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DOE OSTI2026

Neutron Reconstruction via Blips in Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers

Neutrons are important in the separation of neutrino and antineutrino in atmospheric neutrino oscillation and in reducing atmospheric-neutrino backgrounds in beyond-standard model searches, but they are not explicitly accounted for in most current LArTPC reconstruction. We present a phenomenological study of neutron activities in liquid argon time projection chamber using detector-response constraints from existing detectors. Leveraging energy deposits from neutron scattering, primarily low-energy localized ,blips, we demonstrate the capability to identify neutrons and to reconstruct neutron multiplicity in neutrino interactions. Including neutron information significantly improves neutrino-antineutrino separation and the identification of rare events against atmospheric-neutrino backgrounds, motivating neutron-aware reconstruction for future high-precision LArTPC analyses.

Hernandez Morquecho, Miguel Angel [Minnesota U.] (↗
DOE OSTI2026

Search for Long-Lived Particles with Muon Detector Shower Signature in the CMS Run-3 data

Many beyond standard model theories predict the existence of long-lived particles (LLPs). These LLPs can have sizable lifetimes and decay several meters from their production vertex. In this poster/talk, we present the analysis strategy for searching for LLPs using the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment. The proton-proton collision data used in this analysis were collected from 2022 to 2024 at a center-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 170 fb^-1. The LLP decays are reconstructed as a high-multiplicity cluster of detector hits in the cathode strip chambers (CSC) of the muon system endcap. This signature is referred to as the Muon Detector Showers (MDS). This search requires events to contain at least one MDS cluster. The analysis focuses on LLP hadronic decays and LLP masses up to a few tens of GeV. We present the signal properties in MonteCarlo simulation, event selection, background modeling, and evaluation of the expected sensitivity. The results are interpreted under the Twin Higgs model benchmark.

Agyemang-Duah, Andrews [Grambling State U.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

ICARUS at the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program: First Results

The ICARUS collaboration employed the 760-ton T600 detector in a successful three-year physics run at the underground LNGS laboratory. In 2021, ICARUS started its new operation at Fermilab, collecting a substantial amount of neutrino events from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) and the neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam off-axis. These were used to test the ICARUS event selection, reconstruction, and analysis algorithms. ICARUS successfully completed its commissioning phase in June 2022, moving then to data taking for neutrino oscillation physics, aiming at first to either confirm or refute the claim by the Neutrino-4 short-baseline reactor experiment. ICARUS will also perform measurements of neutrino cross sections in LAr with the NuMI beam and several Beyond Standard Model studies. After the first year of operations, ICARUS will search for evidence of sterile neutrinos jointly with the Short-Baseline Near Detector, within the Short-Baseline Neutrino program. In this work, preliminary results from the ICARUS data with the BNB and NuMI beams are presented, both in terms of the performance of all ICARUS subsystems and the capability to select and reconstruct neutrino events.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measuring dark neutrinos and light using external and internal components of LArTPCs

The so-called MiniBooNE low-energy excess has been a long-standing questionfor beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics in the neutrino field. The ShortBaseline Neutrino (SBN) program was proposed to investigate and provide furtherinsights into this excess. The SBN program utilises Liquid Argon Time ProjectionChamber (LArTPC) technology, which allows for precise measurements of neutrinointeractions and holds great potential for addressing significant open questions inthe field. Within the SBN program, the Short Baseline Near Detector (SBND) plays acrucial role as one of the near detector, positioned just 110 meters from the neutrinosource. Being located on the surface, SBND is exposed to cosmic-ray background,and to mitigate this, the Cosmic Ray Tagger (CRT) system has been implemented toidentify and veto cosmic background events, thereby enhancing the purity of neutrinointeractions. Additionally, the CRT system can be used to search for BSM signatures,such as the dark neutrinos, which have been proposed to explain the MiniBooNElow-energy excess. This thesis presents a novel approach for searching for darkneutrinos using existing SBND CRT data, collected with a unique setup called theCRT Beam Telescope. An extended model-independent search based on the darkneutrino analysis is also presented. The sensitivity plot for the CRT Beam Telescopeis compared with an estimated MiniBooNE exclusion limit. Furthermore, this thesiscovers the commissioning work conducted for the SBND CRT system, which is vitalfor ensuring optimal performance. The LArTPC technology also benefits from liquidargon’s excellent scintillation properties, producing abundant scintillation light. Thisthesis describes a method developed to understand the detector response to thescintillation light produced across the LArTPC, enhancing our understanding of thedetector’s performance and facilitating more accurate measurements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Latest Results from the NOvA Experiment

