses - Archive

This work aims to address the cumulative harm caused by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water to human health and the ecological environment around the world. Reducing or removing PFAS pollution is an urgent need. Cu-Cy nanoparticles are photosensitizers, which were developed for photodynamic therapy of cancer in the first place. In this work, we use Cu-Cy for the catalytic degradation of PFAS. Synthesis of Cu-Cy nanoparticles in deionized water at 90 degrees Celsius is a low-cost and efficient method. We demonstrated the detailed process of synthesizing Cu-Cy nanoparticles. Under ultraviolet illumination, the synthesized Cu-Cy nanoparticles turned yellow as …


Deep Learning Applications On Ionospheric Studies, Yang Pan Jan 2024

Deep Learning Applications On Ionospheric Studies, Yang Pan

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Machine learning techniques, particularly deep learning techniques, have been vigorously pursued to tackle space physics problems and achieved some impressive results recently. The growth of deep learning technologies in different domains enables innovative solutions to those problems compared to conventional methods. Filling data gaps in instrumental observations is among the demanding issues, which benefits space physicists to study ionospheric phenomena with complete data coverage. Global total electron content (TEC) and regional ionospheric electron density (Ne) are among important physical parameters in ionospheric studies. Due to the limited coverage of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) ground receivers and sporadic …


Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White Jan 2024

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …


Detailed Report On The Measurement Of The Positive Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment To 0.20 Ppm, Muon G − 2 Collaboration Jan 2024

Detailed Report On The Measurement Of The Positive Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment To 0.20 Ppm, Muon G − 2 Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present details on a new measurement of the muon magnetic anomaly, aμ=(gμ-2)/2. The result is based on positive muon data taken at Fermilab's Muon Campus during the 2019 and 2020 accelerator runs. The measurement uses 3.1 GeV/c polarized muons stored in a 7.1-m-radius storage ring with a 1.45 T uniform magnetic field. The value of aμ is determined from the measured difference between the muon spin precession frequency and its cyclotron frequency. This difference is normalized to the strength of the magnetic field, measured using nuclear magnetic resonance. The ratio is then corrected for small contributions from beam motion, …


Observation Of Strong Nuclear Suppression In Exclusive J/Ψ Photoproduction In Au + Au Ultraperipheral Collisions At Rhic, Star Collaboration Jan 2024

Observation Of Strong Nuclear Suppression In Exclusive J/Ψ Photoproduction In Au + Au Ultraperipheral Collisions At Rhic, Star Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report a measurement of exclusive J/ψ and ψ(2s) photoproduction in Au+Au ultraperipheral collisions at sNN=200 GeV using the STAR detector. For the first time, (i) the ψ(2s) photoproduction in midrapidity at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider has been experimentally measured; (ii) nuclear suppression factors are measured for both the coherent and incoherent J/ψ production. At average photon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 25.0 GeV, the coherent and incoherent J/ψ cross sections of Au nuclei are found to be 71±10% and 36±7%, respectively, of that of free protons. The stronger suppression observed in the incoherent production provides a new experimental handle to study …


Strangeness Production In √Snn = 3 Gev Au+Au Collisions At Rhic, The Star Collaboration Jan 2024

Strangeness Production In √Snn = 3 Gev Au+Au Collisions At Rhic, The Star Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report multi-differential measurements of strange hadron production ranging from mid- to target-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at a center-of-momentum energy per nucleon pair of √sNN = 3 GeV with the STAR experiment at RHIC. K0 S meson and Λ hyperon yields are measured via their weak decay channels. Collision centrality and rapidity dependences of the transverse momentum spectra and particle ratios are presented. Particle mass and centrality dependence of the average transverse momenta of Λ and K0 S are compared with other strange particles, providing evidence of the development of hadronic rescattering in such collisions. The 4π yields of each …


Branching Fractional Brownian Motion, Reece Beattie-Hauser Jan 2024

Branching Fractional Brownian Motion, Reece Beattie-Hauser

Masters Theses

"Fractional Brownian Motion (FBM) is a Gaussian process whose increments are correlated over long times. FBM is an example of anomalous diffusion, and recently it has been used to model the distribution of serotonergic fibers in the brain [1, 2]. To better represent these fibers, branching FBM (bFBM), where FBM trajectories may randomly split into two, is introduced. One-dimensional bFBM is studied in both sub diffusive and super diffusive regimes, examining three potential behaviors of the correlations (memory) in a branching event: both trajectories retain the memory of previous steps, only one keeps the memory, and neither keeps the memory. …


