Download or read book Identifying Muons for Neutrino Oscillation and Cross Section Experiments written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neutrinos ($\nu$) are interesting for many reasons; they are the only fundamental fermions which are electrically neutral; their mass is orders of magnitude smaller than the lightest charged lepton, the electron; and their solely weak interactions make them an excellent probe of the weak nuclear force. However, one of the most interesting aspects of neutrinos is that, unlike their charged lepton partners, neutrino mass and flavor eigenstates are not the same. All leptons possess 'lepton flavor', a property which is conserved in neutrino interactions. However, because of the difference in the mass and weak eigenstates of neutrinos, a quantum-interference effect is seen in the time evolution of neutrinos. This results in energy and distance dependent oscillations of the neutrino's lepton flavor called 'neutrino oscillations'. The MINOS experiment (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search) was designed to measure the neutrino oscillation parameters, $\Delta m2̂_{32}$ and $sin2̂(2\theta_{32})$. MINOS is composed of two detectors located on a 'beam' of v[subscript mu]s. The MINOS Near Detector is located at Fermilab, and the Far Detector is located at the Soudan Mine in Minnesota, 734 km after the Near Detector. The MINER$\nu$A experiment (Main Injector Neutrino Experiment for $\nu$ - A) is a neutrino experiment placed directly in front of the MINOS Near Detector. MINER$\nu$s goal is to make precision measurements of neutrino cross sections. This will help with uncertainties in oscillation measurements, such as MINOS' at low energy. Although lepton flavor is conserved in neutrino interactions, the final state lepton can be a charged lepton ('charged current' interactions) or a neutrino ('neutral current' interactions) of a particular flavor. The identification of charged current $\nu_\mu$ interactions through the identification of a muon in the final state is a critical component to both neutrino oscillation and cross section measurements; neutral current events are a background to the oscillation signal bec! ause the properties of the incoming neutrino cannot be determined. Such identification is particularly difficult and important for low-energy neutrino events. In this thesis, we will discuss improvements to the MINOS charged current identification at low energies, studies to estimate the effect of the neutral current background on the measurement of the oscillation parameters, and the aspects of muon identification which are similar for the MINOS and MINER$\nu$A experiments. In 2010, the MINOS experiment released a measurement of the oscillation parameters based on $7.32x10{̂20}$ POT. The results were $\Delta m2̂_{32} = 2.32{̂+.012}_{-0.08} x 103̂ eV2̂$, and $sin2̂(2\theta_{32}) > 0.90(90%,C.L.)$. This is the best measurement of the oscillation parameter, $\Delta m2̂_{32}$, and a competitive measurement of $sin2̂(2\theta_{32})$. The improvements to the charged current event selection helped MINOS observe a complete oscillation in neutrino energy.