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment based at Fermilab, IL, USA, that observes $\nu_\mu(\bar{\nu}_\mu) \to \nu_\mu(\bar{\nu}_\mu)$ disappearance and $\nu_\mu(\bar{\nu}_\mu) \to \nu_e(\bar{\nu}_e)$ appearance oscillations from a beam of neutrninos provided by the NuMI beamline at Fermilab. The experiment is made up of two functionally identical liquid scintillation detectors, both situated 14.6 mrad off-axis to the beam direction and made out of PVC extrusion cells arranged in alternating horizontal and vertical planes. The experiment is sensitive not only to standard three-flavor neutrino oscillations, but also to beyond standard model (BSM) searches such as sterile neutrino and non-standard interaction (NSI) of neutrinos with matter searches. The latest results from 3-flavor neutrino oscillation analysis, the NOvA-T2K joint analysis, searches for sterile neutrinos and non-standard interactions of neutrinos with matter, will be discussed here.

Choudhary, Brajesh [Delhi Tech. U.] (ORCID:0000000↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of the muon neutrino charged-current mesonless cross section in the NOvA near detector

NOvA is a long-baseline accelerator neutrino experiment at Fermilab. Its physics goals include precision neutrino oscillation measurements, neutrino interaction cross-section measurements and beyond Standard Model explorations. We present a measurement of muon neutrino charged-current cross section with zero mesons in the final state at the NOvA near detector. This measurement is performed as a function of the kinematics of the final state muon. Our chosen interaction channel is especially sensitive to quasielastic and meson exchange current interactions and it provides handles for constraining the cross section systematic uncertainties in oscillation analyses in present and future experiments. For particle identification, we use a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained on individual particles simulated in the NOvA Near detector. This allows us to select the desired signal while reducing the potential bias from neutrino interaction modeling. We study strategies for constraining the remaining charged-pion background via Michel electron information in a template fitting approach. The main experimental result is a two-dimensional differential cross section as a function of final-state muon kinetic energy and polar angle. The parameters of this measurement, including binning and unfolding, were optimized to reduce the expected systematic uncertainty in the total cross section. The final result shows good agreement with the main GENIE-based simulation framework that was independently fine-tuned in NOvA. We finally propose improvements and subsequent steps that build on this analysis and further dissect the final states of neutrino interactions. This work has been supported by US DOE grant DE-SC0015684.

Sánchez Falero, Sebastián Jesús [Iowa State U.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for bosons of an extended Higgs sector in b quark final states in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{\textrm{s}}$ = 13 TeV

A search for beyond-the-standard-model neutral Higgs bosons decaying to a pair of bottom quarks, and produced in association with at least one additional bottom quark, is performed with the CMS detector. The data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.7–126.9 fb −1 , depending on the probed mass range. No signal above the standard model background expectation is observed. Upper limits on the production cross section times branching fraction are set for Higgs bosons in the mass range of 125–1800 GeV. The results are interpreted in benchmark scenarios of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, as well as suitable classes of two-Higgs-doublet models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for excited tau leptons in the ττγ final state in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{\text{s}}$ = 13 TeV

