Emrah Tiraş

Abstract New developments in liquid scintillators, high-efficiency, fast photon detectors, and chromatic photon sorting have opened up the possibility for building a large-scale detector that can discriminate between Cherenkov and scintillation signals. Such a detector could reconstruct particle direction and species using Cherenkov light while also having the excellent energy resolution and low threshold of a scintillator detector. Situated deep underground, and utilizing new techniques in computing and reconstruction, this detector could achieve unprecedented levels of background rejection, enabling a rich physics program spanning topics in nuclear, high-energy, and astrophysics, and across a dynamic range from hundreds of keV to many GeV. The scientific program would include observations of low- and high-energy solar neutrinos, determination of neutrino mass ordering and measurement of the neutrino CP-violating phase $$\delta $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>δ</mml:mi></mml:math> , observations of diffuse supernova neutrinos and neutrinos from a supernova burst, sensitive searches for nucleon decay and, ultimately, a search for neutrinoless double beta decay, with sensitivity reaching the normal ordering regime of neutrino mass phase space. This paper describes Theia , a detector design that incorporates these new technologies in a practical and affordable way to accomplish the science goals described above.

Abstract Eos is a technology demonstrator, designed to explore the capabilities of hybrid event detection technology, leveraging both Cherenkov and scintillation light simultaneously. With a fiducial mass of four tons, Eos is designed to operate in a high-precision regime, with sufficient size to utilize time-of-flight information for full event reconstruction, flexibility to demonstrate a range of cutting edge technologies, and simplicity of design to facilitate potential future deployment at alternative sites. Results from Eos can inform the design of future neutrino detectors for both fundamental physics and nonproliferation applications. This paper describes the conceptual design and potential applications of the Eos detector.

The High Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider will deliver 10 times more integrated luminosity than the existing collider, posing significant challenges for radiation tolerance and event pileup on detectors, especially for forward calorimetry. As part of its upgrade program, the Compact Muon Solenoid collaboration is designing a high-granularity calorimeter (HGCAL) to replace the existing endcap calorimeters. It will feature unprecedented transverse and longitudinal readout and triggering segmentation for both electromagnetic and hadronic sections. The electromagnetic section and a large fraction of the hadronic section will be based on hexagonal silicon sensors of 0.5–1 cm2 cell size, with the remainder of the hadronic section being based on highly-segmented scintillators with silicon photomultiplier readout. The intrinsic high-precision timing capabilities of the silicon sensors will add an extra dimension to event reconstruction, especially in terms of pileup rejection. First hexagonal silicon modules, using the existing Skiroc2 front-end ASIC developed for CALICE, have been tested in beams at Fermilab and CERN in 2016. We present results from these tests, in terms of system stability, calibration with minimum-ionizing particles and resolution (energy, position and timing) for electrons, and the comparisons of these quantities with GEANT4-based simulation.

This study introduces a new Scintillator Simulation Library called SSLG4 for the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation package. With SSLG4, we aim to enhance efficiency and accelerate progress in optical simulations within the Geant4 framework by simplifying scintillator handling and providing a rich repository of scintillators. The SSLG4 enables users to quickly include predefined scintillator materials in their simulations without requiring manual definition. The library initially contains 68 scintillators, consisting of 58 organic and 10 inorganic types. Most of these scintillators are selected from the catalogs of several scintillator manufacturers, notably Eljen and Luxium. Other scintillators are included based on their widespread use across various physics domains. The library stores optical data of scintillators in ASCII files with .mac and .txt extensions, enabling users to add, remove, or modify properties of scintillators at runtime of their applications. In addition, we made all the scintillator data available in the library on a dedicated page of our website to ensure convenient access for all users.

The R&D mission of the Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is described in detail. ANNIE is: (1) an important measurement of neutrino-nucleus interactions focusing specifically on neutron production, and (2) an R&D effort focused on using new photodetector technology and chemical additives to make advanced water-base neutrino detectors. The ANNIE experiment consists of a small Water Cherenkov detector, instrumented with both conventional photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs) deployed on the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab. The experiment is designed to proceed in two stages: a partially-instrumented test-beam run using only PMTs (Phase I) for the purpose of measuring critical neutron backgrounds to the experiment; and a physics run with a fully-instrumented detector (Phase II). This paper gives preliminary results of the first phase and described the detector design upgrades necessary for the next phase.

Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) are cheap and common polyester plastics used throughout the world in the manufacturing of bottled drinks, containers for foodstuffs, and fibers used in clothing. These plastics are also known organic scintillators with very good scintillation properties. As particle physics experiments increase in energy and particle flux density, so does radiation exposure to detector materials. It is therefore important that scintillators be tested for radiation tolerance at these generally unheard of doses. We tested samples of PEN and PET using laser stimulated emission on separate tiles exposed to 1 Mrad and 10 Mrad gamma rays with a 137Cs source. PEN exposed to 1.4 Mrad and 14 Mrad emit 71.4% and 46.7% of the light of an undamaged tile, respectively, and maximally recover to 85.9% and 79.5% after 5 and 9 days, respectively. PET exposed to 1.4 Mrad and 14 Mrad emit 35.0% and 12.2% light, respectively, and maximally recover to 93.5% and 80.0% after 22 and 60 days, respectively.

Abstract In this study, the conceptual design and physics simulations of a near-field Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS) detector placed 100 m from the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP), currently under construction and aiming at being Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, is presented. The ANPP is an excellent opportunity for neutrino studies and the development of an R &amp;D program for neutrino detectors in Turkey. The Reactor Neutrino Experiments of Turkey (RNET) program includes a compact detector with a 2.5-ton volume of WbLS and a $$\sim $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> </mml:math> 30% photo-coverage, and the program is planned to be expanded with a medium-size 30-ton detector that will be an international testbed for WbLS and new detector technologies through low energy neutrino studies. In the following, the focus will be on the smaller $$\sim $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> </mml:math> 2.5 ton detector, instrumented with 8-in. high quantum efficiency PMTs and two layers of cosmic veto paddles, covering all sides of the detector, to track and veto cosmic particles. Inverse Beta Decay (IBD) events from electron anti-neutrinos generated in the reactor core are simulated using the RAT-PAC simulation package and several liquids with different percentages of Liquid Scintillator (LS) and Gadolinium (Gd) are investigated.

This study investigates the deployment of a medium-scale neutrino detector near Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The aim of this detector is to become a modular testbed for new technologies in the fields of new detection media and innovative photosensors. Such technologies include Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS), Large Area Picosecond Photo-Detectors (LAPPDs), dichroic Winston cones, and large area silicon photomultiplier modules. The detector could be used for instantaneous monitoring of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant via its antineutrino flux. In addition to its physics and technological goals, it would be an invaluable opportunity for the nuclear and particle physics community in Turkey to play a role in the development of next generation of particle detectors in the field of neutrino physics.

In this study, we consider using LEDs to stimulate the recovery of scintillators damaged from radiation in high radiation environments. We irradiated scintillating tiles of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Eljen brand EJ-260 (EJN), an overdoped EJ-260 (EJ2P), and a lab-produced elastomer scintillator (ES) composed of p-terphenyl (ptp) in epoxy. Two different high-dose irradiations took place, with PEN dosed to 100 kGy, and the others to 78 kGy. We found that the ‘blue’ scintillators (PEN and ES) recovered faster and maximally higher with LEDs than without. Conversely exposing the ‘green’ scintillators (EJ-260) to LED light had a nearly negligible effect on the recovery. We hypothesize that the ‘green’ scintillators require wavelengths that match their absorption and emission spectra for LED stimulated recovery.

Hamamatsu single anode R7761 and multi-anode R5900-00-M16 Photomultiplier Tubes have been characterized for use in a Secondary Emission (SE) Ionization Calorimetry study. SE Ionization Calorimetry is a novel technique to measure electromagnetic shower particles in extreme radiation environments. The different operation modes used in these tests were developed by modifying the conventional PMT bias circuit. These modifications were simple changes to the arrangement of the voltage dividers of the baseboard circuits. The PMTs with modified bases, referred to as operating in SE mode, are used as an SE detector module in an SE calorimeter prototype, and placed between absorber materials (Fe, Cu, Pb, W, etc.). Here, the technical design of different operation modes, as well as the characterization measurements of both SE modes and the conventional PMT mode are reported.

The timing characteristics of scintillators must be understood in order to determine which applications theyare appropriate for. Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) are common plastics withuncommon scintillation properties. Here, we report the timing characteristics of PEN and PET, determined by excitingthem with 120 GeV protons. The test beam was provided by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the scintillatorswere tested at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. PEN and PET are found to have dominant decay constants of 34.91 nsand 6.78 ns, respectively.

The Hadronic Forward calorimeters of the CMS experiment are Cherenkov calorimeters that use quartz fibers and 1728 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) for readout. The CMS detector upgrade project requires the current Hamamatsu R7525 PMTs to be replaced with 4-anode, high quantum efficiency R7600-M4 PMTs. The new PMTs will improve the detector resolution, as well as the capability of removing fake events due to signal created in the glass window of the PMT. Here, we report the dark current, anode gain, transit time, transit time spread, pulse width, rise time, and linearity measurements performed on 1800 Hamamatsu R7600-200-M4 PMTs.

