Progress at the Intensity frontier on neutrino-nucleus interaction cross sections and muon ionization cooling
File(s)
Author(s)
Perdigão dos Santos, Edward Kevin
Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis presents work done in the context of the
Neutrino Intensity Frontier.
Cross section measurements for charged current coherent pion production by neutrinos and antineutrinos
on argon are presented. These measurements are performed using the Argon Neutrino Test (ArgoNeuT) detector
exposed to the NuMI beam at Fermilab. The cross sections are measured to be 2.6^{+1.2}_{-1.0}(stat)^{+0.3}_{-0.4}(syst) x 10^{-38} cm² per argon nucleus for neutrinos at a mean energy of 9.6 GeV and 5.5^{+2.6}_{-2.1}(stat)^{+0.6}_{-0.7}(syst) x 10^{-39} cm² per argon nucleus for antineutrinos at a mean energy of 3.6 GeV. This is the first time this interaction has been measured in argon and the first time it has been measured using an automated analysis.
In the context of the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE), the later
chapters of this thesis present work concerning the precise tracking of muons in the
MICE detectors which will be fundamental for the demonstration of ionization cooling.
The relation between MICE, the Neutrino Factory and nuSTORM is explored in the early
chapters of this thesis and the physics potential of neutrino beams from the decay
of muons is reviewed.
Neutrino Intensity Frontier.
Cross section measurements for charged current coherent pion production by neutrinos and antineutrinos
on argon are presented. These measurements are performed using the Argon Neutrino Test (ArgoNeuT) detector
exposed to the NuMI beam at Fermilab. The cross sections are measured to be 2.6^{+1.2}_{-1.0}(stat)^{+0.3}_{-0.4}(syst) x 10^{-38} cm² per argon nucleus for neutrinos at a mean energy of 9.6 GeV and 5.5^{+2.6}_{-2.1}(stat)^{+0.6}_{-0.7}(syst) x 10^{-39} cm² per argon nucleus for antineutrinos at a mean energy of 3.6 GeV. This is the first time this interaction has been measured in argon and the first time it has been measured using an automated analysis.
In the context of the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE), the later
chapters of this thesis present work concerning the precise tracking of muons in the
MICE detectors which will be fundamental for the demonstration of ionization cooling.
The relation between MICE, the Neutrino Factory and nuSTORM is explored in the early
chapters of this thesis and the physics potential of neutrino beams from the decay
of muons is reviewed.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2014-10
Date Awarded
2015-07
Copyright Statement
Attribution NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND)
Advisor
Long, Kenneth
Sponsor
Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia
Grant Number
SFRH/BD/69814/2010
Publisher Department
Physics
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)