Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 88
4
Impacts of a National
Underground Facility
An underground research facility could be as simple as two or more co-
located experiments that share infrastructure or as complete, wide-ranging, and
integrated as the proposed DUSEL facility or anything in between. The commit -
tee’s assessment of the impact of such a facility on the relevant research com -
munities has so far been limited to a discussion of the importance of individual
science questions and the scope and ability of the experiments in the program to
address those questions. In any case, however, a facility’s impact on these commu-
nities could extend beyond the particular experiments that have been discussed
and even beyond these particular communities. For instance, a centralized and
integrated infrastructure would not only support the experiments under consid -
eration but also provide opportunities to pursue future research and support for
the communities pursuing that research. A highly integrated facility such as the
one proposed by the DUSEL program would also allow for educating the general
public and benefiting nearby communities. This chapter discusses some of the
impacts of such a facility.
SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE AND
INTEGRATED OVERSIGHT
Conducting experiments underground requires substantial infrastructure and
technical support. Co-location of underground experiments at a single site would
88
OCR for page 89
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 89
of a
enable researchers to efficiently share that infrastructure and support.1 The require-
ments include access to adequate space, power, ventilation, and ready ingress and
egress. Safety is of utmost concern, because most of the proposed experiments have
measurable safety risks, especially given that they may be conducted a mile or more
underground. Because it is expensive to excavate and support underground space,
almost all underground experiments would need laboratory space on the surface
for assembling and maintaining apparatus as well as developing future work.
There is typically also a need to set aside underground laboratory space for low
radioactivity studies to reduce background signals. In addition, technical person-
nel are needed to maintain, operate, and manage the infrastructure. Much of this
infrastructure and its associated staff could be shared by co-located experiments.
The economies of scale could reduce construction and operating costs, although
the extent of savings would need to be quantified by comparing alternate sites. The
existence of a central location for underground physics research would also allow
carrying out other science experiments.
Integration of infrastructure for co-located experiments would need to be
accompanied by at least limited coordination. For example, an integrated safety
program would be needed to ensure that all experimenters are safe from risks of
their own and other experiments. The location of any given experiment at a site
would also need to consider possible interference of other experiments during
construction or operations.
While infrastructure could also be shared for some experiments by locating them
here or abroad, this section considers the impact of a national facility. The mere co-
location of experiments would give to the research communities some, but not all,
of the advantages of a more integrated program, as described in the next section.
Co-location alone would also not have such a broad impact on education and the
public as would a national research facility similar to the proposed DUSEL program.2
1 The term co-location is used to refer to two or more experiments located at a single site. For
instance, the three main physics experiments could be co-located in the Homestake mine, or a dark
matter experiment could be co-located with existing experiments at an existing laboratory. The
proposed DUSEL program co-locates all of the experiments and foresees a more integrated program
that includes additional aspects of a national laboratory, including a surface campus, a large user
community, mechanisms for developing a future program, and an education/outreach facility.
2 The committee notes that while the DUSEL program was developed with the expectation that
the proposed experiments would be placed at the Homestake mine in Lead, South Dakota, the
committee’s conclusions on the advantages of co-locating experiments are not limited to that site
and should still prevail, regardless of the site chosen. The balance of advantages and disadvantages
of a site, including safety issues, will depend on the specifics of the site and experiments proposed
to be installed at that site.
OCR for page 90
an assessment science ProPosed dUsel
90 of the for the
The benefits of shared infrastructure and integrated oversight provided by
co-location of experiments, as well as some of the benefits discussed in the next
sections, lead to the following conclusions:
Conclusion: The co-location of the three main underground physics experi-
ments at a single site would be a means of efficiently sharing infrastructure
and personnel and of fostering synergy among the scientific communi-
ties. The infrastructure at the site would also facilitate future underground
research, either as extensions of the initial research program or as new
research initiatives. These additional benefits, along with the increase in
visibility for U.S. leadership in the growing field of underground science,
would be important considerations when choosing a site for the three main
physics experiments.
Conclusion: If co-located with one or more of the main underground physics
experiments in the United States, a small underground accelerator facility
to enable measurements of low-energy nuclear cross sections important to
nuclear astrophysics would benefit from shared infrastructure, personnel,
and expertise.