Predictions of fiducial cross sections, differential cross sections and lepton charge asymmetry are presented for the production of $W^{\pm}$ bosons with leptonic decay up to next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in perturbative QCD. Differential cross sections of $W^{\pm}$ bosons and W boson lepton charge asymmetry are computed as a function of lepton pseudorapidity for a defined fiducial region in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. Numerical results of fiducial $W^{\pm}$ cross section predictions are presented with the latest modern PDF models at next-to-leading order (NLO) and NNLO. It is found that the CT14 and NNPDF 3.0 predictions with NNLO QCD corrections are about 4$\%$ higher than the NLO CT14 and NNPDF 3.0 predictions while MMHT 2014 predictions with NLO QCD corrections are smaller than its NNLO QCD predictions by approximately 6$\%$. In addition, the NNLO QCD corrections reduce the scale variation uncertainty on the cross section by a factor of 3.5. The prediction of central values and considered uncertainties are obtained using FEWZ 3.1 program.

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) aims to make a unique measurement of neutron yield from neutrino-nucleus interactions and to perform R&D for the next generation of water-based neutrino detectors. In this paper, we characterize beam-induced neutron backgrounds in the experimental hall at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. It is shown that the background levels are sufficiently low to allow the next stage of the experiment to proceed. These measurements are relevant to other Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) experiments located adjacent to ANNIE Hall, where dirt neutrons and sky-shine could present similar backgrounds.

The CMS detector at the LHC requires a major upgrade to cope with the higher instantaneous luminosity and the elevated radiation levels. The active media of the forward backing hadron calorimeters is projected to be radiation-hard, high light yield scintillation materials or similar alternatives. In this context, we have studied various radiation-hard scintillating materials such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN), High Eciency Mirror (HEM) and quartz plates with various coatings. The quartz plates are pure Cerenkov radiators and their radiation hardness has been conrmed. In order to increase the light output, we considered organic and inorganic coating materials such as pTerphenyl (pTp), Anthracene and Gallium-doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO:Ga) that are applied as thin layers on the surface of the quartz plates. Here, we present the results of the related test beam activities, laboratory measurements and recent developments.

Increasing the collision energy and the luminosity at particle colliders requires high radiation resistance in GigaRad levels and fast-timing detectors in picosecond levels. Secondary Emission (SE) Ionization Calorimetry, a novel technology to measure the energy of electromagnetic showers and hadronic particles in extreme radiation circumstances, is such a detector. In this study, the bias circuits of Hamamatsu single anode R7761 and multi-anode R5900-00-M16 Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) were modified for use as novel calorimeter sensors in different SE modules. The test beam was provided by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and these new sensor modules were tested with high-energy protons and shower particles at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility (FTBF). The test results showed that the SE modules are sensitive to the electromagnetic showers and they are a promising technology. Here we discuss the design, characterization tests and the beam tests of SE sensor modules, and the projections for a full-scale calorimeter.

R&D on new radiation-hard wavelength shifting fibers is gaining crucial importance as the radiation conditions projected for the High Luminosity LHC and future hadron and lepton colliders reach unprecedented levels. We have identified materials with proven radiation resistance, long Stokes shifts to enable long self-absorption lengths, with decay constants ~ 10 ns or less. Here we describe two strong candidates' Doped ZnO:Zn/Mg and 3HF (3-hydroxyflavone) properties along with other material options and report on basic performance characteristics of recent prototypes.

NuSD: Neutrino Segmented Detector is a Geant4-based user application that simulates inverse beta decay event in a variety of segmented scintillation detectors developed by different international collaborations. This simulation framework uses a combination of cross-programs and libraries including Geant4, ROOT and CLHEP developed and used by high energy physics community. It will enable the neutrino physics community to simulate and study neutrino interactions within different detector concepts using a single program. In addition to neutrino simulations in segmented detectors, this program can also be used for various research projects that use of scintillation detectors for different physics purposes.

Optical scintillating bers lose their transparencies when exposed to radiation. Nearly all studies of radiation damage to optical bers so far only characterize this darkening with a single period of irradiation. Following the irradiation, bers undergo room temperature annealing, and regain some of their transparencies. We tested the irradiation-recovery characteristics of scintillating fibers in four consecutive cycles. In addition, three optical scintillating bers were irradiated at 22 Gy per minute for over 15 hours, and their transmittance were measured each minute by pulsing a light source through the bers. Here, we report on the in-situ characterization of the transmittance vs radiation exposure, allowing future applications to better predict the lifetime of the scintillating bers.

