T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Cervera-Villanueva, A., Izmaylov, A., Novella, P., & Sorel, M. (2017). Combined Analysis of Neutrino and Antineutrino Oscillations at T2K. Phys. Rev. Lett., 118(15), 151801–9pp.
Abstract: T2K reports its first results in the search for CP violation in neutrino oscillations using appearance and disappearance channels for neutrino-and antineutrino-mode beams. The data include all runs from January 2010 to May 2016 and comprise 7.482 x 10(20) protons on target in neutrino mode, which yielded in the far detector 32 e-like and 135 mu-like events, and 7.471 x 10(20) protons on target in antineutrino mode, which yielded 4 e-like and 66 mu-like events. Reactor measurements of sin(2) 2 theta(13) have been used as an additional constraint. The one-dimensional confidence interval at 90% for the phase delta(CP) spans the range (-3.13,-0.39) for normal mass ordering. The CP conservation hypothesis (delta(CP) = 0, pi) is excluded at 90% C.L.
|
T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Cervera-Villanueva, A., Izmaylov, A., Novella, P., Sorel, M., & Stamoulis, P. (2017). First measurement of the muon neutrino charged current single pion production cross section on water with the T2K near detector. Phys. Rev. D, 95(1), 012010–11pp.
Abstract: The T2K off-axis near detector, ND280, is used to make the first differential cross section measurements of muon neutrino charged current single positive pion production on a water target at energies similar to 0.8 GeV. The differential measurements are presented as a function of the muon and pion kinematics, in the restricted phase space defined by p(pi+) > 200 MeV/c, p(mu) > 200 MeV/c, cos(theta(pi+)) > 0.3 and cos(theta(mu)) > 0.3. The total flux integrated nu(mu) charged current single positive pion production cross section on water in the restricted phase space is measured to be <sigma >(phi) = 4.25 +/- 0.48(stat) +/- 1.56(syst) x 10(-40) cm(2)/nucleon. The total cross section is consistent with the NEUT prediction (5.03 x 10(-40) cm(2)/nucleon) and 2 sigma lower than the GENIE prediction (7.68 x 10(-40) cm(2)/nucleon). The differential cross sections are in good agreement with the NEUT generator. The GENIE simulation reproduces well the shapes of the distributions, but overestimates the overall cross section normalization.
|
T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Cervera-Villanueva, A., Izmaylov, A., Novella, P., Sorel, M., & Stamoulis, P. (2017). Search for Lorentz and CPT violation using sidereal time dependence of neutrino flavor transitions over a short baseline. Phys. Rev. D, 95(11), 111101–9pp.
Abstract: A class of extensions of the Standard Model allows Lorentz and CPT violations, which can be identified by the observation of sidereal modulations in the neutrino interaction rate. A search for such modulations was performed using the T2K on-axis near detector. Two complementary methods were used in this study, both of which resulted in no evidence of a signal. Limits on associated Lorentz and CPT-violating terms from the Standard Model extension have been derived by taking into account their correlations in this model for the first time. These results imply such symmetry violations are suppressed by a factor of more than 10(20) at the GeV scale.
|
T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Cervera-Villanueva, A., Izmaylov, A., Novella, P., & Sorel, M. (2017). Updated T2K measurements of muon neutrino and antineutrino disappearance using 1.5 x 10(21) protons on target. Phys. Rev. D, 96(1), 011102–9pp.
