T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Antonova, M., Cervera-Villanueva, A., & Novella, P. (2021). Measurements of (nu)over-bar(mu) and (nu)over-bar(mu) + nu(mu) charged-current cross-sections without detected pions or protons on water and hydrocarbon at a mean anti-neutrino energy of 0.86 GeV. Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys., 2021(4), 043C01–28pp.
Abstract: We report measurements of the flux-integrated (nu) over bar (mu) and (nu) over bar (mu) + nu(mu) charged-current cross -sections on water and hydrocarbon targets using the T2K anti-neutrino beam with a mean beam energy of 0.86 GeV. The signal is defined as the (anti -)neutrino charged-current interaction with one induced mu(+/-) and no detected charged pion or proton. These measurements are performed using a new WAGASCI module recently added to the T2K setup in combination with the INGRID Proton Module. The phase space of muons is restricted to the high-detection efficiency region, p(mu) > 400 MeV/c and theta(mu) < 30 degrees, in the laboratory frame. An absence of pions and protons in the detectable phase spaces of p(pi) > 200 MeV/c, theta(pi) < 70 degrees and p(p) > 600 MeV/c, theta(p) < 70 degrees is required. In this paper, both the <(nu)over bar>(mu), cross-sections and (nu) over bar (mu) + nu(mu), cross-sections on water and hydrocarbon targets and their ratios are provided by using the D'Agostini unfolding method. The results of the integrated (nu) over bar (mu), cross-section measurements over this phase space are sigma(H2O) = (1.082 +/- 0.068(stat.)(+0.145)(-0.128)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2)/nucleon, sigma(CH) = (1.096 +/- 0.054 (stat.)(+0.132)(-0.117)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2) /nucleon, and sigma(H2O)/sigma(CH) = 0.987 +/- 0.078 (stat.)(+0.093)(-0.090)(syst.). The (nu) over bar (mu), + nu(mu), cross-section is sigma(H2O) = (1.155 +/- 0.064(stat.)(+0.148)(-0.129)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2)/nucleon, sigma(CH) = (1.159 +/- 0.049(stat.)(+0.129)(-0.115)(syst.)) x 10(-39) cm(2)/nucleon, and sigma(H2O)/sigma(CH) = 0.996 +/- 0.069(stat.)(+0.083)(-0.078)(syst.).
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Double Chooz collaboration(Abe, Y. et al), & Novella, P. (2016). Measurement of theta(13) in Double Chooz using neutron captures on hydrogen with novel background rejection techniques. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 163–29pp.
Abstract: The Double Chooz collaboration presents a measurement of the neutrino mixing angle theta(13) using reactor (nu) over bar (e) observed via the inverse beta decay reaction in which the neutron is captured on hydrogen. This measurement is based on 462.72 live days data, approximately twice as much data as in the previous such analysis, collected with a detector positioned at an average distance of 1050m from two reactor cores. Several novel techniques have been developed to achieve significant reductions of the backgrounds and systematic uncertainties. Accidental coincidences, the dominant background in this analysis, are suppressed by more than an order of magnitude with respect to our previous publication by a multi-variate analysis. These improvements demonstrate the capability of precise measurement of reactor (nu) over bar (e) without gadolinium loading. Spectral distortions from the (nu) over bar (e) reactor flux predictions previously reported with the neutron capture on gadolinium events are confirmed in the independent data sample presented here. A value of sin(2) 2 theta(13) = 0.095(0.039)(+0.039)(stat+syst) is obtained from a fit to the observed event rate as a function of the reactor power, a method insensitive to the energy spectrum shape. A simultaneous fit of the hydrogen capture events and of the gadolinium capture events yields a measurement of sin(2) 2 theta(13) = 0.088 +/- 0.033(stat+syst).
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NEXT Collaboration(Ferrario, P. et al), Laing, A., Lopez-March, N., Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., Alvarez, V., Carcel, S., et al. (2016). First proof of topological signature in the high pressure xenon gas TPC with electroluminescence amplification for the NEXT experiment. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 104–18pp.
Abstract: The NEXT experiment aims to observe the neutrinoless double beta decay of Xe-136 in a high-pressure xenon gas TPC using electroluminescence (EL) to amplify the signal from ionization. One of the main advantages of this technology is the possibility to reconstruct the topology of events with energies close to Q(beta beta). This paper presents the first demonstration that the topology provides extra handles to reject background events using data obtained with the NEXT-DEMO prototype. Single electrons resulting from the interactions of Na-22 1275 keV gammas and electron-positron pairs produced by conversions of gammas from the Th-228 decay chain were used to represent the background and the signal in a double beta decay. These data were used to develop algorithms for the reconstruction of tracks and the identification of the energy deposited at the end-points, providing an extra background rejection factor of 24.3 +/- 1.4 (stat.)%, while maintaining an efficiency of 66.7 +/- 1.% for signal events.
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NEXT Collaboration(Martin-Albo, J. et al), Muñoz Vidal, J., Ferrario, P., Nebot-Guinot, M., Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., Alvarez, V., et al. (2016). Sensitivity of NEXT-100 to neutrinoless double beta decay. J. High Energy Phys., 05(5), 159–30pp.
Abstract: NEXT-100 is an electroluminescent high-pressure xenon gas time projection chamber that will search for the neutrinoless double beta (0v beta beta) decay of Xe-136. The detector possesses two features of great value for 0v beta beta searches: energy resolution better than 1% FWHM at the Q value of Xe-136 and track reconstruction for the discrimination of signal and background events. This combination results in excellent sensitivity, as discussed in this paper. Material-screening measurements and a detailed Monte Carlo detector simulation predict a background rate for NEXT-100 of at most 4 x 10(-4) counts keV(-1) kg(-1) yr(-1). Accordingly, the detector will reach a sensitivity to the 0v beta beta-decay half-life of 2.8 x 10(25) years (90% CL) for an exposure of 100 kg.year, or 6.0 x 10(25) years after a run of 3 effective years.
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NEXT Collaboration(Novella, P. et al), Palmeiro, B., Simon, A., Sorel, M., Martinez-Lema, G., Alvarez, V., et al. (2018). Measurement of radon-induced backgrounds in the NEXT double beta decay experiment. J. High Energy Phys., 10(10), 112–27pp.
Abstract: The measurement of the internal Rn-222 activity in the NEXT-White detector during the so-called Run-II period with Xe-136-depleted xenon is discussed in detail, together with its implications for double beta decay searches in NEXT. The activity is measured through the alpha production rate induced in the fiducial volume by Rn-222 and its alpha-emitting progeny. The specific activity is measured to be (38.1 +/- 2.2 (stat.) +/- 5.9 (syst.)) mBq/m(3). Radon-induced electrons have also been characterized from the decay of the Bi-214 daughter ions plating out on the cathode of the time projection chamber. From our studies, we conclude that radon-induced backgrounds are sufficiently low to enable a successful NEXT-100 physics program, as the projected rate contribution should not exceed 0.1 counts/yr in the neutrinoless double beta decay sample.
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