Inclusive W ([Formula: see text]) boson QCD predictions and lepton charge asymmetry in proton–proton collisions at [Formula: see text] = 14 TeV is performed in this study. Total and fiducial cross section predictions are obtained up to next to next to leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections using Monte Carlo for FeMtobarn processes (MCFM) MC generator. To validate the predictions, a detailed comparison of NNLO QCD calculations with 8 TeV CMS results is performed. To discuss the advantage of the higher order QCD predictions on the scale uncertainty, a scale dependence study is presented based on the choice of renormalization (μ R ) and factorization (μ F ) scale variations. W boson – lepton charge asymmetry and differential cross section as a function of lepton pseudorapidity at [Formula: see text] = 14 TeV are further performed in 11 |η| regions.

Future circular and linear colliders as well as the Large Hadron Collider in the High-Luminosity era have been imposing unprecedented challenges on the radiation hardness of particle detectors that will be used for specific purposes e.g. forward calorimeters, beam and luminosity monitors. We perform research on the radiation-hard active media for such detectors, particularly calorimeters, in two distinct categories: quartz plates coated with thin, radiation-hard organic or inorganic compounds, and intrinsically radiation-hard scintillators. In parallel to the effort on identifying radiation-hard scintillator materials, we also perform R&D on radiation-hard wavelength shifting fibers in order to facilitate a complete active medium for detectors under harsh radiation conditions. Here we describe the recent advances in the developments of radiation-hard scintillators and wavelength shifting fibers. We will discuss recent and projected measurements and future directions in development of radiation-hard active media.

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is designed to serve as a test bed for new detector technologies in future water and liquid scintillator based neutrino experiments. Located on the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermilab, ANNIE will be the first gadolinium-loaded water Cherenkov detector on a neutrino beam and will provide high statistics measurements of neutron yields from neutrino interactions in water. It is also the first particle physics application of the new photosensor technology: Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs). With single photon time resolutions of roughly 50 psec and mm-level imaging capabilities, LAPPDs bring considerable new capabilities for neutrino reconstruction in Cherenkov and scintillator detectors. Leveraging this technology to make detailed neutrino measurements, ANNIE will serve as a first demonstration of their impact on physics. In addition to LAPPDs, the ANNIE R&D program will likely explore other new technologies such as the addition of water-based liquid scintillator. The ANNIE Phase II detector is currently under construction and will start to take data in the summer of 2019. In this talk, I will present on the ANNIE detector R&D program and its relevance to current and future neutrino experiments.

We report the scintillation decay constants of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) determined by excitation of the plastic substrate with an accelerated beam of protons and resulting light yield measured as a function of time with a photomultiplier attached to an oscilloscope. The decay constant of PEN was found to be 35 ns and PET 7 ns.

We report the preliminary results from repeated irradiations of optical scintillating fibers exposed to gamma radiation. Optical fibers degrade in radiation fields, but exhibit some recovery once removed. Study of repeated irradiations are difficult to find in the literature. We find that a UV-blue optical wavelength shifting fiber exhibits permanent degradation, the recovery is incomplete, and an interesting two step damage process that appears to affect which wavelengths are darkened at different rates.

Hamamatsu single anode R7761 and multi-anode R5900-00-M16 Photomultiplier Tubes have been characterized for use in Secondary Emission Ionization Calorimetry study, that is a novel techique to measure the electromagnetic shower particles in extreme radiation environment. There are different SE modes used in the tests, developed from conventional PMT mode. Here, the technical design of secondary emission modules and characterization measurements of both SE modes and the PMT mode are reported.

Future experiments in high energy and nuclear physics may require large, inexpensive calorimeters that can continue to operate after receiving doses of 50 Mrad or more. The light output of liquid scintillators suffers little degradation under irradiation. However, many challenges exist before liquids can be used in sampling calorimetry, especially regarding developing a packaging that has sufficient efficiency and uniformity of light collection, as well as suitable mechanical properties. We present the results of a study of a scintillator tile based on the EJ-309 liquid scintillator using cosmic rays and test beam on the light collection efficiency and uniformity, and some preliminary results on radiation hardness.

Modern high-energy physics experiments are in ever increasing need for radiation hard scintillators and detectors. In this regard, we have studied various radiation-hard scintillating materials such as Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), our prototype material Scintillator X (SX) and Eljen (EJ). Scintillation and transmission properties of these scintillators are studied using stimulated emission from a 334 nm wavelength UV laser with PMT before and after certain amount of radiation exposure. Recovery from radiation damage is studied over time. While the primary goal of this study is geared for LHC detector upgrades, these new technologies could easily be used for future experiments such as the FCC and ILC. Here we discuss the physics motivation, recent developments and laboratory measurements of these materials.

