New Underground Laboratories in North America

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New Underground Laboratories in North America

• Steve Elliott
• Los Alamos National Laboratory

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And the Winner is

• NUSEL at Homestake

Well maybe. I prepared this talk after the NSF
decision to choose Homestake and before Barrick
turned off the pumps on June 10.
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Outline

• Making the case for Science Underground
• Existing North American Facilities
• NUSEL at Homestake

I wish to thank Tom Bowles and John Wilkerson for
their input to this presentation.
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A Remarkably Wide Range of Science
andEngineering Issues Can Be Addressed
Underground

• Neutrino Physics
• Particle Physics
• Astrophysics

• Geophysics
• Geobiology
• National Security

• Education and Outreach

In order to fully exploit this potential
requires the construction of a National
Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory
(NUSEL)
Requires depth to eliminate radioactive
backgrounds
Requires underground environment
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Why Underground?

• Physics - measurements of extremely rare
  processes require shielding from the incessant
  cosmic ray flux incident at the earths surface.
• Earthscience - extreme conditions found only
  underground (temp, pressure, chemistry, genomic
  isolation) outstanding geophysics questions.

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Underground Research has had Great Success

• The field has made recent fundamental
  discoveries.
• These discoveries broadly impact physics,
  astronomy, cosmology.
• A new laboratory would build on this success and
  open up the potential for next generation
  experiments and future discoveries.

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Some Recent Successes.
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Underground Research has Produced Numerous
Dramatic Results.
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Why a New Lab and Why inNorth America?

• The science is compelling.
• There is a lack of deep sites for next generation
  expts.
• Background requirements have typically increased
  by a factor of 100-1000 since Gran Sasso and
  Kamioka were built 20 years ago.
• dark matter 4500 mwe
• double beta decay 2400 - 6000 mwe
• solar neutrinos 6000 mwe
• EarthLab 7400 mwe
• There is a lack of space in existing
  laboratories
• The lack of a US laboratory has inhibited the
  development of underground science within the US.
• NUSEL will encourage synergies that will advance
  science.

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Making the Science Case for NUSEL

• Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) Long
  Range Plan 2000 - 2001
• Committee on an Underground Scientific
  Laboratory 2000 - 2001 (Community committee,
  NSF DOE, Chair Bahcall)
• HEPAP Sub-panel on Long Range Planning
  2000-2001
• NRC Committee on the Physics of the Universe
  (CPU) 2000-2002, Chair Turner
• NRC - Neutrino Facilities Assessment Committee
  March - December 2002, Chair Barish
• Orbach DOE 20-year Major Projects(NSAC and HEPAP
  sub-committees) Winter 2003

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Nuclear Science Advisory CommitteeLong Range
Plan, March 2001
Recommendation 3 We strongly recommend
immediate construction of the world's deepest
underground science laboratory. This laboratory
will provide a compelling opportunity for nuclear
scientists to explore fundamental questions in
neutrino physics and astrophysics. Recent
evidence for neutrino mass has led to new
insights into the fundamental nature of matter
and energy. Future discoveries about the
properties of neutrinos will have significant
implications for our understanding of the
structure of the universe. An outstanding new
opportunity to create the world's deepest
underground laboratory has emerged. This
facility will position the U.S. nuclear science
community to lead the next generation of solar
neutrino and double beta-decay experiments.
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Connecting Quarks to the Cosmos Committee on the
Physics of the Universe (CPU), April 2002

• A two year NRC study. Chair Michael Turner, Univ
  of Chicago
• Identify science opportunities at the
  INTERSECTION (not union) of physics and
  astronomy.
• Recommend a strategy for achieving these
  opportunities.
• Recommendation (one of only 3 new initiatives)
• Determine the neutrino masses, the constituents
  of the dark matter and the lifetime of the
  proton. The Committee recommends that DOE and NSF
  work together to plan for and to fund a new
  generation of experiments to achieve these goals.
  We further recommend that an underground
  laboratory with sufficient infrastructure and
  depth be built to house and operate the needed
  experiments.

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Neutrinos and Beyond New Windows on
NatureNeutrino Facilities Assessment Committee,
Dec. 2002

• NRC study requested March 2002 by the Office of
  Science and Technology Policy. Chair Barry
  Barish, Caltech
• Identify the major science problems that could
  be addressed by cubic-
• kilometer-class neutrino observatories
• Identify the major science problems that could
  be addressed with a deep underground
  science laboratory and
• Assess the scientific importance of the
  identified science and whether it could be
  addressed by other existing, soon-to-be-completed,
  or planned facilities.
• Assessment
• A deep underground laboratory can house a new
  generation of experiments that will advance our
  understanding of the fundamental properties of
  neutrinos and the forces that govern the
  elementary particles, as well as shedding light
  on the nature of the dark matter that holds the
  Universe together. Recent discoveries about
  neutrinos, new ideas and technologies, and the
  scientific leadership that exists in the U.S.
  make the time ripe to build such a unique
  facility.

