IWCD Prototyping
Rapid prototype of a section of the IWCD Designing for the frontiers of physics May 2024 - ongoing In collaboration with: Kavli IPMU IWCD Prototyping is a collaboration with Kavli IPMU (Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe) to design human-centered, cost-effective solutions for the Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector (IWCD), a part of the Hyper Kamiokande project, with the goal of researching neutrinos in order to understand the origins of the universe. Project Background Neutrinos are considered to be the “smallest unit of matter,” and scientists believe that they might hold the key to understanding the universe. The Kamiokande series, created by Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba, was originally made in order to research proton decay, but was modified later to focus on neutrino detection. Using the original Kamiokande, Dr. Koshiba and his team became the first people to observe neutrinos emitted from a supernova explosion, a feat which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002. Its successor, Super-Kamiokande, went on to support more Nobel Prize-winning research when they were able to demonstrate neutrino oscillations. Now, set to start operation in 2028, Hyper-Kamiokande is being created in order to further research neutrinos. Inside the Super Kamiokande detector, Kamioka Observatory, ICRR (Institute for Cosmic Ray Research), The University of Tokyo The DLX Design Lab is working alongside scientists and engineers around the world on the Hyper-Kamiokande Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector (IWCD). The IWCD will be installed near the J-PARC neutrino beam source in Tokai, Ibaraki. The detector features a “PRISM” technique by moving vertically in a 40 m pit to provide precision measurements of the neutrino beam that can be extrapolated to the main Hyper-Kamiokande detector 295 km away in Kamioka, Gifu. By observing neutrinos change type along this journey (neutrino oscillation), we can get closer to understanding how the universe became filled with matter while almost all antimatter has disappeared. This is one of the biggest open questions in modern physics, and solving it could help explain why the universe looks the way it does today. Cherenkov lights observed by the IWCD detector (simulation), https://www-neutrino.kek.jp/en/project/iwcd/ The IWCD sits in a 50m vertical shaft, able to move up and down to detect neutrinos at different trajectories ( https://www-neutrino.kek.jp/en/project/iwcd/ ) From creating rapid, low-cost mock-ups for quick testing to designing various brackets, jigs, and components for easier assembly and usability, the DLX Design Lab has demonstrated the value of design in complex manufacturing and engineering environments. By continuously testing ideas in a cheap and simple setup, mistakes and oversights that could be costly if they aren’t caught early in the process can be prevented, better informing the development process and helping prepare for deployment. Mockup of a section of the detector, J-PARC #Prototype #User_Test
Rapid prototype of a section of the IWCD Designing for the frontiers of physics May 2024 - ongoing In collaboration with: Kavli IPMU IWCD Prototyping is a collaboration with Kavli IPMU (Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe) to design human-centered, cost-effective solutions for the Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector (IWCD), a part of the Hyper Kamiokande project, with the goal of researching neutrinos in order to understand the origins of the universe. Project Background Neutrinos are considered to be the “smallest unit of matter,” and scientists believe that they might hold the key to understanding the universe. The Kamiokande series, created by Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba, was originally made in order to research proton decay, but was modified later to focus on neutrino detection. Using the original Kamiokande, Dr. Koshiba and his team became the first people to observe neutrinos emitted from a supernova explosion, a feat which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002. Its successor, Super-Kamiokande, went on to support more Nobel Prize-winning research when they were able to demonstrate neutrino oscillations. Now, set to start operation in 2028, Hyper-Kamiokande is being created in order to further research neutrinos. Inside the Super Kamiokande detector, Kamioka Observatory, ICRR (Institute for Cosmic Ray Research), The University of Tokyo The DLX Design Lab is working alongside scientists and engineers around the world on the Hyper-Kamiokande Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector (IWCD). The IWCD will be installed near the J-PARC neutrino beam source in Tokai, Ibaraki. The detector features a “PRISM” technique by moving vertically in a 40 m pit to provide precision measurements of the neutrino beam that can be extrapolated to the main Hyper-Kamiokande detector 295 km away in Kamioka, Gifu. By observing neutrinos change type along this journey (neutrino oscillation), we can get closer to understanding how the universe became filled with matter while almost all antimatter has disappeared. This is one of the biggest open questions in modern physics, and solving it could help explain why the universe looks the way it does today. Cherenkov lights observed by the IWCD detector (simulation), https://www-neutrino.kek.jp/en/project/iwcd/ The IWCD sits in a 50m vertical shaft, able to move up and down to detect neutrinos at different trajectories ( https://www-neutrino.kek.jp/en/project/iwcd/ ) From creating rapid, low-cost mock-ups for quick testing to designing various brackets, jigs, and components for easier assembly and usability, the DLX Design Lab has demonstrated the value of design in complex manufacturing and engineering environments. By continuously testing ideas in a cheap and simple setup, mistakes and oversights that could be costly if they aren’t caught early in the process can be prevented, better informing the development process and helping prepare for deployment. Mockup of a section of the detector, J-PARC #Prototype #User_Test