Download or read book Identifying Muons for Neutrino Oscillation and Cross Section Experiments written by Jasmine Star Yuko Ma Ratchford and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neutrinos (v) are interesting for many reasons; they are the only fundamental fermions which are electrically neutral; their mass is orders of magnitude smaller than the lightest charged lepton, the electron; and their solely weak interactions make them an excellent probe of the weak nuclear force. However, one of the most interesting aspects of neutrinos is that, unlike their charged lepton partners, neutrino mass and flavor eigenstates are not the same. All leptons possess 'lepton flavor', a property which is conserved in neutrino interactions. However, because of the difference in the mass and weak eigenstates of neutrinos, a quantum-interference effect is seen in the time evolution of neutrinos. This results in energy and distance dependent oscillations of the neutrino's lepton flavor called 'neutrino oscillations'. The MINOS experiment (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search) was designed to measure the neutrino oscillation parameters, [Delta]m232 and sin2(2[theta]32). MINOS is composed of two detectors located on a 'beam' of v[subscript mu]s. The MINOS Near Detector is located at Fermilab, and the Far Detector is located at the Soudan Mine in Minnesota, 734 km after the Near Detector. The MINERvA experiment (Main Injector Neutrino Experiment for v - A) is a neutrino experiment placed directly in front of the MINOS Near Detector. MINERvA's goal is to make precision measurements of neutrino cross sections. This will help with uncertainties in oscillation measurements, such as MINOS' at low energy. Although lepton flavor is conserved in neutrino interactions, the final state lepton can be a charged lepton ('charged current' interactions) or a neutrino ('neutral current' interactions) of a particular flavor. The identification of charged current v[subscript mu] interactions through the identification of a muon in the final state is a critical component to both neutrino oscillation and cross section measurements; neutral current events are a background to the oscillation signal because the properties of the incoming neutrino cannot be determined. Such identification is particularly difficult and important for low-energy neutrino events. In this thesis, we will discuss improvements to the MINOS charged current identification at low energies, studies to estimate the effect of the neutral current background on the measurement of the oscillation parameters, and the aspects of muon identification which are similar for the MINOS and MINERvA experiments. In 2010, the MINOS experiment released a measurement of the oscillation parameters based on 7.32x1020POT. The results were [Delta]m232 = 2.320̇12[subscript 0.08] x 103eV2, and sin2(2[theta]32)> 0.90(90%, C.L.). This is the best measurement of the oscillation parameter, [Delta]m232, and a competitive measurement of sin2(2[theta]32). The improvements to the charged current event selection helped MINOS observe a complete oscillation in neutrino energy.

Download or read book Measurement of the Total Neutrino nucleon Cross section with Atmospheric Muon Neutrinos in IceCube written by Sarah Caitlin Nowicki and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The discovery of neutrino oscillations, and therefore that they have non-zero mass, provided the first conclusive proof of physics beyond the Standard Model [1]. Recently, neutrinos have become a valuable addition to the field of multi-messenger astrophysics to improve the study of distant astrophysical phenomena [2]. Fundamental to the operation of the numerous current neutrino experiments across a broad energy-scale is knowledge of the neutrino interaction rate or cross-section. In neutrino experiment, there exists a gap in the measurement of the neutrino-nucleon cross-section between approximately 300 GeV and a TeV. In this region, the Standard Model cross- section transitions away from its linear relationship with neutrino energy. This thesis describes a measurement of the total muon-neutrino-nucleon cross-section from 100 GeV to 5 TeV via a flux- dependent analysis performed on a dataset of through-going neutrino-induced muons detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. An updated energy reconstruction utilizing DirectReco, a new method that generates event hypotheses using direct photon propagation, and tailored to the physics of the region of interest is applied. This provides several benefits, including improved accuracy of the event hypotheses and incorporation of the latest models of the glacial detector medium. The cross-section is measured as a normalization of the predicted flux where the parameters are scaling factors on the Standard Model cross-section, the Cooper-Sarkar-Mertsch-Sarkar (CSMS) model [3]. Two bins are defined, 100 - 350 GeV, overlapping with existing data, and 350 GeV - 5 TeV, the unmeasured region of phase space. A prior is calculated from existing accelerator neutrino beam cross-section measurements for the overlapping energy range of 100 - 350 GeV, additional input in constraining the fit for the low-energy region of the sample. The resultant Standard Model cross- section scaling factors are calculated both with the accelerator prior applied (case A) and without (case B). The results are, for 100 - 350 GeV and 350 GeV - 5 TeV regions, respectively, 0.82+0.088́20.07 and 1.23+0.07-0.07 for case A and 0.27+0.07-0.05 and 0.78+0.08-0.07 for case B. This is the world's first measurement for the 350 GeV to 5 TeV energy region of the neutrino-nucleon cross-section, although forthcoming accelerator neutrino experiment FASER? will provide a comparable measurement of the cross-section of this energy range in the near future [4]. Both indicate tension with Standard Model, although interpretation of the result is subtly different for the two cases. Case A is a "best possible" measurement that utilizes the current maximal public knowledge of the cross-section. Case B is an IceCube-data-driven result, relatively free of influences inherent in existing cross-section models. The results presented here set a benchmark for future prospects of improvements and expansion of the IceCube-based cross-section studies -- to higher energies, and to multiple flavours -- and for the broad field.

