The MINOS experiment: results and prospects
27 Nov 2013-Advances in High Energy Physics (Hindawi Publishing Corporation)-Vol. 2013, Iss: 10, pp 182537
TL;DR: The MINOS experiment has used the world's most powerful neutrino beam to make precision neutrinos oscillation measurements as discussed by the authors, which has been used to make the world’s most precise measurement of the larger Neutrino mass splitting.
Abstract: The MINOS experiment has used the world’s most powerful neutrino beam to make precision neutrino oscillation measurements. By observing the disappearance of muon neutrinos, MINOS has made the world’s most precise measurement of the larger neutrino mass splitting and has measured the neutrino mixing angle
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TL;DR: In this article, the present experimental and theoretical knowledge of neutrino-nucleus interaction physics is reviewed from both the theoretical and experimental point of view, focusing on these cross sections in different reaction channels.
Abstract: Neutrino oscillations physics is entering an era of high precision. In this context, accelerator-based neutrino experiments need a reduction in systematic errors to the level of a few percent. Today, one of the most important sources of systematic errors are neutrino–nucleus cross sections which, in the energy region of hundreds of MeV to a few GeV, are known to a precision not exceeding 20%. In this article we review the present experimental and theoretical knowledge of neutrino–nucleus interaction physics. After introducing neutrino-oscillation physics and accelerator-based neutrino experiments, we give an overview of general aspects of neutrino–nucleus cross sections, from both the theoretical and experimental point of view. Then, we focus on these cross sections in different reaction channels. We start with the quasi-elastic and quasi-elastic-like cross section, placing a special emphasis on the multinucleon emission channel, which has attracted a lot of attention in the last few years. We review the main aspects of the different microscopic models for this channel by discussing analogies and the differences among them. The discussion is always driven by a comparison with the experimental data. We then consider the one-pion production channel where agreement between data and theory remains highly unsatisfactory. We describe how to interpret pion data, and then analyze, in particular, the puzzle related to the difficulty of theoretical models and Monte Carlo to simultaneously describe MiniBooNE and MINERvA experimental results. Inclusive cross sections are also discussed, as well as the comparison between the and cross sections, relevant for the charge-conjugation-parity violation experiments. The impact of nuclear effects on the reconstruction of neutrino energy and on the determination of the neutrino-oscillation parameters is also reviewed. Finally, we look to the future by discussing projects and efforts in relation to future detectors, beams, and analysis.
135 citations
TL;DR: The neutrino mass hierarchy, i.e., whether the ν-3 neutrinos mass eigenstate is heavier or lighter than the −1 and −2 eigenstates, is one of the remaining undetermined fundamental features of the Neutrino Standard Model, and its determination would represent an important step in the formulation of the generalized model as mentioned in this paper.
108 citations
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory2, University of South Carolina3, Oak Ridge National Laboratory4, Kurchatov Institute5, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research6, Durham University7, Duke University8, University of Washington9, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill10, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology11, Los Alamos National Laboratory12, University of Tennessee13, Osaka University14, Princeton University15, North Carolina State University16, University of South Dakota17, Tennessee Technological University18, Queen's University19, Technische Universität München20, Max Planck Society21
01 Jan 2018-Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
TL;DR: The Majorana Demonstrator as discussed by the authors is an array of point-contact Ge detectors fabricated from Ge isotopically enriched to 88% in 76 Ge to search for neutrinoless double beta decay.
Abstract: The Majorana Demonstrator is an array of point-contact Ge detectors fabricated from Ge isotopically enriched to 88% in 76 Ge to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. The processing of Ge for germanium detectors is a well-known technology. However, because of the high cost of Ge enriched in 76 Ge special procedures were required to maximize the yield of detector mass and to minimize exposure to cosmic rays. These procedures include careful accounting for the material; shielding it to reduce cosmogenic generation of radioactive isotopes; and development of special reprocessing techniques for contaminated solid germanium, shavings, grindings, acid etchant and cutting fluids from detector fabrication. Processing procedures were developed that resulted in a total yield in detector mass of 70%. However, none of the acid-etch solution and only 50% of the cutting fluids from detector fabrication were reprocessed. Had they been processed, the projections for the recovery yield would be between 80% and 85%. Maximizing yield is critical to justify a possible future ton-scale experiment. A process for recovery of germanium from the acid-etch solution was developed with yield of about 90%. All material was shielded or stored underground whenever possible to minimize the formation of 68 Ge by cosmic rays, which contributes background in the double-beta decay region of interest and cannot be removed by zone refinement and crystal growth. Formation of 68 Ge was reduced by a significant factor over that in natural abundance detectors not protected from cosmic rays.
40 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the minimal extended seesaw (MES) framework is studied for neutrino phenomenology in (3+1) scheme, which plays an important role in active and sterile neutrinos phenomenology.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the discrete flavor symmetry groups in explaining the observed neutrino oscillation data and scrutinize this model to see if it can explain the recent results from neutrinos oscillation experiments, by searching for parameter space that can accommodate the observables such as the reactor mixing angle, the CP violating phase, and the lepton number violating parameter.