Characteristics Of Single Photon Avalanche Photodiodes, Chloe Stults Jan 2024

Characteristics Of Single Photon Avalanche Photodiodes, Chloe Stults

Physics, Astronomy and Geophysics Honors Papers

Single photon avalanche diode technology is growing and expanding at an upward progression in our society. These devices play a pivotal role in defense, communication, and space-borne applications, specifically in NASA and DoD related missions. Unlike a typical photodetector, single photon avalanche diodes are highly sensitive devices that can detect down to a single photon. There are many factors within the fabrication process of these detectors to consider in order to produce the most effective outcome. Some of these factors include compactability and size, materials available, as well as potential limitations including environment, cost, and temperature. This paper will outline …


Intelligent Millimeter-Wave System For Human Activity Monitoring For Telemedicine, Abdullah K. Alhazmi, Mubarak A. Alanazi, Awwad H. Alshehry, Saleh M. Alshahry, Jennifer Jaszek, Cameron Djukic, Anna Brown, Kurt Jackson, Vamsy P. Chodavarapu Jan 2024

Intelligent Millimeter-Wave System For Human Activity Monitoring For Telemedicine, Abdullah K. Alhazmi, Mubarak A. Alanazi, Awwad H. Alshehry, Saleh M. Alshahry, Jennifer Jaszek, Cameron Djukic, Anna Brown, Kurt Jackson, Vamsy P. Chodavarapu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Telemedicine has the potential to improve access and delivery of healthcare to diverse and aging populations. Recent advances in technology allow for remote monitoring of physiological measures such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood glucose, and blood pressure. However, the ability to accurately detect falls and monitor physical activity remotely without invading privacy or remembering to wear a costly device remains an ongoing concern. Our proposed system utilizes a millimeter-wave (mmwave) radar sensor (IWR6843ISK-ODS) connected to an NVIDIA Jetson Nano board for continuous monitoring of human activity. We developed a PointNet neural network for real-time human activity monitoring that can …


Momentech - Modern Explorations Of The Impulse-Momentum Theorem, Todd Gelbord Jan 2024

Momentech - Modern Explorations Of The Impulse-Momentum Theorem, Todd Gelbord

Publications and Research

Herein we outline the design and construction of an instructional laboratory demonstration of the conservation of linear momentum, by way of the Impulse-Momentum Theorem, utilizing small, commercially available accelerometers attached to microcontrollers. The set-up is equipped with small, OLED screens which are able to display real-time acceleration graphs. Furthermore, a template for an experiment involving this set-up is provided. We also explore various data analysis options for different levels of student sophistication.


Dynamics Of A 3-D Inlet/Isolator Measured With Fast Pressure-Sensitive Paint, Andrew N. Bustard, Mark E. Noftz, Mitsugu Hasegawa, Hirotaka Sakaue, Joseph S. Jewell, Nicholas J. Bisek, Thomas J. Juliano Jan 2024

Dynamics Of A 3-D Inlet/Isolator Measured With Fast Pressure-Sensitive Paint, Andrew N. Bustard, Mark E. Noftz, Mitsugu Hasegawa, Hirotaka Sakaue, Joseph S. Jewell, Nicholas J. Bisek, Thomas J. Juliano

Publications

Fast pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) was applied to an inlet/isolator designed using the Osculating Internal Waverider Inlet with Parallel Streamlines (OIWPS) method. The dorsal isolator surface pressure was measured using anodized-aluminum PSP through transparent cast acrylic that makes up the ventral portion of the isolator. Temperature-sensitive paint was utilized to correct for the PSP’s temperature sensitivity. The model was tested under Mach 5.7 flow at Re = 8.5 ×106 /m and 10.2 ×106 /m in the AFOSR–Notre Dame Large Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel (ANDLM6QT) under conventional noise conditions. Flow phenomena, such as shocks originating in the inlet and flow separation at the …


Improving The Accuracy And Practicality Of Patient-Specific Dosimetry In 177lu Radiopharmaceutical Therapies, Avery Britvec Peterson Jan 2024