Results are presented for a test of the compositeness of the heaviest charged lepton, τ, using data collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC. The data were collected in 2016–2018 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . This analysis searches for tau lepton pair production in which one of the tau leptons is produced in an excited state and decays to a ground state tau lepton and a photon. The event selection consists of two isolated tau lepton decay candidates and a high-energy photon. The mass of the excited tau lepton is reconstructed using the missing transverse momentum in the event, assuming the momentum of the neutrinos from each tau lepton decay are aligned with the visible decay products. No excess of events above the standard model background prediction is observed. This null result is used to set lower bounds on the excited tau lepton mass. For a compositeness scale Λ equal to the excited tau lepton mass, excited tau leptons with masses below 4700 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level; for Λ = 10 TeV this exclusion is set at 2800 GeV. This is the first experimental result covering this production and decay process in the excited tau mass range above 175 GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for vector-like leptons with long-lived particle decays in the CMS muon system in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A first search is presented for vector-like leptons (VLLs) exclusively decaying into a light long-lived pseudoscalar boson and a standard model τ lepton. The pseudoscalar boson is assumed to have a mass below the τ + τ − threshold, so that it decays exclusively into two photons. It is identified using the CMS muon system. The analysis is carried out using a data set of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment in 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . Selected events contain at least one pseudoscalar boson decaying electromagnetically in the muon system and at least one hadronically decaying τ lepton. No significant excess of data events is observed compared to the background expectation. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on the vector-like lepton production cross section as a function of the VLL mass and the pseudoscalar boson mean proper decay length. The observed and expected exclusion ranges of the VLL mass extend up to 700 and 670 GeV, respectively, depending on the pseudoscalar boson lifetime.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Observation of VVZ production at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for the production of three massive vector bosons, VVZ(V = W, Z) , in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV is performed using data with an integrated luminosity of 140 fb -1 recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events produced in the leptonic final states WWZ → ℓvℓvℓℓ (ℓ = e,μ), WZZ → ℓvℓℓℓℓ, ZZZ → ℓℓℓℓℓ, and the semileptonic final states WWZ → qq ℓvℓℓ and WZZ → ℓv qq ℓℓ, are analysed. The measured cross section for the pp → VVZ process is 660$^{+93}_{-90}$(stat.)$^{+80}_{-81}$(syst.) fb, and the observed (expected) significance is 6.4 (4.7) standard deviations, representing the observation of VVZ production. In addition, the measured cross section for the pp → WWZ process is 442 ± 94(stat.)$^{+60}_{-52}$(syst.) fb, and the observed (expected) significance is 4.4 (3.6) standard deviations, representing evidence of WWZ production. The measured cross sections are consistent with the Standard Model predictions. Constraints on physics beyond the Standard Model are also derived in the effective field theory framework by setting limits on Wilson coefficients for dimension-8 operators describing anomalous quartic gauge boson couplings.

Aad, G. (ORCID:0000000266654934)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Accuracy versus precision in boosted top tagging with the ATLAS detector

The identification of top quark decays where the top quark has a large momentum transverse to the beam axis, known as top tagging , is a crucial component in many measurements of Standard Model processes and searches for beyond the Standard Model physics at the Large Hadron Collider. Machine learning techniques have improved the performance of top tagging algorithms, but the size of the systematic uncertainties for all proposed algorithms has not been systematically studied. This paper presents the performance of several machine learning based top tagging algorithms on a dataset constructed from simulated proton-proton collision events measured with the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The systematic uncertainties associated with these algorithms are estimated through an approximate procedure that is not meant to be used in a physics analysis, but is appropriate for the level of precision required for this study. The most performant algorithms are found to have the largest uncertainties, motivating the development of methods to reduce these uncertainties without compromising performance. To enable such efforts in the wider scientific community, the datasets used in this paper are made publicly available.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Renormalized quark masses using gradient flow

We propose a new and simple method for determining the renormalized quark masses from lattice simulations. Renormalized quark masses are an important input to many phenomenological applications, including searching and modeling physics beyond the Standard Model. The nonperturbative renormalization is performed using gradient flow combined with the short-flow-time expansion that is improved by renormalization group (RG) running to match to the $\overline{MS}$ scheme. Implementing the RG running perturbatively, we demonstrate this method works reliably at least up to the charm-quark mass and exhibits an easily attainable “windowing condition.” Using RBC/UKQCD’s (2+1)-flavor Shamir domain-wall fermion ensembles with Iwasaki gauge action, we find 𝑚 $\overline{MS}$ 𝑠⁡ (𝜇 = 2 GeV) = 89⁢(3) MeV and 𝑚 $\overline{MS}$ 𝑐 ⁡(𝜇 = 3 GeV) = 972⁢(16) MeV. These results predict the scale-independent ratio 𝑚 𝑐 /𝑚 𝑠 = 12.1⁢(4). Generalization to other observables is possible, providing an efficient approach to determine nonperturbatively renormalized fermionic observables like form factors or bag parameters from lattice simulations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

SMEFT matching to Z ’ models at dimension eight

Heavy neutral gauge bosons arise in many motivated models of beyond the Standard Model Physics. Experimental searches require that such gauge bosons are above the TeV scale in most models which means that the tools of effective field theories, in particular the Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT), are useful. We match the SMEFT to models with heavy Z ’ bosons, including effects of dimension-8 operators, and consider the restrictions on model parameters from electroweak precision measurements and from Drell Yan invariant mass distributions and forward-backward asymmetry, 𝐴FB, measurements at the LHC. The results demonstrate the model dependence of the resulting limits on SMEFT coefficients and the relatively small impact of including dimension-8 matching. In all cases, the limits from invariant mass distributions are stronger than from 𝐴FB measurements in the Z ’ models we consider.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Invariant amplitudes, unpolarized cross sections, and polarization asymmetries in neutrino-nucleon and antineutrino-nucleon elastic scattering