Following the development of intrinsically radiation-hard scintillators, we exposed various scintillators tiles to gammas from a <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">137</sup> Cs source at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics up to 1.4 and 14 Mrad. The results are within expectations and exhibit sufficiently high performance for implementations in the future/upgrade hadron/lepton collider detectors. Here we report on the nature of the irradiation tests and present the results of the laboratory measurements performed continuously for more than 60 days following the irradiation under various recovery conditions.

The high flux of charged particles interacting with the CMS Forward Hadron Calorimeter PMT windows introduced a significant background for the trigger and offline data analysis. During Long Shutdown 1, all of the original PMTs were replaced with multi-anode, thin window photomultiplier tubes. At the same time, the back-end electronic readout system was upgraded to {\mu}TCA readout. The experience with commissioning and calibration of the Forward Hadron Calorimeter is described as well as the {\mu}TCA system. The upgrade was successful and provided quality data for Run 2 data-analysis at 13 TeV.

The high flux of charged particles interacting with the CMS Forward Hadron Calorimeter PMT windows introduced a significant background for the trigger and offline data analysis. During Long Shutdown 1, all of the original PMTs were replaced with multi-anode, thin window photomultiplier tubes. At the same time, the back-end electronic readout system was upgraded to {\mu}TCA readout. The experience with commissioning and calibration of the Forward Hadron Calorimeter is described as well as the {\mu}TCA system. The upgrade was successful and provided quality data for Run 2 data-analysis at 13 TeV.

Modern high-energy physics experiments are in ever increasing need for radiation hard scintillators and detectors. In this regard, we have studied various radiation-hard scintillating materials such as Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), our prototype material Scintillator X (SX) and Eljen (EJ). Scintillation and transmission properties of these scintillators are studied using stimulated emission from a 334 nm wavelength UV laser with PMT before and after certain amount of radiation exposure. Recovery from radiation damage is studied over time. While the primary goal of this study is geared for LHC detector upgrades, these new technologies could easily be used for future experiments such as the FCC and ILC. Here we discuss the physics motivation, recent developments and laboratory measurements of these materials.

The CMS detector at the LHC requires a major upgrade to cope with the higher instantaneous luminosity and the elevated radiation levels. The active media of the forward backing hadron calorimeters is projected to be radiation-hard, high light yield scintillation materials or similar alternatives. In this context, we have studied various radiation-hard scintillating materials such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN), High Efficiency Mirror (HEM) and quartz plates with various coatings. The quartz plates are pure Cerenkov radiators and their radiation hardness has been confirmed. In order to increase the light output, we considered organic and inorganic coating materials such as p-Terphenyl (pTp), Anthracene and Gallium-doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO:Ga) that are applied as thin layers on the surface of the quartz plates. Here, we present the results of the related test beam activities, laboratory measurements and recent developments.

The high flux of charged particles interacting with the CMS Forward Hadron Calorimeter PMT windows introduced a significant background for the trigger and offline data analysis.During Long Shutdown 1, all of the original PMTs were replaced with multi-anode, thin window photomultiplier tubes.At the same time, the back-end electronic readout system was upgraded to µTCA readout.The experience with commissioning and calibration of the Forward Hadron Calorimeter is described as well as the µTCA system.The upgrade was successful and provided quality data for Run 2 data-analysis at 13 TeV.

Cross section predictions of W and Z bosons in association with jets (up to 6 jets, $W\to\ell^{\pm}\nu$ and $Z\to\ell^{\pm}$ where $\ell^{\pm}$=$e^{\pm}$ or $\mu^{\pm}$) in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=14 TeV is performed using Alpgen MC generator with CTEQ6L1 leading order parton distribution function. In addition, W and Z boson cross sections are obtained up to next to next to leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections using MCFM MC generator. To validate the predictions, a detailed comparison of NNLO QCD calculations with 8 TeV CMS results for total cross section is performed and a fiducial region is further defined to make a comparison of predictions with 7 TeV and 13 TeV ATLAS results.