Abstract: We report measurements by the T2K experiment of the parameters theta(23) and Delta m(32)(2) governing the disappearance of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos in the three-flavor neutrino oscillation model. Utilizing the ability of the experiment to run with either a mainly neutrino or a mainly antineutrino beam, the parameters are measured separately for neutrinos and antineutrinos. Using 7.482 x 10(20) POT in neutrino running mode and 7.471 x 10(20) POT in antineutrino mode, T2K obtained sin(2) (theta(23)) = 0.51(-0.07)(+0.08) and Delta (m) over bar (2)(32) = (+0.15)(-2.53) -0.13 x 10(-3) eV(2)/c(4) for neutrinos, and sin(2) ((theta) over bar (23)) = 0.42(-0.07)(+0.25) and Delta(m) over bar (2)(32) = 2.55(-0.27)(+0.33) x 10(-3) eV(2)/c(4) for antineutrinos (assuming normal mass ordering). No significant differences between the values of the parameters describing the disappearance of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos were observed.
|
T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Cervera-Villanueva, A., Izmaylov, A., Novella, P., Sorel, M., & Stamoulis, P. (2018). Measurement of the single pi(0) production rate in neutral current neutrino interactions on water. Phys. Rev. D, 97(3), 032002–13pp.
Abstract: The single pi(0) production rate in neutral current neutrino interactions on water in a neutrino beam with a peak neutrino energy of 0.6 GeV has been measured using the empty set, one of the subdetectors of the T2K near detector. The production rate was measured for data taking periods when the Pempty setD contained water (2.64 x 10(20) protons-on-target) and also periods without water (3.49 x 10(20) protons-on-target). A measurement of the neutral current single pi(0) production rate on water is made using appropriate subtraction of the production rate with water in from the rate with water out of the target region. The subtraction analysis yields 106 +/- 41 +/- 69 signal events where the uncertainties are statistical (stat.) and systematic (sys.) respectively. This is consistent with the prediction of 157 events from the nominal simulation. The measured to expected ratio is 0.68 +/- 0.26(stat) +/- 0.44(sys) +/- 0.12(flux). The nominal simulation uses a flux integrated cross section of 7.63 x 10(-39) cm(2) per nucleon with an average neutrino interaction energy of 1.3 GeV.
|
NEXT Collaboration(McDonald, A. D. et al), Alvarez, V., Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., Botas, A., Carcel, S., Carrion, J. V., et al. (2018). Demonstration of Single-Barium-Ion Sensitivity for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Using Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging. Phys. Rev. Lett., 120(13), 132504–6pp.
Abstract: A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of Xe-136 is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba++) resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (similar to 2 nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9 sigma over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.
|
Ternes, C. A., Gariazzo, S., Hajjar, R., Mena, O., Sorel, M., & Tortola, M. (2019). Neutrino mass ordering at DUNE: An extra nu bonus. Phys. Rev. D, 100(9), 093004–10pp.
Abstract: We study the possibility of extracting the neutrino mass ordering at the future Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment using atmospheric neutrinos, which will be available before the muon neutrino beam starts being operational. The large statistics of the atmospheric muon neutrino and antineutrino samples at the far detector, together with the baselines of thousands of kilometers that these atmospheric (anti) neutrinos travel, provide ideal ingredients to extract the neutrino mass ordering via matter effects in the neutrino propagation through Earth. Crucially, muon capture by argon provides excellent charge tagging, allowing us to disentangle the neutrino and antineutrino signature. This is an important extra benefit of having a liquid argon time projection chamber as a far detector, that could render an similar to 3.5 sigma extraction of the mass ordering after approximately 7 yr of exposure.
|
DUNE Collaboration(Abi, B. et al), Antonova, M., Barenboim, G., Cervera-Villanueva, A., De Romeri, V., Fernandez Menendez, P., et al. (2020). Neutrino interaction classification with a convolutional neural network in the DUNE far detector. Phys. Rev. D, 102(9), 092003–20pp.
