The CAPTAIN Experiment

Abstract

The Cryogenic Apparatus for Precision Tests of Argon Interactions with Neutrinos (CAPTAIN) program is designed to make measurements of scientific importance to long-baseline neutrino physics and physics topics that will be explored by large underground detectors. The experiment employs two liquid Argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs), a primary detector with a mass of approximately 10 ton that will be deployed at different facilities for physics measurements and a two ton prototype detector for configuration testing. The physics programs for CAPTAIN include measuring neutron interactions at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, measuring neutrino interactions in the high-energy regime (1.5-5 GeV) at Fermilab NuMI beam, and measuring neutrino interactions in the low-energy regime (<50 MeV) at stopped pion sources for supernova neutrino studies. The prototype detector (Mini-CAPTAIN) has been commissioned and the first UV laser track has been seen in its TPC. This paper gives an overview of the CAPTAIN program and reports the status of the commissioning. The up-to-date detector design and running plans are also described.