Abstract: Motivated by the crucial role played by the discrete flavor symmetry groups in explaining the observed neutrino oscillation data, we consider the $$A_4$$
realization of linear seesaw by extending the standard model (SM) particle content with two types of right-handed (RH) neutrinos along with the flavon fields, and the SM symmetry with $$A_4\times Z_4\times Z_3$$
and a global symmetry $$U(1)_X$$
, which is broken explicitly by the Higgs potential. We scrutinize this model to see if it can explain the recent results from neutrino oscillation experiments, by searching for parameter space that can accommodate the observables such as the reactor mixing angle $$\theta _{13}$$
, the CP violating phase $$\delta _\text {CP}$$
, sum of active neutrino masses $$\Sigma _{i} m_i$$
, solar and atmospheric mass-squared differences, and the lepton number violating parameter called the effective Majorana mass parameter, in line with recent experimental results. We also discuss the scope of this model to explain the baryon asymmetry of the Universe through leptogenesis. We also investigate the possibility of probing the non-unitarity effect in this scenario, but it is found to be rather small.
28 citations
Cites result from "The MINOS experiment: results and p..."
...The Tribimaximal mixing pattern predicts solar mixing and atmospheric mixing angles consistent with the experimental data but yields a vanishing reactor mixing angle [11–13] contradicting the recent experimental results from the Daya Bay [14, 15], T2K[16, 17], MINOS [18], Double CHOOZ [19] and RENO [20] experiments....
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...[18] MINOS, J. Evans, “The MINOS experiment: results and prospects,” Adv....
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References
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Journal Article•
28,685 citations
"The MINOS experiment: results and p..." refers result in this paper
...Figure 12 compares this measurement to those from Super-Kamiokande [61] and T2K [62]....
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...TheMINOS result is compared to measurements from Super-Kamiokande [61] and T2K [62]....
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...Figure 12 compares this measurement to those from SuperKamiokande [54] and T2K [55]....
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University of Genoa1, University of Manchester2, KEK3, CERN4, Imperial College London5, Stanford University6, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research7, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare8, University of Pittsburgh9, Lyon College10, TRIUMF11, Northeastern University12, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility13, University of Córdoba (Spain)14, Goethe University Frankfurt15, University of Southampton16, University of Udine17, University of Alberta18, Tokyo Metropolitan University19, Helsinki Institute of Physics20, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI21, University of Bath22, Niigata University23, Naruto University of Education24, Kobe University25, University of Calabria26, University of Trieste27, European Space Agency28, University of Birmingham29, Ritsumeikan University30, Qinetiq31, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne32, Massachusetts Institute of Technology33, Brookhaven National Laboratory34
01 Jul 2003-Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
TL;DR: The Gelfant 4 toolkit as discussed by the authors is a toolkit for simulating the passage of particles through matter, including a complete range of functionality including tracking, geometry, physics models and hits.
Abstract: G eant 4 is a toolkit for simulating the passage of particles through matter. It includes a complete range of functionality including tracking, geometry, physics models and hits. The physics processes offered cover a comprehensive range, including electromagnetic, hadronic and optical processes, a large set of long-lived particles, materials and elements, over a wide energy range starting, in some cases, from 250 eV and extending in others to the TeV energy range. It has been designed and constructed to expose the physics models utilised, to handle complex geometries, and to enable its easy adaptation for optimal use in different sets of applications. The toolkit is the result of a worldwide collaboration of physicists and software engineers. It has been created exploiting software engineering and object-oriented technology and implemented in the C++ programming language. It has been used in applications in particle physics, nuclear physics, accelerator design, space engineering and medical physics.
18,904 citations
TL;DR: This biennial Review summarizes much of particle physics, using data from previous editions.
12,798 citations
"The MINOS experiment: results and p..." refers background in this paper
...The most sensitive test of this symmetry in other sectors is from the kaon system [63]....
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TL;DR: The nearest neighbor decision rule assigns to an unclassified sample point the classification of the nearest of a set of previously classified points, so it may be said that half the classification information in an infinite sample set is contained in the nearest neighbor.
Abstract: The nearest neighbor decision rule assigns to an unclassified sample point the classification of the nearest of a set of previously classified points. This rule is independent of the underlying joint distribution on the sample points and their classifications, and hence the probability of error R of such a rule must be at least as great as the Bayes probability of error R^{\ast} --the minimum probability of error over all decision rules taking underlying probability structure into account. However, in a large sample analysis, we will show in the M -category case that R^{\ast} \leq R \leq R^{\ast}(2 --MR^{\ast}/(M-1)) , where these bounds are the tightest possible, for all suitably smooth underlying distributions. Thus for any number of categories, the probability of error of the nearest neighbor rule is bounded above by twice the Bayes probability of error. In this sense, it may be said that half the classification information in an infinite sample set is contained in the nearest neighbor.
12,243 citations
Additional excerpts
...These variables are input into a k-nearestneighbour algorithm [48], which finds the best matches from a library of simulated events and uses these to estimate the hadronic energy....
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TL;DR: In this paper, a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) is presented.
Abstract: Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These
9,929 citations
"The MINOS experiment: results and p..." refers methods in this paper
...This feature has enabled MINOS to study and understand the beam in detail [30], improving the simulation of the beam beyond the raw Fluka [31] and GEANT [32, 33] Monte Carlos, and significantly reducing the systematic uncertainty from the modeling of the neutrino flux....
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