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Search for a Sterile Neutrino in a 3+1 Framework using Wire-Cell Inclusive Charged-Current $\nu_e$ Selection with the BNB and NuMI beamlines in MicroBooNE

A search for a sterile neutrino is being carried out in the MicroBooNE experiment within the 3+1 (three flavors of active neutrinos + one flavor of sterile neutrino) framework using neutrinos from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) and the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI). The sensitivity of this search is built upon high performance inclusive charged-current electron neutrino and muon neutrino event selections. The previous 3+1 sterile neutrino search using only BNB data, the cancellation between $\nu_{e}$ disappearance and $\nu_{e}$ appearance oscillations led to a reduced oscillation effect in the $\nu_{e}$ energy spectrum resulting in a degeneracy of the oscillation parameters. Such a degeneracy is shown to be mitigated by including the neutrino events from the NuMI beam. In this note, the prospect of a 3+1 oscillation analysis using both BNB and NuMI is reported, considerably improving the sensitivity to 3+1 neutrino oscillations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS

Latest Three-Flavor Neutrino Oscillation Results from NOvA

NOvA, is a two-detector, long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment located at Fermilab, Batavia, IL, USA. It aims to constrain neutrino oscillation parameters by analyzing $\nu_\mu (\bar{\nu}_\mu)$ disappearance and $\nu_e (\bar{\nu}_e)$ appearance data. The experiment uses the Neutrinos at Main Injector (NuMI) beamline at Fermilab, which delivers a high-purity 900 KW beam of neutrinos and anti-neutrinos. The detectors are functionally identical finely granulated liquid tracking calorimeters, both situated 14.6 mrad off-axis to the beam direction. The NOvA Near Detector (ND), situated 100 meters underground and 1 kilometer from the beam source, detects the un-oscillated $\nu_\mu (\bar{\nu}_\mu)$ and beam $\nu_e (\bar{\nu}_e)$ events. The Far Detector (FD), located in Ash River, MN, USA, 809 kilometers from the ND, records the oscillated $\nu_e (\bar{\nu}_e)$ and the un-oscillated $\nu_\mu (\bar{\nu}_\mu)$ events. NOvA employs an extrapolation technique to predict the expected events at the Far Detector based on the Near Detector data, thereby providing a significant constraint on systematic uncertainties in the oscillation analyses. As NOvA accumulates more data, controlling these systematic uncertainties becomes increasingly important. This talk will detail the NOvA neutrino oscillation analysis framework and its approach to minimizing dominant systematic uncertainties using Near Detector data. The latest three flavor neutrino oscillation results based on a neutrino-beam exposure of $26.60 \times 10^{20}$ POT and an anti-neutrino beam exposure of $12.50\times 10^{20}$ POT and a novel low energy $\nu_e$ sample, will also be presented.

Choudhary, Brajesh

Investigating Wintertime GPM-IMERG Precipitation in the North Atlantic

Precipitation is expected to increase in a warming climate, which can have profound impacts on local and global hydrologic budgets. However, the precipitation in high latitudes remains highly uncertain. We compare wintertime precipitation in the North Atlantic using GPM-IMERG, GPCP, MERRA-2 and ERA5 between 2000–2019 and show that while interannual variations between products are similar, large differences in magnitudes exist, specifically in areas of higher precipitation where Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) produces an excess of 2 mm day−1. EOF analysis demonstrates observations and reanalyses show similar spatial variability in the most dominant precipitation patterns and are highly correlated (r = −0.6) with the North Atlantic Oscillation. Analysis of IMERG extreme precipitation further shows that it is most densely populated in this same area where large discrepancies in magnitudes between products exist. IMERG extreme precipitation was found to drive the monthly anomalies. Future work needs to be focused on extreme precipitation characteristics, patterns and the driving atmospheric factors.

