Erlangen 2026 – scientific programme
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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik
T 105: Methods in Astroparticle Physics V
T 105.3: Talk
Friday, March 20, 2026, 09:30–09:45, KS 00.004
Implementation of a Bi-Po Coincidence Cherenkov Source for Hybrid Calibration in JUNO — •Manuel Böhles1, Marcel Büchner1, Tim Charissé1, Arshak Jafar1, Meishu Lu2, Johann Martyn1, Oliver Pilarczyk1, Hans Steiger2, and Michael Wurm1 — 1Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Institute for Physics, 55128 Mainz, Germany — 2Technical University of Munich, School of Natural Sciences, 85748 Garching, Germany
Hybrid Cherenkov/scintillation analyses in the JUNO experiment require dedicated calibration tools to improve event identification and background suppression. A precise characterization of Cherenkov light and its separation from scintillation light is essential for enhancing the sensitivity to rare event searches. A compact Cherenkov calibration source based on MeV-scale beta electrons and a delayed coincidence trigger has been designed and realized. The source is loaded with Th-228, providing Bi-Po-212 decay sequences with a well-defined time correlation. The prompt beta decay produces Cherenkov light, while the subsequent alpha decay generates a scintillation signal in a fast plastic scintillator, enabling efficient event tagging. Laboratory tests are underway, and deployment in the OSIRIS pre-detector is planned prior to JUNO calibration campaigns. These measurements will support hybrid Cherenkov/scintillation analyses in JUNO with enhanced sensitivity to solar neutrinos, searches for the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB), and potential future neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) studies. The development is funded by the DFG Research Unit "JUNO" (FOR 5519).
Keywords: Cherenkov–scintillation separation; Event identification; Background suppression; DSNB; 0νββ