Detection and estimation limits of single electron cyclotron radiation with phased array antennas

Abstract

CRES is a new technique for energy spectroscopy of charged particles with sub-eV resolution. With CRES, particle energies are determined by measuring the frequency of the emitted cyclotron radiation in a magnetic field, which can be detected by an array of radio antennas and converted into digital voltages. Experiments that require large volumes of source material for gathering sufficient statistics may potentially need hundreds to thousands of these antennas, which can generate hundreds of gigabytes of raw data per second. This necessitates efficient data analysis and reduction solutions. In this thesis, algorithms for detection and parameter estimation of these signals within detector noise are discussed. The focus is on the development and efficiency analysis of optimal solutions assuming unlimited computing resources, specifically through matched filtering and maximum likelihood estimation. These optimal solutions are critical because their limits on detection efficiency and energy resolution are key factors in both sensitivity estimation and the optimization of experimental designs. To support this work, a new simulation tool was developed, achieving a 500 times speedup compared to the baseline simulation software through advancements in the physical modeling of CRES signals. This simulation tool was utilized, alongside the implementation of the optimal solutions, to evaluate the detection efficiency and energy resolution of an idealized example setup for a neutrino mass measurement with tritium β-decay electron spectroscopy in the Project 8 experiment. This represents the first time a study of the theoretical limits of a concrete experimental design based on a large antenna array could be conducted, made possible by the improved simulation run time. An initial assessment suggests that the results are consistent with the requirements for achieving the project goal of being sensitive to neutrino masses with mβ > 0.04 eV.