At leading order in weak and electromagnetic couplings, cross sections for (anti)neutrino-nucleon elastic scattering are determined by four nucleon form factors that depend on the momentum transfer Q 2 . Including radiative corrections in the Standard Model and potential new physics contributions beyond the Standard Model, eight invariant amplitudes are possible, depending on both Q 2 and the (anti)neutrino energy E ν . We review the definition of these amplitudes and use them to compute both unpolarized and polarized observables including radiative corrections. We show that unpolarized accelerator neutrino cross-section measurements can probe new physics parameter space within the constraints inferred from precision beta decay measurements. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Estimation of backgrounds from jets misidentified as τ-leptons using the Universal Fake Factor method with the ATLAS detector

Processes with τ$$\tau $$-leptons in the final state are important for Standard Model measurements and searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider observes τ$$\tau $$-leptons produced in proton–proton collisions only through their decay products. Data analyses involving hadronically decaying τ$$\tau $$-leptons face challenges due to backgrounds from jets misidentified as τ$$\tau $$-leptons that are not modelled reliably by Monte Carlo simulations. Data-driven methods such as the fake-factor method allow such misidentified backgrounds to be predicted by measuring transfer factors, known as fake factors, in data from dedicated regions. This paper describes a refined technique for determining the fake factors, the Universal Fake Factor method. It evaluates the fake factors for a signal region by using fake factors from samples enriched in different sources of jets misidentified as τ$$\tau $$-leptons (light-quark, gluon, b-quark, and pile-up jets). Each fake factor is calculated as a linear combination of fake factors measured in these different enriched samples. For the full Run 2 data set, the systematic uncertainty of the calculated fake factors, evaluated using W(μν)$$W(\mu u )$$ enriched event sample, ranges from 15 to 35% depending on the τ$$\tau $$-lepton’s transverse momentum and charged-particle decay multiplicity.

Aad, G↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cosmic dipoles from large-scale structure surveys

Large-scale structure surveys can be used to measure the dipole in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), in the luminosity distances inferred from type-Ia supernova observations, and in the spatial distribution of galaxies and quasars. The measurements of these cosmic dipoles appear to be mutually inconsistent, even though they are expected to indicate the common observer velocity. This observational tension may represent a significant challenge to the standard model of cosmology. Here, in this work, we study in detail what contributes to the cosmic dipoles from CMB, supernova, and galaxy survey in the standard Λ cold dark matter (Λ⁢ CDM) model, though our theoretical model can be applied beyond the standard model. While measurements of the cosmic dipoles yield the relative velocities between the source samples and the observer velocity, the motion of the observer is the dominant contribution in the conformal Newtonian gauge, and the intrinsic velocities of the samples fall steeply with increasing redshift of the sources. Hence the cosmic dipoles of CMB, type-Ia supernovae, and galaxies should be aligned but can have different amplitudes. We also clarify several misconceptions that are commonly found in the literature.

cosmic microwave background↗
DOE OSTI2024

Discovering neutrino tridents at the Large Hadron Collider

Neutrino trident production of di-lepton pairs is well recognized as a sensitive probe of both electroweak physics and physics beyond the Standard Model. Although a rare process, it could be significantly boosted by such new physics, and it also allows the electroweak theory to be tested in a new regime. We demonstrate that the forward neutrino physics program at the Large Hadron Collider offers a promising opportunity to measure for the first time, dimuon neutrino tridents with a statistical significance exceeding $5\sigma$. We present predictions for various proposed experiments and outline a specific experimental strategy to identify the signal and mitigate backgrounds, based on "reverse tracking" dimuon pairs in the FASER$\nu$2 detector. We also discuss prospects for constraining beyond Standard Model contributions to neutrino trident rates at high energies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Particle physics using reactor antineutrinos

Nuclear reactors are uniquely powerful, abundant, and flavor-pure sources of antineutrinos that have played a central role in the discovery of the neutrinos and in elucidation of their properties. Further, this continues through a broad range of experiments investigating topics including Standard Model and short-baseline oscillations, beyond-the-Standard-Model physics searches, and reactor flux and spectrum modelling. This Report will survey the state of the reactor antineutrino physics field and summarize the ways in which current and future reactor antineutrino experiments can play a critical role in advancing the field of particle physics in the next decade.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