Improving The Accuracy And Practicality Of Patient-Specific Dosimetry In 177lu Radiopharmaceutical Therapies, Avery Britvec Peterson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPTs) have their roots in the initial discoveries of radiation and radiotherapy at the turn of the 20th century, but recent interest in the 177Lu- based RPTs 177Lu-DOTATATE and 177Lu-PSMA-617 have highlighted the need to investigate patient-specific, dosimetry-guided approaches to planning these therapies. These RPTs are currently administered in “one-size-fits-all” regimens of fixed activity injections and current dosimetry methodologies often have large uncertainties and are reliant upon reference values that do not necessarily apply to all patients. In this work, several ways to make patient-specific dosimetry in 177Lu-DOTATATE and 177Lu-PSMA- 617 RPTs more accurate or more accessible are …


Jets And Underlying Event In √S_Nn = 200 Gev P+Au Collisions At Rhic, Veronica Verkest Jan 2024

Jets And Underlying Event In √S_Nn = 200 Gev P+Au Collisions At Rhic, Veronica Verkest

Wayne State University Dissertations

Small collision systems, such as that between a proton or deuteron and a heavy-ion, were originally studied to assess cold nuclear matter (CNM) effects but have produced surprising results at RHIC and the LHC over the last several years. Namely, observations of jet yield suppression (enhancement) in central (peripheral) p/d+A events have motivated further investigations into small systems, including the search for signs of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) formation. This thesis focuses primarily on an analysis of correlations of hard and soft particle production in √s_NN = 200 GeV p+Au collisions in STAR. Jets and Underlying Event (UE) are measured at …


Modeling The Wall Background In The Lux-Zeplin (Lz) Dark Matter Experiment, Nishat Parveen Jan 2024

Modeling The Wall Background In The Lux-Zeplin (Lz) Dark Matter Experiment, Nishat Parveen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Dark matter is still one of the greatest unsolved enigmas of modern science. There is a wealth of evidence for dark matter, yet the detection and the fundamental properties of dark matter particles, which make up about 86% of the mass of our Universe, are still elusive. Direct detection experiments probe the interactions between the dark matter particles and some target nuclei inside particle detectors in a low background environment. LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is a direct detection dark matter experiment located at the 4850 ft. level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, United States. The LZ experiment …


Re-Evaluation Of Lethal Radiation Dose In Drosophila Melanogaster Using 350 Kev Electrons, Dariia Hozhenko Jan 2024

Re-Evaluation Of Lethal Radiation Dose In Drosophila Melanogaster Using 350 Kev Electrons, Dariia Hozhenko

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Radiation dosimetry from a 350 KeV electron beam and its impact on Drosophila melanogaster response serve as the focal points of this study. While previous research has established an LD50 (lethal radiation dose for 50 % of the population) exceeding 452 Gy across mainly all developmental stages, this investigation extends the understanding by examining dose-dependent differences throughout development, from the pupae stage into adulthood. Fruit flies, irradiated at their most sensitive stage, the egg phase, displayed a notable reduction in effective LD50, especially when accounting for long-term effects. Specifically, the LD50 values decreased to approximately 59 Gy for the maximum …


Boosted Dark Matter Search With The Icarus Detector At The Gran Sasso Underground National Laboratory, Hector Carranza Jr Jan 2024

Boosted Dark Matter Search With The Icarus Detector At The Gran Sasso Underground National Laboratory, Hector Carranza Jr

Physics Dissertations - Archive

The quest to discover dark matter is one of the most pressing topics in modern physics. Evidence of gravitational anomalies is present at different cosmological scales, spanning the stability and rotation of galaxies to the overall density profile of the entire observable Universe. Due to the discrepancy between the mass measured and the gravitational influence on the mass, if General Relativity is to correctly describe gravity at different scales, extra electromagnetically invisible matter termed dark matter must exist. In recent decades, many experiments have been performed to detect dark matter with masses that span many orders of magnitude, from Mass …


Many Extensions Of Coulomb’S Law: A Scoping Review, Florentin Smarandache Jan 2024

Many Extensions Of Coulomb’S Law: A Scoping Review, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this paper, Coulomb’s Law is extended from two stationary charged particles, on linear trajectory, to: many charged particles, or quantum level particles, or objects on arbitrary motions (with velocity, acceleration, time delay), on non-linear trajectories, at even superluminal and instantaneous speeds.