Linette Boisvert

Accretion disk oscillations - A local analysis in a disk of finite thickness

Two types of oscillations are observed to occur in dwarf novae: 'coherent' and 'quasi-periodic' oscillations. These may be associated with the pulsation of the white dwarf or the accretion disk components of the dwarf nova. Here a local (short-wavelength) analysis is utilized to study the oscillation of a self-consistent, two-dimensional model of an accretion disk. The linearized equations describing adiabatic, inviscid, nonaxisymmetric oscillations are used to derive a fifth-order algebraic equation for the (complex) pulsation frequency of the disk. The solutions of this equation for various values of the wavevector k reveal that the disk is capable of supporting (1) a pair of high-frequency acoustic modes (p-modes); (2) a pair of intermediate-frequency modes which may share the characteristics of internal gravity waves (g-modes) and inertial waves; and (3) a mode associated with a dynamical instability (purely imaginary frequency). The role played by the shear in determining the stability or instability of these modes is also considered. Finally, the global oscillation frequencies of the disk are discussed.

Carroll, B. W.

Measurements of three-flavor neutrino oscillations from a PISCES two-detector fit to the NOvA Experiment data

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment with two functionally identical detectors: a Near Detector (ND) at Fermilab, placed 1 km from the neutrino source, and a Far Detector (FD) located 810 km away from the ND in Minnesota. NOvA s primary physics goals are to measure the neutrino oscillation parameters $\theta_{23}$ and $\Delta m^2_{32}$ with high precision, determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, and constrain the value of $\delta_{CP}$, primarily via the study of muon neutrino to electron neutrino oscillation. Extracting values for oscillation parameters from fits to data usually relies on treating systematic uncertainties as nuisance parameters, a strategy that suffers from poor scalability as the number of uncertainties becomes larger. This work introduces PISCES (Parameter Inference with Systematic Covariance and Exact Statistics), a novel method that circumvents this scalability problem by encoding systematic uncertainties into a covariance matrix. PISCES utilizes a nested minimization in which optimal systematic pulls are first computed using the covariance matrix in an inner minimization step, then the oscillation parameters are profiled over in the outer minimization. PISCES also uses a Poisson Likelihood term, making it ideal for the inclusion of low-statistic samples in the fits. PISCES is a flexible framework that also supports complex fits, such as a joint Near and Far detector fit. In the standard NOvA analysis, oscillation parameters are extracted using an extrapolation technique in which the ND data indirectly constrain the FD prediction via a ratio method. PISCES, on the other hand, enables a simultaneous ND+FD fit, allowing the high-statistics ND data to directly constrain systematic uncertainties across all samples. This thesis presents the full PISCES joint ND+FD fit for the NOvA three-flavor analysis, details its implementation, and evaluates its performance through extensive robustness tests and fake data studies. It also provides a comparison between the PISCES joint ND+FD results and the standard NOvA extrapolation method using the full NOvA 10-year data set. The results demonstrate that PISCES can successfully fit NOvA data while incorporating the constraints from the ND detectors consistently, using physically motivated systematic uncertainties to account for data/MC discrepancies.

Rajaoalisoa, Miriama [Cincinnati U.]

Final Search for Short-Baseline Neutrino Oscillations with the PROSPECT-I Detector at HFIR

The PROSPECT experiment is designed to perform precise searches for antineutrino disappearance at short distances (7–9 m) from compact nuclear reactor cores. This Letter reports results from a new neutrino oscillation analysis performed using the complete data sample from the PROSPECT-I detector operated at the High Flux Isotope Reactor in 2018. The analysis uses a multiperiod selection of inverse beta decay neutrino interactions with reduced backgrounds and enhanced statistical power to set limits on electron neutrino disappearance caused by mixing with sterile neutrinos with 0.2–20 eV 2 mass splittings. Inverse beta decay positron energy spectra from six different reactor-detector distance ranges are found to be statistically consistent with one another, as would be expected in the absence of sterile neutrino oscillations. The data excludes at 95% confidence level the existence of sterile neutrinos in regions above 3 eV 2 previously unexplored by terrestrial experiments, including all space below 10 eV 2 suggested by the recently strengthened Gallium Anomaly. The best-fit point of the Neutrino-4 reactor experiment’s claimed observation of short-baseline oscillation is ruled out at more than 5 standard deviations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Constraining non-standard neutrino interactions with neutral current events at long-baseline oscillation experiments