Download or read book The Physics of Neutrinos written by Vernon Barger and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2012-09-30 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The physics of neutrinos--uncharged elementary particles that are key to helping us better understand the nature of our universe--is one of the most exciting frontiers of modern science. This book provides a comprehensive overview of neutrino physics today and explores promising new avenues of inquiry that could lead to future breakthroughs. The Physics of Neutrinos begins with a concise history of the field and a tutorial on the fundamental properties of neutrinos, and goes on to discuss how the three neutrino types interchange identities as they propagate from their sources to detectors. The book shows how studies of neutrinos produced by such phenomena as cosmic rays in the atmosphere and nuclear reactions in the solar interior provide striking evidence that neutrinos have mass, and it traces our astounding progress in deciphering the baffling experimental findings involving neutrinos. The discovery of neutrino mass offers the first indication of a new kind of physics that goes beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles, and this book considers the unanticipated patterns in the masses and mixings of neutrinos in the framework of proposed new theoretical models. The Physics of Neutrinos maps out the ambitious future facilities and experiments that will advance our knowledge of neutrinos, and explains why the way forward in solving the outstanding questions in neutrino science will require the collective efforts of particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and cosmology.

Download or read book Measuring Muon Neutrino Charged Current Differential Cross Sections with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than 80 years after its proposed existence, the neutrino remains largely mysterious and elusive. Precision measurements of the neutrino's properties are just now beginning to take place. Such measurements are required in order to determine the mass of the neutrino, how many neutrinos there are, if neutrinos are different than anti-neutrinos, and more. Muon-neutrino charged-current differential cross sections on an argon target in terms of the outgoing muon momentum and angle are presented. The measurements have been taken with the ArgoNeuT Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) experiment. ArgoNeuT is the first LArTPC to ever take data in a low energy neutrino beam, having collected thousands of neutrino and anti-neutrino events in the NuMI beamline at Fermilab. The results are relevant for long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments searching for non-zero $\theta_{13}$, CP-violation in the lepton sector, and the sign of the neutrino mass hierarchy, among other things. Furthermore, the differential cross sections are important for understanding the nature of the neutrino-nucleus interaction in general. These measurements represent a significant step forward for LArTPC technology as they are among the first neutrino physics results with such a device.

Download or read book Massive Neutrinos written by Orrin Fackler and published by Atlantica Séguier Frontières. This book was released on 1991 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Measurement of the Muon Neutrino Inclusive Charged Current Cross Section on Iron Using the MINOS Detector written by Laura Jean Loiacono and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) produces an intense muon neutrino beam used by the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS), a neutrino oscillation experiment, and the Main INjector ExpeRiment [nu]-A, (MINER[nu]A), a neutrino interaction experiment. Absolute neutrino cross sections are determined via [mathematical equation], where the numerator is the measured number of neutrino interactions in the MINOS Detector and the denominator is the flux of incident neutrinos. Many past neutrino experiments have measured relative cross sections due to a lack of precise measurements of the incident neutrino flux, normalizing to better established reaction processes, such as quasielastic neutrino-nucleon scattering. But recent measurements of neutrino interactions on nuclear targets have brought to light questions about our understanding of nuclear effects in neutrino interactions. In this thesis the [nu subscript mu] inclusive charged current cross section on iron is measured using the MINOS Detector. The MINOS detector consists of alternating planes of steel and scintillator. The MINOS detector is optimized to measure muons produced in charged current [nu subscript mu] interactions. Along with muons, these interactions produce hadronic showers. The neutrino energy is measured from the total energy the particles deposit in the detector. The incident neutrino flux is measured using the muons produced alongside the neutrinos in meson decay. Three ionization chamber monitors located in the downstream portion of the NuMI beamline are used to measure the muon flux and thereby infer the neutrino flux by relation to the underlying pion and kaon meson flux. This thesis describes the muon flux instrumentation in the NuMI beam, its operation over the two year duration of this measurement, and the techniques used to derive the neutrino flux.