This thesis contains both physics analysis and hardware studies. It consists of two primary sections: the results of a search for heavy Majorana mass neutrinos, using the event signature of same (like) sign charged electron pairs ($e^{\pm} e^{\pm}$ ) and two jets, and the results of studies to upgrade the Hadronic Forward (HF) and Hadronic Endcap (HE) subdetectors in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector in response to the high intensity proton-proton collisions generated at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN, Conseil Europ\'{e}en pour la Recherche Nucl\'{e}aire). In this search for Majorana mass neutrinos, same sign dielectron ($e^{\pm} e^{\pm}$) + dijet events in the final state have been considered as a signature for neutrino particles. The analyzed data corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb\textsuperscript{-1} of proton-proton collisions at a center of mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 8 \text{TeV}$, collected using the CMS detector during the 2012 operation at the LHC. Monte Carlo simulations accounting for the theoretical expectations of the Standard Model (SM) and the detector limitations are used to prototype the experiment and to test proposed analysis steps. No excess of events is observed in the data beyond the expected SM background. Upper limits are set on the mixing element squared, $|{V}_{eN}|^{2}$, of the heavy Majorana neutrino with standard model neutrinos, as a function of Majorana neutrino mass for masses in the range of 40-500 $GeV/c^2$. The detector upgrade search comprises three sections of this thesis. The first section describes the test results of 1785 multianode Hamamatsu R7600U-200-M4 photomultiplier tubes (PMT) in numerous parameters such as gain, dark current, and timing characteristics, which provide insights on the expected performance of the upgraded CMS-HF detector. These PMTs replaced the previous single anode R7525 PMTs because the glass windows of previous PMTs are the source of Cherenkov radiation, which causes a background noise in the experiment. The second section reports characterization results of two types of PMTs in a novel operation mode for Secondary Emission (SE) Ionization Calorimetry, which is a novel technique to measure electromagnetic shower particles in extreme radiation environments. The third section presents the test results of novel scintillating materials for CMS experiment in specific and future particle accelerators in general. These materials are Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), high efficiency mirror (HEM) and quartz plates with various organic and inorganic coating materials such as p-Terphenyl (pTp), Anthracene and Gallium-doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO:Ga). We have investigated them for radiation hardness, light yield, timing characteristics, and scintillation and transmission properties.

The proton-proton collision energy at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been 7, 8 and 13 TeV recently with the goal of reaching to 14 TeV which is the maximum capacity of the LHC. However, there is still more physics yet to be explored and tested beyond the energy regime of the LHC to reach new discoveries. Therefore, a new collider bigger than the LHC machine, which will be able to collide protons at 100 TeV center-of-mass energy, is under consideration by the high-energy physics community. To provide an insight to the transition from LHC to 100 TeV collider, some properties of W and Z processes are investigated in a range of collision energy from 7 to 100 TeV using HERAPDF2.0, MMHT2014, NNPDF3.1 and CT14 NNLO PDF models at NNLO QCD. The considered properties are the production rates of W and Z bosons, the change of uncertainties (PDF, renormalization and factorization scales, strong coupling constant, model and parameterization), W boson lepton charge asymmetry, forward-backward asymmetry, and k-Factors of W and Z bosons.

The proton-proton collision energy at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been 7, 8 and 13 TeV recently with the goal of reaching to 14 TeV which is the maximum capacity of the LHC. However, there is still more physics yet to be explored and tested beyond the energy regime of the LHC to reach new discoveries. Therefore, a new collider bigger than the LHC machine, which will be able to collide protons at 100 TeV center-of-mass energy, is under consideration by the high-energy physics community. To provide an insight to the transition from LHC to 100 TeV collider, some properties of W processes are investigated in a range of collision energy from 7 to 100 TeV using HERAPDF2.0, MMHT2014, NNPDF3.1 and CT14 NNLO PDF models at NNLO QCD. The considered properties are the production rates of W, the change of uncertainties (PDF, renormalization and factorization scales, strong coupling constant, model and parameterization), and W boson lepton charge asymmetry.

Modern high-energy physics experiments are in ever increasing need for radiation hard scintillators and detectors.In this regard, we have studied various radiation-hard scintillating materials such as Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), our prototype material Scintillator X (SX) and Eljen (EJ).Scintillation and transmission properties of these scintillators are studied using stimulated emission from a 334 nm wavelength UV laser with PMT before and after certain amount of radiation exposure.Recovery from radiation damage is studied over time.While the primary goal of this study is geared for LHC detector upgrades, these new technologies could easily be used for future experiments such as the FCC and ILC.Here we discuss the physics motivation, recent developments and laboratory measurements of these materials.

The proton-proton collision energy at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been 7, 8 and 13 TeV recently with the goal of reaching to 14 TeV which is the maximum capacity of the LHC. However, there is still more physics yet to be explored and tested beyond the energy regime of the LHC to reach new discoveries. Therefore, a new collider bigger than the LHC machine, which will be able to collide protons at 100 TeV center-of-mass energy, is under consideration by the high-energy physics community. To provide an insight to the transition from LHC to 100 TeV collider, some properties of W processes are investigated in a range of collision energy from 7 to 100 TeV using HERAPDF2.0, MMHT2014, NNPDF3.1 and CT14 NNLO PDF models at NNLO QCD. The considered properties are the production rates of W, the change of uncertainties (PDF, renormalization and factorization scales, strong coupling constant, model and parameterization), and W boson lepton charge asymmetry.

