Research Projects

The Hyper-Kamiokande HK is a significant upcoming experiment in particle astro-particle physics, aiming to answer fundamental questions related to neutrino physics, such as finding neutrino mass ordering, CP-violation, and detecting astrophysical neutrinos. The HK detector is the future upgrade of the long line of water Cherenkov WC detectors at Kamioka, including the Super Kamiokande SK detector, which received the Nobel physics prize in 2015. Indian scientists are already part of this collaboration and plan to contribute significantly in hardware and software development and physics analysis studies for HK. The objectives include developing characterization set-ups of PMT detectors, developing a detachable waterproof feedthrough for electric cable, and Monte Carlo study on the detector response for neutrino astrophysics. The Indian project team has diverse expertise in software, hardware, and phenomenology, which will be crucial for achieving the project goals. Methodologies include performing characterization and calibration of PMTs, designing necessary set-ups for testing various parameters, developing a detachable waterproof feedthrough for underwater cabling, and studying detector response with the GEANT4-based simulation package of WCSim for astrophysical neutrinos and incorporated backgrounds. The project aims to give a realistic assessment of HK for different astrophysical neutrino signals and crucial development of characterization/testing set-up of PMT detectors and waterproof feedthrough. The proposed design of the waterproof feedthrough with a detachable feedthrough on the backplate of the mPMTs will be advantageous compared to the current SK design.