Possible Evidences For Existence Of An Aether Medium (Or Virtual Inertia/Spin Superfluid Medium), Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache Jan 2024

Possible Evidences For Existence Of An Aether Medium (Or Virtual Inertia/Spin Superfluid Medium), Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The presentation explores the possibility of an aether medium, also referred to as a virtual inertia/spin superfluid medium, existing to explain certain physical phenomena. While the concept of an aether has been historically rejected by mainstream physics, recent findings and interpretations offer potential justifications for its reconsideration. After discussions with several physicists, notably Robert N. Boyd, PhD and others, we are convinced that aether medium does exist, or may be called virtual inertia/spin superfluid medium.


Assuming Photon As Extended Point Particle In The Hypersoft Topological Space And Other Hypotheses: Issues And Trend Analysis, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache Jan 2024

Assuming Photon As Extended Point Particle In The Hypersoft Topological Space And Other Hypotheses: Issues And Trend Analysis, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Following our preceding article, where we discussed alternative interpretations of the advanced perihelion of Mercury, the present article revisits the 1919 solar eclipse expedition led by Arthur Eddington, which famously provided the first observational confirmation of Einstein's theory of general relativity. We focus on the deflection of starlight data obtained during the eclipse, a cornerstone of this validation. Here, we explore three alternative explanations for the observed light bending that challenge the sole attribution to general relativity. Firstly, the paper begins by arguing based on criticisms raised by Tullio Levi-Civita, a contemporary mathematician, regarding Einstein's use of pseudo-tensors in his …


A Hybrid Time Series Forecasting Method Based On Neutrosophic Logic With Applications In Financial Issues, Seyyed Ahmad Edalatpanah, Farnaz Sheikh Hassani, Florentin Smarandache, Ali Sorourkhah, Dragan Pamucar, Bing Cui Jan 2024

A Hybrid Time Series Forecasting Method Based On Neutrosophic Logic With Applications In Financial Issues, Seyyed Ahmad Edalatpanah, Farnaz Sheikh Hassani, Florentin Smarandache, Ali Sorourkhah, Dragan Pamucar, Bing Cui

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Rising market demands, economic pressures, and technological advancements have spurred researchers to seek ways to enhance business environments and scientific productivity. Predictive science, crucial in this context, has gained prominence due to the rapid progress in information technology and forecasting algorithms. Time series forecasting, widely used in fields like engineering, economics, tourism, and energy, has inherent limitations with classical statistical methods, leading researchers to explore artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic for more accurate predictions. However, despite extensive efforts to improve accuracy, challenges persist. The research introduces a model aimed at surpassing existing methods in time series forecasting accuracy. This approach …


Tau Leptons In The Search For Charged Higgs Bosons, Juan Carlos Cardenas Jr Jan 2024

Tau Leptons In The Search For Charged Higgs Bosons, Juan Carlos Cardenas Jr

Physics Dissertations - Archive

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, a gracefully crafted collection of particle theories, has made an astounding number of accurate predictions about the properties of particles and the fundamental laws that govern our universe. Among its long list of remarkable successes are the unification of the electromagnetic and weak forces, the prediction of elementary particles such as the Higgs boson, and its ability to precisely predict a wide range of particle cross-sections and branching fractions which have been verified experimentally.

Yet despite its immense predictive power, some major problems with the standard model are its failure to accommodate dark …


Novel Time Projection Chamber Techniques With Applications Towards Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Searches, Nicholas K. Byrnes Jan 2024

Novel Time Projection Chamber Techniques With Applications Towards Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Searches, Nicholas K. Byrnes

Physics Dissertations - Archive

One of the highest priority endeavors in nuclear and particle physics is the search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (0νββ). The observation of 0νββ would prove that the neutrino is a Majorana particle i.e. its own antiparticle, offering a mechanism by which the matter-antimatter asymmetry observed in our universe could be explained. This theoretical decay mechanism is only energetically favored in certain neutron-rich isotopes and, if found, would be the rarest decay process ever observed. To compete with the exceedingly long half-life of 0νββ, all contemporary searches are focused on the following detector performance metrics: Increasing the instrumented isotopic mass …