Conclusion: In light of the potential for valuable experiments in subsurface
engineering, the geosciences, and the biosciences that could be offered by an
underground research facility, if such facility is constructed in the United
States for physics experiments, scientists in other fields would greatly benefit
by having a mechanism in place that would allow them to perform research
there.
STEWARDSHIP FOR THE RESEARCH COMMUNITIES
One of the committee’s tasks is to assess “the impact of the proposed program
on the stewardship of the research communities involved.”3 Stewardship is a broad
concept and can take many forms, although an essential aspect is that it provides a
scientific community the opportunity to pursue its research. The degree to which
a program provides stewardship for a community is reflected in the types of ques-
tions it allows the community to address, including how closely those questions
are aligned with that community’s strategic plans. That impact is enhanced by
qualitative factors such as the intellectual atmosphere the program fosters; the ease
with which the research can be pursued, including the proximity of the research
site to researchers; the degree to which the program is able to meet future as well as
3 Statement of Task, Appendix A.
OCR for page 91
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 91
of a
current research needs; and the opportunities and intellectual excitement that the
program provides that allows it to attract and train not only the current generation
of scientists but also the next one.
As described in Chapter 3, the physics program proposed for the DUSEL facil-
ity would address questions of tremendous scientific importance and so would
have a strong, positive impact on the stewardship of the communities engaged in
underground physics research. Further, those physics experiments play a prominent
role in the long-range plans of the nuclear and particle physics communities and,
hence, in the stewardship of these communities. The strategic plan prepared in
2008 by the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) of the High Energy
Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP) for the Department of Energy (DOE) and the
National Science Foundation (NSF) emphasized the need for “a strong, integrated
research program at the three frontiers of the field: the Energy Frontier, the Inten-
sity Frontier and the Cosmic Frontier”4 in order to answer the important questions
in particle physics. The proposed DUSEL program would serve as a key element in
this plan for both the Intensity Frontier and the Cosmic Frontier. The long-baseline
neutrino oscillation experiment, coupled with a new high-intensity proton source
at Fermilab, is a critical component of the Intensity Frontier program, along with
neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment and the search for proton decay. Experi-
ments aimed at the direct detection of dark matter are a critical component of the
Cosmic Frontier program, which also includes the study of neutrinos from space,
such as neutrinos arising from supernovas.
The most recent long-range plan of the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee
(NSAC) for DOE and NSF identified the construction of DUSEL as “vital to U.S.
leadership in core aspects” of the initiative to investigate neutrino properties and
fundamental symmetries.5 This strategic plan for the nuclear physics field identi-
fied neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments and the discovery of neutrino
properties through neutrino oscillation studies as core aspects of the field. The
plan built on similar support for construction of DUSEL in the 2002 NSAC long-
range plan, as well as recommendations in the NRC decadal study for elementary
particle physics.6 The scientific programs foreseen in these strategic plans represent
the prioritization of the science opportunities within each field, under budget
assumptions provided by the agencies. Clearly, the realization of DUSEL is of high
priority to both the nuclear and the particle physics communities and would have
great positive impacts on the stewardship of those communities.
4 DOE/NSF. 2008. US Particle Physics: Scientific Opportunities: A Strategic Plan for the Next Ten
Years, Report of the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel, p. 2.
5 DOE/NSF. 2007. The Frontiers of Nuclear Science: A Long Range Plan. Report of the Nuclear
Science Advisory Committee, p. 7.
6 NRC. 2006. Revealing the Hidden Nature of Space and Time. Washington, D.C.: The National
Academies Press.
OCR for page 92
an assessment science ProPosed dUsel
92 of the for the
The research communities involved in the proposed DUSEL program would
include not only those engaged in particle and nuclear physics, but also segments
of the biological, geological, and engineering science communities. The DUSEL
program would give communities outside of physics the opportunity to per-
form valuable, long-term experiments in a regulated environment, thus advancing
research potentials for those fields. Although important to research communities
of all fields, an environment that offers robust research opportunity will be of
great consequence for the subsurface engineering research community. As noted
in a recent DOE report,
Chronic underinvestment in federal R&D in . . . [the engineering and geosciences] disci-
plines has eroded the nation’s capacity to educate and train the next generation workforce
necessary for industry, academia, and government.
