Speaker
Description
Paleo-detectors utilize the fact that mineral lattices can retain deformations in their structure caused by charged particle interactions. We consider the search for proton decay, $p\rightarrow\overline{\nu}K^+$, in such detectors via the possible crystal damage produced by the endpoint of the charged kaon. Atmospheric neutrino induced backgrounds render this search impossible on Earth, but in a lunar environment with no atmosphere, this background is significantly suppressed. For a 100g, $10^9$ year-old (100kton$\cdot$yr exposure) piece of lunar olivine, we expect 0.5 kaon endpoints due to atmospheric neutrino backgrounds. If this lunar sample could be acquired and analyzed, the proton decay sensitivity would be $\tau_p\approx10^{34}$ years, which is competitive with Super-Kamiokande's currently published limit of $\tau_p>5.9\times 10^{33}$ years at 90% CL, as well as the projected range of Hyper-Kamiokande and DUNE for the $p\rightarrow\overline{\nu}K^+$ channel.
| Working Group | WG 5: Neutrinos Beyond PMNS |
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