Download or read book Measurement of the Antineutrino Double Differential Charged Current Quasi Elastic Scattering Cross Section at MINERvA written by Cheryl E. Patrick and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-11-15 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ​This thesis represents the first double differential measurement of quasi-elastic anti-neutrino scattering in the few GeV range--a region of substantial theoretical and experimental interest as it is the kinematic region where studies of charge-parity (CP) violation in the neutrino sector most require precise understanding of the differences between anti-neutrino and neutrino scatter. This dissertation also presents total antineutrino-scintillator quasi-elastic cross sections as a function of energy, which is then compared to measurements from previous experiments. Next-generation neutrino oscillation experiments, such as DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande, hope to measure CP violation in the lepton sector. In order to do this, they must dramatically reduce their current levels of uncertainty, particularly those due to neutrino-nucleus interaction models. As CP violation is a measure of the difference between the oscillation properties of neutrinos and antineutrinos, data about how the less-studied antineutrinos interact is especially valuable. The measurement described herewith determines the nuclear and instrumental effects that must be understood to undertake precision neutrino physics. As well as being useful to help reduce oscillation experiments' uncertainty, this data can also be used to study the prevalence of various correlation and final-state interaction effects within the nucleus. In addition to being a substantial scientific advance, this thesis also serves as an outstanding introduction to the field of experimental neutrino physics for future students.

Download or read book Neutrino Mass written by Guido Altarelli and published by Springer. This book was released on 2004-02-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reviews the current state of knowledge of neutrino masses and the related question of neutrino oscillations. After an overview of the theory of neutrino masses and mixings, detailed accounts are given of the laboratory limits on neutrino masses, astrophysical and cosmological constraints on those masses, experimental results on neutrino oscillations, the theoretical interpretation of those results, and theoretical models of neutrino masses and mixings. The book concludes with an examination of the potential of long-baseline experiments. This is an essential reference text for workers in elementary-particle physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics.

Download or read book Particle Physics Reference Library written by Christian W. Fabjan and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020 with total page 1083 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second open access volume of the handbook series deals with detectors, large experimental facilities and data handling, both for accelerator and non-accelerator based experiments. It also covers applications in medicine and life sciences. A joint CERN-Springer initiative, the "Particle Physics Reference Library" provides revised and updated contributions based on previously published material in the well-known Landolt-Boernstein series on particle physics, accelerators and detectors (volumes 21A, B1,B2,C), which took stock of the field approximately one decade ago. Central to this new initiative is publication under full open access

Download or read book First Measurement of the Muon Anti Neutrino Charged Current Quasielastic Double Differential Cross Section written by Joseph Grange and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-09-23 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a major step forward in experimentally understanding the behavior of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos. Apart from providing the world’s first measurement of these interactions in a mostly unexplored energy region, the data presented advances the neutrino community’s preparedness to search for an asymmetry between matter and anti-matter that may very well provide the physical mechanism for the existence of our universe. The details of these measurements are preceded by brief summaries of the history of the neutrino, the phenomenon of neutrino oscillations, and a description of their interactions. Also provided are details of the experimental setup for the measurements and the muon antineutrino cross-section measurement which motivates the need for dedicated in situ background constraints. The world’s first measurement of the neutrino component of an antineutrino beam using a non-magnetized detector, as well as other crucial background constraints, are also presented in the book. By exploiting correlated systematic uncertainties, combined measurements of the muon neutrino and antineutrino cross sections described in the book maximize the precision of the extracted information from both results.