As a result, the U.S. faces the prospect of ceding its historic leadership role in these disci-
plines, and thereby undermining its resource security.7
For this community, the opportunity to undertake scientific and engineer-
ing research experiments in situ in an underground facility such as the proposed
DUSEL site would be critical in the effort to address these shortfalls. It would help
revitalize programs in subsurface engineering at universities, allowing researchers
to at long last move beyond small-scale tests on rock specimens and numerical
modeling of rock mass behavior to the testing of theoretical concepts in the field.
This, in turn, would give U.S. engineers the knowledge and skills to lead the sus-
tainable development of subsurface resources.
Facilitating the development of future research opportunities is a one of the
significant ways that the DUSEL program would provide ongoing stewardship of
the research communities. As the proposed DUSEL evolves, it will implement a
process for evaluating the merit of proposed future experiments. It can be expected
that important underground experiments beyond the proposed initial DUSEL suite
will emerge. For instance, the initial suite does not include all the experiments
proposed in the course of developing the DUSEL design. These include efforts spe-
cialized to detect certain proton decay modes, solar neutrinos, or geoneutrinos, the
last of which would constitute particularly interesting cross-disciplinary research.
Nor does the initial DUSEL experimental suite include the next-generation physics
experiments that can be expected to follow some of the initial ones. The committee
was briefed on a future antineutrino oscillation experiment to measure the matter-
antimatter asymmetry in neutrinos and on future underground gravitational wave
experiments. Moreover, for dark matter and/or double-beta decay studies, larger,
7 DOE. 2009. Energy Research and Development (Document END09278): Strengthening Educa -
tion and Training in the Subsurface Geosciences and Engineering for Energy Development, Section
33, Subtitle C, p. 3.
OCR for page 93
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 93
of a
more sensitive experiments or experiments that use different technologies may be
required to either follow up on the observations of initial experiments or take fresh
steps in case those experiments fail to reach the sensitivities needed to observe the
desired events. DUSEL’s planning process is intended to integrate selected experi-
ments with the current suite of experiments, either by incorporating them into
existing experimental space or by developing and implementing plans for excavat-
ing new space and expanding support services.
The biological, geological, and engineering science experiments described in
the proposed program are simply representative of the interesting, and relatively
modest, experiments that could also be staged at DUSEL in coming years. One may
anticipate that many new concepts for experiments will emerge as the potential
of DUSEL for underground research in these fields is realized and appreciated.
Indeed, it is likely that, as in the past, the advantages afforded by the existence of
the facility will suggest scientific opportunities far beyond those anticipated in the
initial DUSEL program. As an example, the Amundson-Scott South Pole Scientific
Station, originally developed for geophysics studies, created unique opportunities
for astrophysics and cosmology.
The proposed DUSEL program, in bringing together particle and nuclear
physicists at a single experimental site, will also provide a venue and program for
interactions among scientists and an enriched, synergistic intellectual atmosphere
that enhances their research. Having researchers from the biological, geological,
and engineering sciences conduct experiments alongside physicists may result in
the application of experimental techniques to new fields just as, in the past, the
rapid development of particle astrophysics and dark matter experiments relied
on techniques and facilities developed to support accelerator- and space-based
experiments.
In practice, it is more convenient, easier, and less costly in terms of travel
expenses for U.S. research communities to perform experiments at a single location
such as the proposed DUSEL site. Such a site would also make it easier to attract
students and postdoctoral researchers to a research program, to allow faculty to
more efficiently split their time between teaching and research commitments, and
to give all researchers the chance to optimize their time at their experimental site.
Indeed, the siting of at least some research facilities on U.S. soil is essential to a
vital and healthy scientific program.
