We study damping signatures at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a medium-baseline reactor neutrino oscillation experiment. These damping signatures are motivated by various new physics models, including quantum decoherence, ν3 decay, neutrino absorption, and wave packet decoherence. The phenomenological effects of these models can be characterized by exponential damping factors at the probability level. We assess how well JUNO can constrain these damping parameters and how to disentangle these different damping signatures at JUNO. Compared to current experimental limits, JUNO can significantly improve the limits on τ3/m3 in the ν3 decay model, the width of the neutrino wave packet σx, and the intrinsic relative dispersion of neutrino momentum σrel.

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The dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment contributes to the global rise in antibiotic resistant infections. Therefore, it is of importance to further research the exposure pathways of these emerging contaminants to humans. This study explores commercially available garden products containing animal manure as a source of ARGs in a survey of 34 garden products, 3 recently landscaped soils, and 5 native soils. DNA was extracted from these soils and quantified for 5 ARGs, intI1, and 16S rRNA. This study found that both absolute and relative gene abundances in garden products ranged from approximately two to greater than four orders of magnitude higher than those observed in native soils. Garden products with Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) certification did not have significantly different ARG abundances. Results here indicate that garden products are important sources of ARGs to gardens, lawns, and parks. Graphical abstract

The main task of the Top Tracker detector of the neutrino reactor experiment Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is to reconstruct and extrapolate atmospheric muon tracks down to the central detector. This muon tracker will help to evaluate the contribution of the cosmogenic background to the signal. The Top Tracker is located above JUNO's water Cherenkov Detector and Central Detector, covering about 60% of the surface above them. The JUNO Top Tracker is constituted by the decommissioned OPERA experiment Target Tracker modules. The technology used consists in walls of two planes of plastic scintillator strips, one per transverse direction. Wavelength shifting fibres collect the light signal emitted by the scintillator strips and guide it to both ends where it is read by multianode photomultiplier tubes. Compared to the OPERA Target Tracker, the JUNO Top Tracker uses new electronics able to cope with the high rate produced by the high rock radioactivity compared to the one in Gran Sasso underground laboratory. This paper will present the new electronics and mechanical structure developed for the Top Tracker of JUNO along with its expected performance based on the current detector simulation.

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