Abstract: The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment is a next-generation neutrino oscillation experiment that aims to measure CP-violation in the neutrino sector as part of a wider physics program. A deep learning approach based on a convolutional neural network has been developed to provide highly efficient and pure selections of electron neutrino and muon neutrino charged-current interactions. The electron neutrino (antineutrino) selection efficiency peaks at 90% (94%) and exceeds 85% (90%) for reconstructed neutrino energies between 2-5 GeV. The muon neutrino (antineutrino) event selection is found to have a maximum efficiency of 96% (97%) and exceeds 90% (95%) efficiency for reconstructed neutrino energies above 2 GeV. When considering all electron neutrino and antineutrino interactions as signal, a selection purity of 90% is achieved. These event selections are critical to maximize the sensitivity of the experiment to CP-violating effects.
|
NEXT Collaboration(Henriques, C. A. O. et al), Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., Carcel, S., Carrion, J. V., Diaz, J., Felkai, R., et al. (2022). Neutral Bremsstrahlung Emission in Xenon Unveiled. Phys. Rev. X, 12(2), 021005–23pp.
Abstract: We present evidence of non-excimer-based secondary scintillation in gaseous xenon, obtained using both the NEXT-White time projection chamber (TPC) and a dedicated setup. Detailed comparison with first-principle calculations allows us to assign this scintillation mechanism to neutral bremsstrahlung (NBrS), a process that is postulated to exist in xenon that has been largely overlooked. For photon emission below 1000 nm, the NBrS yield increases from about 10(-2) photon/e(-) cm(-1) bar(-1) at pressure-reduced electric field values of 50 V cm(-1) bar(-1) to above 3 x 10(-1) photon/e(-) cm(-1) bar(-1) at 500 V cm(-1) bar(-1). Above 1.5 kV cm(-1) bar(-1), values that are typically employed for electroluminescence, it is estimated that NBrS is present with an intensity around 1 photon/e(-) cm(-1) bar(-1), which is about 2 orders of magnitude lower than conventional, excimer-based electroluminescence. Despite being fainter than its excimeric counterpart, our calculations reveal that NBrS causes luminous backgrounds that can interfere, in either gas or liquid phase, with the ability to distinguish and/or to precisely measure low primary-scintillation signals (S1). In particular, we show this to be the case in the "buffer region, where keeping the electric field below the electroluminescence threshold does not suffice to extinguish secondary scintillation. The electric field leakage in this region should be mitigated to avoid intolerable levels of NBrS emission. Furthermore, we show that this new source of light emission opens up a viable path toward obtaining S2 signals for discrimination purposes in future single-phase liquid TPCs for neutrino and dark matter physics, with estimated yields up to 20-50 photons/e(-) cm(-1).
|
DUNE Collaboration(Abud, A. A. et al), Antonova, M., Barenboim, G., Cervera-Villanueva, A., De Romeri, V., Fernandez Menendez, P., et al. (2022). Low exposure long-baseline neutrino oscillation sensitivity of the DUNE experiment. Phys. Rev. D, 105(7), 072006–32pp.
Abstract: The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will produce world-leading neutrino oscillation measurements over the lifetime of the experiment. In this work, we explore DUNE's sensitivity to observe charge-parity violation (CPV) in the neutrino sector, and to resolve the mass ordering, for exposures of up to 100 kiloton-megawatt-calendar years (kt-MW-CY), where calendar years include an assumption of 57% accelerator uptime based on past accelerator performance at Fermilab. The analysis includes detailed uncertainties on the flux prediction, the neutrino interaction model, and detector effects. We demonstrate that DUNE will be able to unambiguously resolve the neutrino mass ordering at a 4 sigma (5 sigma) level with a 66 (100) kt-MW-CY far detector exposure, and has the ability to make strong statements at significantly shorter exposures depending on the true value of other oscillation parameters, with a median sensitivity of 3 sigma for almost all true delta(CP) values after only 24 kt-MW-CY. We also show that DUNE has the potential to make a robust measurement of CPV at a 3 sigma level with a 100 kt-MW-CY exposure for the maximally CP-violating values delta(CP) = +/-pi/2. Additionally, the dependence of DUNE's sensitivity on the exposure taken in neutrino-enhanced and antineutrino-enhanced running is discussed. An equal fraction of exposure taken in each beam mode is found to be close to optimal when considered over the entire space of interest.
|