By providing underground research space and a planning process for realiz-
ing meritorious underground science, the proposed DUSEL program will afford
individual U.S. scientists and research groups a context in which they can pursue
their concepts. This context, together with the exceptional scientific opportuni-
ties planned, will help ensure that they attain their full intellectual and research
potential. It may also smooth the way for U.S. scientists to maintain the intellec-
tual leadership roles that they have played in underground science, particularly in
OCR for page 94
an assessment science ProPosed dUsel
94 of the for the
the face of the growing scale of experiments, increased demand for underground
laboratory space, and shrinkage in the numbers of experiments tackling certain
critical science questions.
On the larger international stage where the U.S. nuclear and particle physics
communities play their part, the proposed DUSEL program, coupled with the U.S.
Intensity Frontier program based on the Fermilab accelerator complex, would give
the United States the leadership role in a field of great scientific interest over at least
the next two decades, when research at the Energy Frontier will be led by the Euro-
pean Large Hadron Collider. Such a leadership role would contribute significantly
to the sense of scientific opportunity needed to steward these communities. Indeed,
the proposed DUSEL program, being world class, would be able to attract consid-
erable international interest and participation, which, in turn, would enhance the
quality of research at the facility and the intellectual environment.
The research environment provided by DUSEL would offer an ideal venue
for training students and postdoctoral scholars in research, with the international
context contributing to the value of that training. The importance of the science,
the vibrant research environment, and the intellectual opportunity on frontier sci-
ence would all help attract talented young students into the science and technology
workforce.
The committee recognizes that the proposed DUSEL program would not be
the only way to provide stewardship to these research communities. For instance,
as discussed more fully in the following section, other underground laboratory
space is available and new underground research space can be created in other
contexts. Research training and interdisciplinary interactions could also be pro -
vided in other contexts. Nevertheless, as outlined above, the proposed DUSEL
program would provide strong stewardship to the research communities in several
different ways. It would be much more extensive than the simple co-location of
experiments and would provide many advantages to the research communities
that are not available in a limited facility where experiments are simply co-located.
Moreover, the proposed DUSEL program is intended to complement, rather than
duplicate, existing facilities or their experiments. While the final decision on
whether a national underground facility should be built should take into account
many other factors, including the programmatic goals of the funding agencies and
the financial costs of different options, significant advantages would accrue to the
U.S. research communities involved in these research areas were such a facility be
sited in the United States.
Conclusion: A facility for underground research would have a significant
positive impact on the stewardship of the research communities involved.
Such a facility would offer the particle and nuclear physics communities
access to the underground research space they need to undertake a range of
OCR for page 95
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 95
of a
scientifically critical experiments, and it would allow the bioscience, geosci-
ence, and subsurface engineering communities to perform valuable long-
term experiments in a regulated environment.
NEED TO DEVELOP SUCH A PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES
In addition to providing stewardship of research communities, other factors
are relevant for assessing whether to develop the proposed DUSEL program, or
components of that program, in the United States. Some of these factors are specific
to a given experiment and others are of a more general nature. Those factors are
discussed in this section.
General Considerations
While the United States is uniquely well positioned for mounting the long-
baseline neutrino oscillation experiment, its ability to mount the other physics
experiments in the proposed DUSEL program is not unique. These experiments,
which do not need a beam from an external accelerator, could, in principle, be
mounted in an underground research facility anywhere in the world. Nonetheless,
there are good reasons to mount these experiments in the United States. General
considerations pertaining to mounting experiments in the United States rather
than abroad include the availability of suitable laboratory space, efficient approval
procedures, cost savings, partner commitment, and recognition of the U.S. role.
Laboratories in other countries, most notably at Gran Sasso in Italy and at the
Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Laboratory (SNOLAB) in Canada, and possibly
at the proposed Chinese Underground Laboratory at some future date, appear to
have some space where experiments could be sited. However, in order to be placed
there, the experiments proposed for the DUSEL program would need to compete
for space with experiments from the host nations. Competition would include
experiments that are part of the worldwide program for tackling some of the same
research questions—for instance, from the dark matter and neutrinoless double-
beta decay programs, both of which call for multiple experiments. Unfortunately, it
is difficult to foresee how much space might be available abroad for future U.S.-led
experiments, because future programs or expansions of overseas laboratories are
not yet well defined.