Download or read book Neutrino Oscillations And Their Origin Proceedings Of The Fifth International Workshop written by Yoichiro Suzuki and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2005-06-23 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together international experts in diverse areas of physics to discuss recent progress in the experimental and theoretical study of neutrino oscillations.Readers are brought up to date with the latest developments in important neutrino experiments, and the associated progress in theory is summarized. The principal projects worldwide, such as Super-Kamiokande, SNO, KamLAND, are considered, and contributions also report on future experiments, including JPARC, OPERA, and MINOS.Several other related topics, such as dark matter, double beta decay, lepton flavor violation, and cosmology, are discussed, reflecting the wide-ranging specializations of many contributors outside of pure neutrino physics.

Download or read book Atmospheric Neutrino Induced Muons in the MINOS Far Detector written by Aftabur Dipu Rahman and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book First Measurement of the Muon Neutrino Charged Current Quasielastic Double Differential Cross Section written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 21 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A high-statistics sample of charged-current muon neutrino scattering events collected with the MiniBooNE experiment is analyzed to extract the first measurement of the double differential cross section (d2?/dT{sub {mu}}d cos?{sub {mu}}) for charged-current quasielastic (CCQE) scattering on carbon. This result features minimal model dependence and provides the most complete information on this process to date. With the assumption of CCQE scattering, the absolute cross section as a function of neutrino energy (?[E{sub {nu}}]) and the single differential cross section (d?/dQ2) are extracted to facilitate comparison with previous measurements. These quantities may be used to characterize an effective axial-vector form factor of the nucleon and to improve the modeling of low-energy neutrino interactions on nuclear targets. The results are relevant for experiments searching for neutrino oscillations.

Download or read book State Of The Art Of Neutrino Physics The A Tutorial For Graduate Students And Young Researchers written by Antonio Ereditato and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2018-03-23 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The neutrino is the most fascinating elementary particle due to its elusive nature and outstanding properties that have attracted the interest of generations of physicists since 1930, when it was first postulated by Wolfgang Pauli as a 'desperate remedy' to explain the apparent energy violation in the beta decay. Many fundamental discoveries in particle physics had the neutrino involved in one way or another. To date, neutrino physics is still one of the hottest topics of modern particle physics. Key experiments and significant theoretical developments have contributed in building up what we can call now the Standard Model of Neutrino Physics.The aim of the book is to provide graduate students and young researchers a comprehensive tutorial in modern neutrino physics, specially tailored with emphasis on the educational aspects. It provides an overview of the basics and of recent achievements in the field, from both experimental and theoretical points of view.

Download or read book Identification Of Dark Matter The Proceedings Of The First International Workshop written by Neil J C Spooner and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1997-08-02 with total page 638 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There can be little doubt now that 90-99% of the Universe comprises dark matter. Hence it is of critical importance now not just to pursue further evidence for its existence but rather to identify what the dark matter is. Assessment of progress in this area was the objective of the first International Workshop on the Identification of Dark Matter, in particular to consider what techniques, both observational and experimental, are currently being used, how successful they are now and what new techniques will improve the prospects of identifying the likely candidates. The meeting included reviews on major particle astrophysics topics in dark matter but was largely devoted to short contributed talks on new work in the field. This book is the written proceedings of the meeting.

Download or read book Search for Sterile Neutrinos with the MINOS Long Baseline Experiment written by Ashley Michael Timmons and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-08-10 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis highlights data from MINOS, a long-baseline accelerator neutrino experiment, and details one of the most sensitive searches for the sterile neutrino ever made. Further, it presents a new analysis paradigm to enable this measurement and a comprehensive study of the myriad systematic uncertainties involved in a search for a few-percent effect, while also rigorously investigating the statistical interpretation of the findings in the context of a sterile neutrino model. Among the scientific community, this analysis was quickly recognized as a foundational measurement in light of which all previous evidence for the sterile neutrino must now be (re)interpreted. The existence of sterile neutrinos has long been one of the key questions in the field. Not only are they a central component in many theories of new physics, but a number of past experiments have yielded results consistent with their existence. Nonetheless, they remain controversial: the interpretation of the data showing evidence for these sterile neutrinos is hotly debated.