We explore, for the first time, neutral-curren t events at long-baseline experiments to constrain vector and axial-vector neutrino non-standard interactions (NSI) with quarks. We leverage the flavor dependence of NSIs to perform an oscillation analysis in the neutral- current channel. We first introduce a framework to parametrize the effect of NSI on the cross section. Then, as an example, we analyze NOvA neutral-current data which provides significantly improved constraints on the axial-vector NSI parameters ${\varepsilon}_{\mu \mu}^A$, ${\varepsilon}_{\tau \tau}^A$ and ${\varepsilon}_{e\mu}^A$. This is highly complementary to constraints from SNO data, which, differently from long-baseline neutral current data, is not sensitive to isospin conserving NSIs ${\varepsilon}_u^A$ = ${\varepsilon}_d^A$. Additionally, we disfavor large values of the diagonal vectorial NSI ${\varepsilon}_{\mu \mu}^{VV}$ and ${\varepsilon}_{\tau \tau}^V$ which originate from the LMA-Dark solution. We also highlight the complementarity between NSI searches at oscillation experiments using charged current and neutral current channels.

neutrino interactions

Constraining non-standard neutrino interactions with neutral current events at long-baseline oscillation experiments

We explore, for the first time, neutral-current events at long-baseline experiments to constrain vector and axial-vector neutrino non-standard interactions (NSI) with quarks. We leverage the flavor dependence of NSIs to perform an oscillation analysis in the neutral- current channel. We first introduce a framework to parametrize the effect of NSI on the cross section. Then, as an example, we analyze NOvA neutral-current data which provides significantly improved constraints on the axial-vector NSI parameters $ {\varepsilon}_{\mu \mu}^A $,$ {\varepsilon}_{\tau \tau}^A $ and $ {\varepsilon}_{e\mu}^A $. This is highly complementary to constraints from SNO data, which, differently from long-baseline neutral current data, is not sensitive to isospin conserving NSIs $ {\varepsilon}_u^A $ = $ {\varepsilon}_d^A $. Additionally, we disfavor large values of the diagonal vectorial NSI $ {\varepsilon}_{\mu \mu}^{VV} $ and $ {\varepsilon}_{\tau \tau}^V $ which originate from the LMA-Dark solution. We also highlight the complementarity between NSI searches at oscillation experiments using charged current and neutral current channels.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Velocity reconstruction in the era of DESI and Rubin/LSST. II. Realistic samples on the light cone

Reconstructing the galaxy peculiar velocity field from the distribution of large-scale structure plays an important role in cosmology. On one hand, it gives us an insight into structure formation and gravity; on the other, it allows us to selectively extract the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect from cosmic microwave background maps. In this work, we employ high-accuracy synthetic galaxy catalogs on the light cone to investigate how well we can recover the velocity field when utilizing the three-dimensional spatial distribution of the galaxies in a modern large-scale structure experiment such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time. In particular, we adopt the standard technique used in baryon acoustic oscillation analysis for reconstructing the Zel’dovich displacements of galaxies through the continuity equation, which yields a first-order approximation to their large-scale velocities. We investigate variations in the number density, bias, mask, area, redshift noise, and survey depth, as well as modifications to the settings of the standard reconstruction algorithm. Since our main goal is to provide guidance for planned kSZ analysis between DESI and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, we apply velocity reconstruction to a faithful representation of DESI spectroscopic and photometric targets. We report the cross-correlation coefficient between the reconstructed and the true velocities along the line of sight. For the DESI Y1 spectroscopic survey, we expect the correlation coefficient to be r ≈ 0.64, while for a photometric survey with δ z /(1+z) = 0.02, as is approximately the case for the Legacy Survey used in the target selection of DESI galaxies, r shrinks by half to r ≈ 0.31. Here, we hope the results in this paper can be used to inform future kSZ stacking studies and other velocity reconstruction analyses planned with the next generation of cosmology experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Exploring the Nature of Neutrinos with the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE)