Cross section predictions of W and Z bosons in association with jets (up to 6 jets, $W\to\ell^{\pm}ν$ and $Z\to\ell^{\pm}$ where $\ell^{\pm}$=$e^{\pm}$ or $μ^{\pm}$) in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=14 TeV is performed using Alpgen MC generator with CTEQ6L1 leading order parton distribution function. In addition, W and Z boson cross sections are obtained up to next to next to leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections using MCFM MC generator. To validate the predictions, a detailed comparison of NNLO QCD calculations with 8 TeV CMS results for total cross section is performed and a fiducial region is further defined to make a comparison of predictions with 7 TeV and 13 TeV ATLAS results.

Electromagnetic calorimetry in high-radiation environments, e.g., forward regions of lepton and hadron collider detectors, is quite challenging. Although total absorption crystal calorimeters have superior performance as electromagnetic calorimeters, the availability and the cost of the radiation-hard crystals are the limiting factors as radiation-tolerant implementations. Sampling calorimeters utilizing silicon sensors as the active media are also favorable in terms of performance but are challenged by high-radiation environments. In order to provide a solution for such implementations, we developed a radiation-hard, fast and cost-effective technique, secondary emission calorimetry, and tested prototype secondary emission sensors in test beams. In a secondary emission detector module, secondary emission electrons are generated from a cathode when charged hadron or electromagnetic shower particles penetrate the secondary emission sampling module placed between absorber materials. The generated secondary emission electrons are then multiplied in a similar way as the photoelectrons in photomultiplier tubes. Here, we report on the principles of secondary emission calorimetry and the results from the beam tests performed at Fermilab Test Beam Facility as well as the Monte Carlo simulations of projected, large-scale secondary emission electromagnetic calorimeters.

PEN and PET (polyethylene naphthalate and teraphthalate) are common plastics used for drink bottles and plastic food containers. They are also good scintillators. Their ubiquity has made them of interest for high energy physics applications, as generally plastic scintillators can be very expensive. However, detailed studies on the performance of the scintillators has not yet been performed. At various tests, we measured the light yield and timing properties of PEN and PET with Fermilab and CERN test beams. We also irradiated several samples to varying gamma doses and investigated their recovery mechanisms. Here we report on the measurements performed over the past few years in order to characterize the scintillation properties of PEN and PET and discuss possible future implementations.

The program of the Reactor Neutrino Experiments of Turkey includes a small portable Waterbased liquid scintillator detector to detect neutrinos from the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, planned to begin operating in 2023.The small near-field detector will weigh about 2-3 tons and will be placed less than 100 meters from the reactor cores.The Reactor Neutrino Experiments of Turkey program also includes a medium-size 30-ton Water-based liquid scintillator detector, which will be placed 1-2 km away from the reactor cores and will be used as a far detector.Both detectors and their responses to neutrino interactions were simulated using a GEANT4-based RAT-PAC simulation package.Here, we will share the technical and physical details of both detectors, and discuss the ongoing R&D effort for neutrino studies in Turkey.

In high-radiation environments, electromagnetic calorimetry is particularly challenging. To address this, a feasible approach involves constructing a sampling calorimeter that employs radiation-hard active media, albeit at the expense of high energy resolution. In response, we developed an innovative technique, secondary emission calorimetry, which offers radiation resistance, rapid response, robustness, and cost-effectiveness. Our efforts involve the creation of prototype secondary emission sensors, subjected to comprehensive testing within test beams. In the secondary emission detector module, incident charged hadrons or electromagnetic shower particles trigger the generation of secondary emission electrons from a cathode. These generated electrons are subsequently amplified in a manner similar to the process within photomultiplier tubes. This report provides an insight into the principles underlying secondary emission calorimetry, presents findings from beam tests, and outlines Monte Carlo simulations that project towards the potential application of large-scale secondary emission electromagnetic calorimeters.

QCD predictions of the Z (Z → l+l) boson in association with jets (up to 2 jets) in proton?proton collisions are presented in this study. The results are predicted at LO and NLO accuracy using two most recent parton distribution functions, CT14 and MMHT2014. LO and NLO corrections are obtained with LO, NLO, and NNLO PDFs to find out the best PDF, which provides well compatible predictions with the experimental measurements. QCD predictions are performed at 13 and 14 TeV center-of-mass energies. To verify the obtained results, the predictions are compared with the measured results by ATLAS collaboration. NLO QCD predictions obtained by using NLO and NNLO PDFs show good agreement with the experimental data. The comparison of NLO predictions at 13 and 14 TeV center-of-mass energies shows that the Large Hadron Collider will provide approximately 9% more yield at 14 TeV center-of-mass energy than the yield at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy for the Z boson in association with 1 and 2 jets.