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Neutrinos and Dark Matter

• Atmospheric ns
• Dark Matter
• Double b Decay
• Nucleon Decay
• Solar Neutrinos
• Supernova ns
• Long Very Long Baseline n Oscillation Expts.

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Neutrino Properties

• What We Know
• Neutrinos have mass and oscillate
• Parameters (Dm2 and tan2q) known but
  imprecisely
• Neutrino masses are small
• 50 meV lt mn lt 2.2 eV
• Neutrinos account for at least as much mass in
  the Universe
• as the visible stars

• What We Dont Know
• Are neutrinos their own antiparticles? (Majorana
  n)
• What is the absolute scale for neutrino mass?
• Is the mass scale normal ordered or inverted
  hierarchy?
• Are there sterile neutrinos?
• What are the elements of the MNSP mixing matrix?
• Is CP / CPT violated in the neutrino sector?
• Why is the neutrino sector so different than the
  quark sector?

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Depth Issues at NUSEL

• Experiment Requirements
• Ultra-low level experiments
• ?bb decay, dark matter, reactor/SN/solar n
• Great depth, modest to large size
• High-energy experiments
• Proton decay, long-baseline,
• atmospheric n
• Moderate depth, large size
• Geophysics / Geomicrobiology
• 3-D from surface to great depth
• Heterogeneous, DT, H2O
• National Security
• Modest depth, small size
• Ultra low-level counting facility
• Great depth, moderate size for
• RD on n experiments

Nuclear Physics
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Why Deep?
Many next generation experiments must be deep to
achieve their ultimate sensitivity

• SNO wouldnt have worked at Gran Sasso or
  Kamioka because of cosmogenic bkgs.

SNO concern relevant to DM --potential neutron
backgrounds with no accompanying muon signal

• ns from Atm. n NC reaction

• ns from m induced photonuclear production
  in rock

• ns from m DIS in rock

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Existing North American UG Labs
Soudan(2100 mwe)
Sudbury(6010 mwe)
WIPP (1700 mwe)
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WIPP

• DOE Facility
• Impressiveinfrastructure
• Modest depth(1600 mwe)
• Science asadd-on toprimary mission
• Low backgroundcounting labbeing
  developedLANL-PNNL

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Experimental Operations
OMNISita supernova Experiment
EXO bb Project
Majorana bb RD Lab
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UG at WIPP
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Soudan
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UG at Soudan (MINOS construction)
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Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

• INCO (commercial)Ni mine
• Restricted shaft size
• Deep (6010 mwe)

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Comparison of Underground Labs
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Proposed North American Deep UG Labs
Soudan 7400 mwe
Homestake7400 mwe
San Jancinto 6000 mwe
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Distance to American Accelerator Labs
Want 2000-3000 km Baseline.
kilometers
FNAL BNL
Homestake 1280 2530
San Jacinto 2620 3860
Soudan 730 1710
WIPP 1770 2930
FNAL
BNL
One needs a large detector for VLBL experiments.
The new SNOLab space isnt large enough for
something UNO-like.
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The Also Rans?
Soudan Expansion Marshak et al., Univ. of Minn.
San Jacinto, Palm Springs, CA Sobel et al., UC
-Irvine
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SNOLab SNO Extension is FUNDED
Nuclear Physics
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NUSEL - Homestake (proposed)

• Deepest mine in US, existing shafts drifts from
  150- 8000, at 150 intervals.
• Dual access all levels.
• Well characterized and understoodrock dynamics.
• Has been deactivated formining.
• Extensive infrastructure.
• Allows one to simultaneouslyand immediately
  pursue an operational science program and
  laboratory construction
• Meets all key Ideal UGlab requirements.

