Advancing Supernova Neutrino Detection: Hardware Developments and the Future Role of Super-Kamiokande

par Hiroyuki Sekiya (University of Tokyo)

jeudi 11 sept. 2025, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Paris

Salle de Conference (LLR)

The Super-Kamiokande detector has undergone a major upgrade with the successful introduction of gadolinium (Gd), significantly enhancing its ability to identify inverse beta decay events and improving its sensitivity to supernova neutrinos. In this seminar, I will present the hardware developments that made the SK-Gd project possible, including repairs to the SK tank, the development of ultra-pure gadolinium sulfate, and the construction of a completely new water system. I will also report on the recent repair of the geomagnetic compensation coils, which had temporarily reduced PMT performance.

Furthermore, I will highlight the importance of Super-Kamiokande in the context of multi-messenger astronomy, discussing the framework for supernova neutrino detection and how the detector can issue alerts in coordination with various observatories. Finally, I will discuss the future role of Super-Kamiokande as the construction of Hyper-Kamiokande progresses. These developments underscore how Super-Kamiokande will continue to contribute to cutting-edge neutrino astrophysics in the years to come.