A U.S.-led experiment at a foreign laboratory would need to be approved by
the host laboratory, with some associated uncertainties. In order to gain approval,
U.S. scientists would need to submit a proposal to the laboratory that would then
be reviewed by its program or scientific advisory committee, with approval depen-
dent not only on the scientific merits of the proposal but also on how the proposed
project fits within the overall objectives of the laboratory. If no space is available
OCR for page 96
an assessment science ProPosed dUsel
96 of the for the
abroad for a U.S.-led experiment, the United States could pay for the excavation of
a new space in a foreign underground laboratory. However, obtaining the necessary
approval for such excavation is usually very difficult, and the excavation could be
quite costly.
Some foreign underground research facilities that might be considered can-
didates for a U.S.-led experiment such as SNOLAB are in operating mines, which
presents a separate set of issues. There are trade-offs to be considered in choosing
between an experimental site at a dedicated research facility and one in an operat-
ing mine. On the one hand, ongoing mining operations usually absorb some of the
rather large costs of access for underground research. On the other hand, research
in an operating mine is subject to the interests of the mine operator and to its
continued agreement to support research in the mine. Considering that some of
the lines of research for the proposed DUSEL program, such as dark matter and
double-beta decay, will probably be carried on for decades, and that some of the
experiments require many years to mount, the need for the continued agreement
of the mine owner and the risk that economic conditions might cause the owner to
cease operating the mine, contribute uncertainty to constructing and conducting
an experiment in an operating mine. Issues of liability and decision making in the
event of an accident present additional complications.
These insecurities counterbalance at least some of the achievable cost savings
associated with such a facility, so that the cost savings by funding an experiment at
a foreign site must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Although enhancing a
foreign underground laboratory might be less costly in the short term, the uncer-
tainties surrounding space and approvals might favor a U.S. facility, which could
ensure or at least facilitate the participation of U.S. scientists, who have historically
been leaders in underground science. Furthermore, if significant discoveries are
made by a U.S.-led experiment abroad, much of the recognition would go to the
host country despite the U.S investment.
To summarize, in order for a foreign site to be deemed appropriate for a U.S.-
funded experiment, a number of conditions should be satisfied. In addition to
adequate space, infrastructure, and other technical criteria, there should be clear,
well-established cost savings advantages over a U.S. site. Furthermore, it would
have to be understood that the important scientific programs—for instance, in
dark matter and double-beta decay—would probably take decades. A foreign site
would therefore have to guarantee continuing access, the long-term sharing of
operating costs, and the ability and permission to expand laboratory space in the
future. Such assurances will probably call for high-level agreements between gov-
ernments and private corporations if operating mine sites are used. Furthermore,
because it is important that the U.S. science achievements be recognized, it must
be clear that a U.S.-funded experiment is part of the U.S. science program, despite
the participation of international partners.
OCR for page 97
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 97
of a
Specific Considerations
In addition to the general considerations, the experiments in the proposed
DUSEL program have specific considerations that should be taken into account in
determining whether to install those experiments at a U.S.-based facility or abroad.
Neutrino Oscillation Experiments
Although design studies for a very large neutrino detector are currently under
way in Japan (Hyper-Kamiokande), in Europe (LAGUNA), and in China, a large
neutrino oscillation experiment in the United States could be coupled with the pres-
ent and future capabilities of the Fermilab accelerator complex to provide an intense
neutrino beam at a suitably long baseline. No other region can currently offer a fully
competitive combination of an intense neutrino source and an appropriate under-
ground laboratory site for a very large neutrino detector. No existing underground
laboratory has space for such an enormous detector, so a new large underground
cavern would have to be excavated wherever the experiment is built. Furthermore, the
huge cost of such an ambitious detector and cavern makes it fairly unlikely that more
than one such experiment would be built. Thus, mounting the long-baseline neutrino
experiment here would allow the United States to lead the world in neutrino physics,
as well as serve the world neutrino physics community. Moreover, if a second large
neutrino detector were someday built elsewhere in the world, the programs here and
abroad undoubtedly would be designed to be complementary and not duplicative.