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation experimental program designed to study the behaviour of neutrino oscillation. DUNE will utilize a neutrino beam originating at Fermilab, near Chicago, and will leverage a detector at Fermilab (Near Detector) and a detector 1300 km away in South Dakota (Far Detector), south of Saskatchewan. In the first phase of DUNE, its Far Detector will comprise of two 10,000 ton (fiducial) liquid argon (LAr) time-projection chamber (TPC) modules – powerful tracking calorimeter detectors – placed nearly a mile underground. With this large, sensitive, underground detector, DUNE aims to collect a high statistics and pure sample of neutrinos at the Far Detector. This setup also offers the potential to study non-beam physical processes via e.g. neutrinos produced in the atmosphere, supernova neutrino bursts, and/or solar neutrinos, etc. A second phase will aim to add more detector mass and expand the program. The Near Detector will consist of a LAr TPC module as well: critical to constraining systematic uncertainties in the oscillation analysis. However, this LAr TPC will have a novel design using a pixel-based readout instead of the traditional wire-based readout. This and the segmentation of the LAr TPC into multiple units are crucial in mitigating the high multiplicity of neutrino interactions expected in any readout window given its proximity to the beam. The Near Detector will feature additional components and capability beyond the LAr TPC, allowing one to deeply characterize the neutrino flux. Due to the complexity of this experimental program, several smaller-scale prototype detectors have been operating to test, validate, and improve both the technical designs and software for processing and analyzing events. By operating in charged particle test beams or neutrino beams, several of the prototypes are also capable of producing valuable results. Canadian institutions are involved in the realization of the DUNE through efforts with both the Near and Far Detectors and prototypes. DUNE is anticipated to begin operating near the end of this decade/the beginning of the next. This talk will focus on the overall DUNE program, for example its ultimate plans, status, and the efforts with prototypes.

Howard, Bruce [York U., Canada; Fermilab]

Neutrino Oscillations at the NOvA Experiment

The NOvA experiment is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments based at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in IL, USA. The experiment was designed to observe muon neutrino (muon anti-neutrino) disappearance and electron neutrino (electron anti-neutrino) appearance oscillations using a set of technological identical liquid scintillation detectors. The detectors are situated 14.6 milli-radians off-axis to the Fermilab's NuMI beam line that provides a beam of neutrinos (anti-neutrinos) to the experiment. The latest results from 3-flavor neutrino oscillation analysis from 10 years of NOvA data will be discussed in the talk.

Choudhary, Brajesh [Delhi U.]

QED Radiative Corrections to CC Neutrino Scattering in NOvA

The widely-used (anti)neutrino event generator GENIE accounts for only tree level Charged-Current (CC) (anti)neutrino interactions. In this poster we begin by summarizing previous research into second order QED radiative corrections. After summarizing the theoretical corrections to cross-section distributions in $Q^2$ and $E_\nu$ we analyze the effects of Radiative corrections implemented as a systematic within NOvA's neutrino oscillation analysis framework. We present corrected predictions of (anti)neutrino event spectra at NOvA's far detector, showing an increase in CC cross sections with an increase in reconstructed $E_\nu$ along with a small decrease in low reco $E_\nu$ bins, consistent with the theoretical work.

Tripp, William [Tufts U.]

The SAND detector for the DUNE experiment

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation project aiming to study several neutrino properties. It will feature two experimental setups: a near detector that will be installed at Fermilab, in proximity of the neutrino-production point, and a far detector at a distance of 1300 km and 1500 m underground, at the SURF laboratory. The DUNE design and configuration will allow the study of neutrino oscillation, astrophysical neutrinos, and beyond standard model physics. The near detector complex foresees three detectors to be installed. Among these, the System for on-Axis Neutrino Detection (SAND) will serve as on-axis beam monitor, reduce the systematic uncertainties for the oscillation analysis, and search for physics beyond the standard model. SAND will be composed of three sub-detectors, surrounded by a 0.6 T superconducting magnet. The outermost detector will be a lead/scintillating-fiber electromagnetic calorimeter while the inner volume will include a 1-ton liquid argon active target placed upstream followed by a target tracker system. The SAND detector and its goals will be shown in this poster.

Alemanno, Francesca [Salento U.; INFN, Lecce]

Machine Learning Neutrino-Nucleus Cross Sections

Neutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections are critical theoretical inputs for long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. However, robust modeling of these cross sections remains challenging. For a simple but physically motivated toy model of the DUNE experiment, we demonstrate that an accurate neural-network model of the cross section -- leveraging Standard Model symmetries -- can be learned from near-detector data. We then perform a neutrino oscillation analysis with simulated far-detector events, finding that the modeled cross section achieves results consistent with what could be obtained if the true cross section were known exactly. This proof-of-principle study highlights the potential of future neutrino near-detector datasets and data-driven cross-section models.