Future collider detectors impose unprecedented challenges on the radiation hardness of their detector components. We have performed R&D to develop radiation-hard active media for such detectors, calorimeters in particular. Among the options we have studied, quartz plates with thin radiation-hard coatings, intrinsically radiation-hard scintillators and radiation-hard wavelength-shifting fibers can be listed.Here we describe the recent advances in these developments and dicsuss recent and projected measurements.

The timing characteristics of scintillators must be understood in order to determine which applications they are appropriate for. Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) are common plastics with uncommon scintillation properties. Here, we report the timing characteristics of PEN and PET, determined by exciting them with 120 GeV protons. The test beam was provided by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the scintillators were tested at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. PEN and PET are found to have dominant decay constants of 34.91 ns and 6.78 ns, respectively.

We report preliminary results from in situ monitoring of an optical scintillating fiber while being exposed to a cesium-173 gamma radiatior. We measured the degradation of fiber transmittance across the visible spectrum as a function of time. We observed that the region below 500 nm was degraded quickly and thoroughly while wavelengths above 500 nm lost clarity more slowly.

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) aims to make a unique measurement of neutron yield from neutrino-nucleus interactions and to perform R&D for the next generation of water-based neutrino detectors. In this paper, we characterize beam-induced neutron backgrounds in the experimental hall at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. It is shown that the background levels are sufficiently low to allow the next stage of the experiment to proceed. These measurements are relevant to other Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) experiments located adjacent to ANNIE Hall, where dirt neutrons and sky-shine could present similar backgrounds.

The timing characteristics of scintillators must be understood in order to determine which applications they are appropriate for. Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) are common plastics with uncommon scintillation properties. Here, we report the timing characteristics of PEN and PET, determined by exciting them with 120 GeV protons. The test beam was provided by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the scintillators were tested at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. PEN and PET are found to have dominant decay constants of 34.91 ns and 6.78 ns, respectively.

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is designed to serve as a test bed for new detector technologies in future water and liquid scintillator based neutrino experiments. Located on the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermilab, ANNIE will be the first gadolinium-loaded water Cherenkov detector on a neutrino beam and will provide high statistics measurements of neutron yields from neutrino interactions in water. It is also the first particle physics application of the new photosensor technology: Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs). With single photon time resolutions of roughly 50 psec and mm-level imaging capabilities, LAPPDs bring considerable new capabilities for neutrino reconstruction in Cherenkov and scintillator detectors. Leveraging this technology to make detailed neutrino measurements, ANNIE will serve as a first demonstration of their impact on physics. In addition to LAPPDs, the ANNIE R&amp;D program will likely explore other new technologies such as the addition of water-based liquid scintillator. The ANNIE Phase II detector is currently under construction and will start to take data in the summer of 2019. In this talk, I will present on the ANNIE detector R&amp;D program and its relevance to current and future neutrino experiments.

In this study, the conceptual design and physics simulations of a near-field Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS) detector placed 100 meters from the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP), currently under construction and aiming at being Turkey's first nuclear power plant, is presented. The ANPP is an excellent opportunity for neutrino studies and the development of an R&D program for neutrino detectors in Turkey. The Reactor Neutrino Experiments of Turkey (RNET) program includes a compact and portable detector with a 2.5-ton volume of WbLS and a ~30% photo-coverage, and the program is planned to be expanded with a medium-size 30-ton detector that will be an international testbed for low energy neutrino studies for WbLS and new detector technologies. In the following, the focus will be on the smaller ~2.5-ton detector, instrumented with 8-inch high quantum efficiency PMTs and two layers of cosmic veto paddles, covering all sides of the detector, to track and veto cosmic particles. Inverse Beta Decay (IBD) events from electronic antineutrinos generated in the reactor core are simulated using the RAT-PAC simulation package and several liquids with different percentages of Liquid Scintillator (LS) and Gadolinium (Gd) are investigated.

As the intensity frontier in high energy physics increases, new materials, tools, and techniques must be developed in order to accommodate the prolonged exposure of detectors to high amounts of radiation. It has been observed recently that many of the active media of detectors could survive to much lower radiation doses than initially expected. In addition to the challenges introduced by extremely high doses of radiation, there is also a significant lack of in-situ radiation damage recovery systems. In recent studies, we investigated the radiation damage to common plastic scintillators such as polyethylene naphthalate, and polyethylene terephthalate, a custom made elastomer based plastic scintillator, various special glasses and scintillating fibers together with their recovery mechanisms. Here we report on the irradiation studies and the investigation of the recovery mechanisms under various conditions.