Different experimental techniques would allow important cross-checks of delicate,
sensitive measurements. Different detector technologies—for example, water Che-
renkov and liquid argon—might be used, and the combination of neutrino energy
and baseline would probably be different. In addition to affording cross-checks,
different baselines would have different “matter effects,” which would help untangle
contradictions between the mass hierarchy and the charge-parity (CP) angle, δ. In
addition, results from two experiments could be combined to improve sensitivity to
small effects in these delicate experiments.
Dark Matter and Double-Beta Decay Experiments
The considerations for mounting the experiments in direct detection of dark
matter and neutrinoless double-beta decay are similar. They include the need for
multiple experiments and for deep sites and/or large caverns, as well as an acknowl-
edgement of the global nature of these programs.
There is general recognition everywhere that at the present stage of these
programs and probably also at the next stage, multiple, complementary experi-
mental efforts using diverse techniques are needed. Complementary experiments
OCR for page 98
an assessment science ProPosed dUsel
98 of the for the
are needed because a particular technique may prove most effective—for instance,
for background suppression. Moreover, multiple techniques will provide essential
cross-checks if a signal is detected (see Chapter 3). Competition and diversity will
increase the likelihood of success for these extremely important efforts. When the
results of two or more experiments are combined, the overall sensitivity to these
exceptionally rare occurrences will be increased. Even if discovery claims are made
in the next few years, independent confirmation will be needed using a wide variety
of techniques, including different target nuclei in the case of the dark matter experi-
ments or different isotopes for the neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. In
the case of double-beta decay, if and when a signal is detected measurements must
be made with multiple isotopes to differentiate between the quantitative effects
of nuclear matrix elements and neutrino mass. As these international programs
evolve, it becomes reasonable to expect that hosting and supporting future large
experiments would be shared by underground laboratories in different countries.
U.S.-based dark matter and double-beta decay experiments will be part of the
required complement of experiments needed in both fields.
Relatively few underground sites would at present be able to host a large third-
generation dark matter or double-beta decay experiment. These experiments call
for deep sites, although background mitigation mechanisms (large water shields,
neutron vetoing) may be possible. In that case, the shielding structures will neces-
sarily be thicker and require correspondingly larger experimental halls (say, about
20 m). These space needs mean fewer underground sites would be available for
hosting these experiments, making a case for excavating new caverns.
The size and complexity of future dark matter and double-beta decay experi-
ments, the potential scarcity of specific target materials for dark matter experi-
ments and of specific nuclear isotopes for double-beta decay experiments, and the
substantial costs of the experiments will probably necessitate global collaborations
to amass the effort, material, and financing required. As stated previously, at least
two dark matter experiments and at least two double-beta decay experiments are
needed worldwide to successfully address these two key scientific questions. Real-
ization of the required experiments depends upon the existence of appropriate
underground sites to host them. If it fails to provide such a site to host some of
these experiments, the United States will be abdicating its share in these critical
discovery programs, as well as missing an opportunity to provide stewardship of
them, ensuring opportunities for U.S. scientists to become involved in these pro-
grams in a major way, and ensuring continued U.S. leadership.
Proton Decay and Supernova Neutrinos
Searches for proton decay and for neutrinos from supernovae would also ben-
efit from multiple experiments. For instance, in proton decay, sensitivity depends
OCR for page 99
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 99
of a
on detector mass. Therefore, multiple experiments would be complementary sim-
ply by combining their results. Furthermore, multiple experiments using different
technologies could enable greater advances on many fronts. For instance, differ-
ent detector technologies (i.e., water Cherenkov and liquid argon) have different
sensitivities to different proton decay modes. Adopting variations in technique,
such as gadolinium doping or different segmentation or photodetector coverage,
might increase sensitivity to different ranges of neutrino energy, which would
provide further complementarity. To the extent that the search for proton decay
is background limited, multiple techniques might enable greater sensitivity as
well as provide cross-checks that would be critical if a signal is detected. Finally,
if supernova neutrinos are detected, multiple observations would be needed as
cross-checks for this very rare event.