Wagman, Michael L. [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000176701

First results from the search for muon neutrino disappearance with ICARUS

After successful operation at LNGS and a major upgrade at CERN, the 760-ton ICARUS T600 detector has been running at Fermilab since 2020, collecting neutrino interactions from the BNB and NuMI beams. In late 2025, ICARUS reached five years of continuous data taking, demonstrating the maturity of large-scale LAr-TPC technology and its relevance for future experiments such as DUNE. This contribution presents the first ICARUS search for muon-neutrino disappearance in the BNB. Charged-current 1μNp events selected from 2022–2023 data are compared to simulations and interpreted, for the first time, within a two-neutrino approximation of the 3+1 sterile-neutrino model, including systematic uncertainties from flux, interaction, and detector effects. Although currently limited by systematic uncertainties, this first oscillation analysis probes the parameter space suggested by existing νμ-disappearance results and lays the groundwork for future SBN combined analyses with SBND, which will significantly improve sensitivity to sterile-neutrino scenarios.

Artero Pons, Maria [Padua U.; INFN, Padua]

First results from the search for muon neutrino disappearance with ICARUS

After successful operation at LNGS and a major upgrade at CERN, the 760-ton ICARUS T600 detector has been running at Fermilab since 2020, collecting neutrino interactions from the BNB and NuMI beams. In late 2025, ICARUS reached five years of continuous data taking, demonstrating the maturity of large-scale LAr-TPC technology and its relevance for future experiments such as DUNE. This contribution presents the first ICARUS search for muon-neutrino disappearance in the BNB. Charged-current 1μNp events selected from 2022–2023 data are compared to simulations and interpreted, for the first time, within a two-neutrino approximation of the 3+1 sterile-neutrino model, including systematic uncertainties from flux, interaction, and detector effects. Although currently limited by systematic uncertainties, this first oscillation analysis probes the parameter space suggested by existing νμ-disappearance results and lays the groundwork for future SBN combined analyses with SBND, which will significantly improve sensitivity to sterile-neutrino scenarios.

Artero Pons, Maria [Padua U.; INFN, Padua]

MicroBooNE Electron Neutrino Cross Sections without Visible Pions

MicroBooNE is an 85-tonne liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) at Fermilab. It collected data from two different beam lines between 2015 and 2020 and has since released a large number of neutrino cross section results on argon. These inform neutrino interaction modelling in view of next generation LArTPCs such as the upcoming DUNE experiment. We present new measurements of the electron neutrino charged current pionless cross section on argon in the MicroBooNE detector. These measurements are essential to DUNE’s oscillation analysis as they impact the predicted interaction rate of the main flavor appearance signal. Two measurements are presented, one that leverages the full on-axis MicroBooNE Booster Neutrino Beam dataset while the other uses about 30% of the 8° off-axis Neutrino at the Main Injector beam dataset. Two channels can be considered: with or without a visible pion in the final state. Both measurements consider events with visible protons and the BNB measurement also measures electron neutrinos across the proton visibility threshold. Differential cross sections are extracted in proton and electron kinematics. The relationship between the hadronic and leptonic systems is explored through the angle between the proton and electron directions. The resulting cross sections are compared to a variety of generator predictions using different models of neutrino interactions. We find overall good agreement with most models, especially in lepton kinematics.

Mellet, Lucile [Michigan State U.]

First Results from the Search for Muon-Neutrino Disappearance with the ICARUS Detector

After successful operation at LNGS and a major upgrade at CERN, the 760-ton ICARUS T600 detector has been running at Fermilab since 2020, collecting neutrino interactions from the BNB and NuMI beams. In late 2025, ICARUS reached five years of continuous data taking, demonstrating the maturity of large-scale LAr-TPC technology and its relevance for future experiments such as DUNE. This contribution presents the first ICARUS search for muon-neutrino disappearance in the BNB. Charged-current 1$\mu$Np events selected from 2022–2023 data are compared to simulations and interpreted, for the first time, within a two-neutrino approximation of the 3+1 sterile-neutrino model, including systematic uncertainties from flux, interaction, and detector effects. Although currently limited by systematic uncertainties, this first oscillation analysis probes the parameter space suggested by existing $\nu_\mu$ disappearance results and lays the groundwork for future SBN combined analyses with SBND, which will significantly improve sensitivity to sterile-neutrino scenarios.

Steklain, Andre [Parana Tech. Fed. U., Toledo] (OR