Haxton et al., Univ. of Washington
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Homestake (cross-section)
Yates Shaft and Complex Mining and Operations
Ross Shaft and Complex Science Operations
Oro Hondo Exhaust
Ellison Exhaust
No.5 Shaft Air Intake
No. 3 Shaft
No. 4 Shaft
No. 6 Shaft
Service Shaft
4850
6200
No. 7 Shaft
4850 Labs
6800
7400
8000
7400 Labs
Not to scale
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Homestake Flooding
Homestake is a proto-typical Laboratory
site. Ill describe its specifics, keeping in
mind that its features define a great site.
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Homestake Science Access
8.44 m

• Ross Shaft access to 5000 level
• Capacity 7 tons
• 1.5 m x 4m x 2.5 m
• Timbered, requireswater lubrication
• Winze No. 6 access to
• 4850 - 8000 level

South Cage
11 x 12
North Cage
4.66 m
High Speed lift
South Skip
North Skip

• Proposed
• Modernize hoists
• Refurbish both shafts
• Capacity 8 tons routine
• 3.3 m x 3.6 m x 6 m
• High speed personnel auto-lift

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7400 Science Level

• Access via Ross and Winze 6.
• Centralized utilities
• Clean lab conditions
• Rn removal (1 Bq/m3)
• Isolated separate exhaustsystem
• Ultra low-level backgroundlaboratory
• General purpose hall andsmaller dedicated labs.
• Ability to expand and buildfuture custom cavities

High Speed lift
South Skip
Example 7400 layout
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Ultra Low Background Counting Facility

• Envisioned laboratory (Hamer, Bowles LANL)

Level 3

• State of the art a, b, g, and Rn counting
• Provide central infrastructure
• Novel, high-sensitivity counters

Level 1
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The Homestake Site

• Dedicated operation of a deep u/g science
  laboratory

• Location appropriate for long-baseline
  experiments

• 600 km of existing drifts down to great depths
  (8000)

• Extremely strong rock

• Ability to excavate large chambers at depth

• Minimal risk in excavation (109 yrs of
  experience)

• A tremendous amount of existing infrastructure

• 15 MVA of power substations, 860,000 cfm HVAC,

• Large hoisting capabilities

• Ability to take sea-containers directly u/g

• Ability to excavate UNO-size cavity in 2-3
  years

• Complex geology throughout site

• Provides ideal conditions for geoscience /
  geomicrobiology

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Many Steps Forward..
WIPP Meeting June 2000
DNP town meetings, Fall 2000
NSAC LRP 2000-2001
Dec. 2001- Homestake Mining Corp. merges with
Barrick.
NSF selects Homestake as favored site - not a
guarentee of funding.
June 2003 - New schedule for flooding!
Committee on Underground Science Laboratory
High Energy Physics Advisory Panel, sub-panel on
Long Range Plan
Nov. 2001- Interim funding bill passes
Quarks to Cosmos Report
Neutrino Facilities Assessment Committee Report
Dec. 2001 - Federal indemnity bill passes
Barrick has serious problems with final House
version
2002 election politics in SD stall transfer
negotiations.
April 2003 - planned flooding averted
WIPP 6/00
DNP Fall 2000
NSAC 2000-01
UG sci 2000-01
HEPAP 2000-01
Interim Funding 11/01
Indemnity Bill, 12/01
SD Elections stall Transfer negotiations
Barrick Unhappy With Bill
CPU 2000-02
NFAC 2002
Planned Flooding Averted
4/03
NSF Site decision 5/30/03
6/2/03 Barrick announces Flood Date of June 10
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Consequences of Flooding

• NSF site panel "Important reasons to continue
  pumping include the maintenance of mine
  stability, avoidance of equipment replacement or
  damage, consistency with existing operating
  approvals, and preservation of the rock mass
  environment.
• Homestake Collaboration If the mine is flooded
  next week, we will submit our current Reference
  Design Project Book, the engineering plan for
  NUSEL-Homestake, to NSF, explaining that our
  group plans no further work on this project. The
  Project Book shows, for the first time, that a
  world-leading facility could have been built.
  With great regret we will then turn our attention
  and energy to developing the plans for an
  alternative site. Our commitment to the science
  demands that we do so.
• Barrick Response Vincent Borg, a spokesman for
  Barrick, called the scientists' threats an "11th
  hour red herring" and "regrettable gamesmanship."
  more economical to allow the mine to flood now
  and empty it later

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Summary

• Compelling forefront science with a broad impact
• the nature of neutrinos, astrophysics, supernova,
  dark matter, nucleon decay, nuclear astrophysics,
  origin of elements, Earthlab, Geomicrobiolgy...
• Resounding endorsement from review committees.
• Unique opportunity to establish the worlds
  deepest and most extensive science laboratory
  within the United States aimed at the future
  generations of underground science experiments.
• The concept of such a laboratory has a wide base
  of support.
• Not everyone agrees on implementation.
• Flooding of Homestake confuses the situation -
  June 03

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I wish to congratulate the organizers for a great
meeting. I especially thank them for inviting me.