Nuclear Astrophysics Experiment
While the cross-section measurements to be made by the nuclear astrophysics
accelerator experiment are delicate and challenging, they are not as scientifically
uncertain as the searches for dark matter and neutrinoless double-beta decay. Nev-
ertheless, having more than one nuclear astrophysics facility in the world would
be of scientific value, particularly because the number of cross-section measure-
ments to be made in order to determine astrophysical processes is more than the
existing LUNA facility at the Gran Sasso laboratory can accomplish on its own.
The proposed DIANA facility will have much to measure; moreover, it has reduced
backgrounds with respect to LUNA, making it capable of producing measurements
more quickly and with improved results. The two facilities together will more rap-
idly complete the set of fundamental measurements needed to elucidate important
astrophysical processes.
Experiments in Subsurface Engineering and the Geosciences and Biosciences
For subsurface engineering, the geosciences, and the biosciences, special con-
siderations include characteristics of the proposed DUSEL program as well as the
need for multiple research environments. Existing underground research labora-
tories around the world for subsurface engineering were all developed for studies
related to radioactive waste isolation. They are all relatively shallow (ca. 500 m)
and none are comparable to DUSEL in size or in scope. DUSEL would provide the
opportunity for a broad range of experiments directed at a general understanding
of the subsurface and enabling validation of computer modeling. In situ rock is a
complex system. It is affected by tectonic forces and unstable slip events, including
earthquakes, and contains networks of fractures that have a profound influence
on rock deformability and strength and that serve as pathways for groundwater
OCR for page 100
an assessment science ProPosed dUsel
100 of the for the
flow. Sophisticated numerical models are now available to describe this system
over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, but further advances depend on
experimental verification of the model predictions. The regulated environment
of DUSEL would offer this opportunity. For the first time, it would be possible to
define the engineering characteristics of the subsurface. This ability would have
profound and far-reaching implications for the wide variety of engineering activi-
ties involving the subsurface, and for this reason DUSEL is attracting considerable
international interest.
However, an individual underground research facility basically provides only
a single geological and biological environment for study. The development of
multiple underground facilities around the world for geological and biological
observation and experimentation would overcome this limitation, enable comple-
mentary experiments, and provide the ability to compare and contrast observations
in different environments. Furthermore, the site proposed for the DUSEL program
offers some special features that would be attractive for particular subsurface engi-
neering experiments. Considerations related to revitalization of the U.S. academic
subsurface engineering community (as discussed previously) are of particular
relevance to the proposed DUSEL program.
Summary of the Need
As suggested above, a national underground research facility in the United
States would provide the world with much-needed laboratory space for experi-
ments in the burgeoning international field of underground science. A growing,
widespread appreciation of the importance of the scientific questions that can
be addressed by underground experiments and the need for large underground
laboratories for the next-generation experiments with the sensitivities needed by
the science drive the demand for increased underground laboratory space. More-
over, in order to address the experimental challenges of this important science,
multiple experiments are needed worldwide to address each major science subject.
The United States has a role to play in this flourishing field by not only providing
leadership in particular areas or in the field as a whole but also hosting a portion
of the ambitious worldwide program that is required to address these challeng-
ing science questions. Finally, a U.S.-based underground research facility would
reinforce stewardship of the U.S. research communities by providing a research
site that does not involve distant or international travel and that would facilitate
graduate student training.
In summary, a number of reasons exist for developing an underground facility
in the United States. As discussed in the preceding section, some of these reasons
relate to the stewardship of research communities. In addition, a long-baseline neu-
trino experiment located in the United States would benefit from the combination
OCR for page 101
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 101
of a
of an intense Fermilab neutrino source and a suitably long baseline between source
and detector site. For other experiments, there are general considerations related
to the global availability of appropriate laboratory space for underground experi-
ments and to access to foreign laboratory space for U.S. experiments. There are
also a number of reasons specific to certain experiments. For instance, the global
research programs in direct detection of dark matter and neutrinoless double-beta
decay each require at least two experiments somewhere in the world. There are also
reasons relating to co-location of experiments, discussed in a preceding section. An
underground facility would provide a venue for future underground experiments
as well as the initial set. The final reason is the benefits of a major U.S. role as a
partner in the expanding field of underground research.
Conclusion: Development of an underground research facility in the United
States would supplement and complement underground laboratories
around the world. A U.S. facility could build upon the unique position of
the United States that would allow it to develop a long-baseline neutrino
experiment using intense beams from Fermilab. It could accommodate one
of the large direct detection dark matter experiments and one of the large
neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments that are needed by the interna-
tional effort to delve into these critical scientific issues, while sharing infra-
structure among the three experiments, which are of comparable import.
It could also host and share infrastructure with other underground physics
experiments, such as an accelerator to study nuclear astrophysics, and with
underground experiments in other fields. An underground research facil-
ity would benefit the U.S. research communities, and would guarantee the
United States a leadership role in the expanding global field of underground
science.
BROADER IMPACTS
In addition to providing stewardship of the involved communities, other fac-
tors pertinent to the assessing the value of the DUSEL program include its posi-
tive effect on raising the visibility of scientific accomplishments of U.S. scientific
communities and the opportunities it offers to provide education and outreach to
the general public.
Visibility of the U.S. Scientific Accomplishment
A national underground research facility such as the proposed DUSEL would
also advance more general national interests. It is well recognized that a vigorous
and visible national scientific research program will significantly contribute to the
OCR for page 102
an assessment science ProPosed dUsel
102 of the for the
future health of the U.S. economy. The 2007 NRC study Rising Above the Gathering
Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future8 argues
persuasively that the long-term economic health of the United Sates depends criti-
cally on maintaining a strong scientific and technical base. The study presented
four recommendations: increasing America’s talent pool by vastly improving K-12
science and mathematics education; sustaining and strengthening the nation’s
commitment to long-term basic research that has the potential to be transforma-
tional; making the United States the most attractive setting in which to study and
perform research; and ensuring that the United States is the premier place in the
world to innovate. A strong program of deep underground science with a number
of cutting-edge experiments at a single location would be a powerful focus for
activities that address these recommendations. The excitement of the scientific
program and the potential for discoveries that would fundamentally change our
description of the world would attract world-class scientists and help maintain the
preeminent role the United States plays in scientific research. Further, the technical
challenges associated with an underground facility would lead to the development
of innovative engineering techniques and provide a focus for engineering research.
Educational and Outreach Opportunities
The science to be explored by the proposed DUSEL program is world-class
and transformative, highlighting experiments that aim at understanding the basic
nature of the Universe. Any such program will typically attract and excite students
at all levels and the public at large and would provide excellent opportunities for
science education. The current and proposed education and outreach program at
Sanford Laboratory is an excellent model of what the educational component of
an underground research facility could provide. The program has two main goals:
enhancing the understanding of science at all levels and bringing scientific educa-
tion to historically underrepresented groups. In particular, the geographical loca-
tion of the proposed DUSEL facility would bring science to Native Americans. The
compelling nature of the science and the unique opportunities of an underground
research facility would inspire students and prepare them for careers in technical
and scientific fields. Summer research programs would bring high school teachers
and students to the site and provide a hands-on chance to do research. Collabora-
tions with local universities would help those universities recruit and retain faculty
and expand their programs in physics and engineering. Components of such a
program might include the following:
8 NAS, NAE, and IOM. 2007. Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America
for a Brighter Economic Future. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
OCR for page 103
imPacts n at i o na l U n d e rg ro U n d f ac i l i t y 103
of a
• Internships for high school and college teachers to allow them to contribute
to the scientific output of the experiments and to help them craft innovative
educational programs for their students.
• Summer programs for high school and college students to encourage them
to consider careers in science.
• Outreach programs where top-notch scientists travel out to the community
to work with K-12 school groups. These programs could have especially
important effects on underrepresented communities.
• Collaborations with faculty at local colleges and universities
An underground research facility such as the proposed DUSEL laboratory
would take advantage of the public’s curiosity about what lies below Earth’s sur-
face to attract them to the facility, where they can be exposed to frontier science
and state-of-the-art technology. The Soudan Underground Laboratory has been
successful in attracting the public. Of course, safety is important, so visitors would
have to be well protected if outreach programs take them underground.
OCR for page 104
