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DOE OSTI2014

Observation of Muon Neutrino Charged Current Events in an Off-Axis Horn-Focused Neutrino Beam Using the NOvA Prototype Detector

The NOνA is a long base-line neutrino oscillation experiment. It will study the oscillations between muon and electron neutrinos through the Earth. NOνA consists of two detectors separated by 810 km. Each detector will measure the electron neutrino content of the neutrino (NuMI) beam. Differences between the measurements will reveal details about the oscillation channel. The NOνA collaboration built a prototype detector on the surface at Fermilab in order to develop calibration, simulation, and reconstruction tools, using real data. This 220 ton detector is 110 mrad off the NuMI beam axis. This off-axis location allows the observation of neutrino interactions with energies around 2 GeV, where neutrinos come predominantly from charged kaon decays. During the period between October 2011 and April 2012, the prototype detector collected neutrino data from 1.67 × 10 20 protons on target delivered by the NuMI beam. This analysis selected a number of candidate charged current muon neutrino events from the prototype data, which is 30% lower than predicted by the NOνA Monte Carlo simulation. The analysis suggests that the discrepancy comes from an over estimation of the neutrino flux in the Monte Carlo simulation, and in particular, from neutrinos generated in charged kaon decays. The ratio of measured divided by the simulated flux of muon neutrinos coming from charged kaon decays is: 0.70 +0.108 -0.094 . The NOνA collaboration may use the findings of this analysis to introduce a more accurate prediction of the neutrino flux produced by the NuMI beam in future Monte Carlo simulations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2013

Muon Energy Reconstruction Through the Multiple Scattering Method in the NO$\mathrm{\nu}$A Detectors [Thesis]

Neutrino energy measurements are a crucial component in the experimental study of neutrino oscillations. These measurements are done through the reconstruction of neutrino interactions and energy measurements of their products. This thesis presents the development of a technique to reconstruct the energy of muons from neutrino interactions in the NO$\mathrm{\nu}$A experiment. This is achieved through the understanding of muon multiple scattering within the NO$\mathrm{\nu}$A detectors. This technique is particularly useful for estimating energies of muons which escape the detector.

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DOE OSTI2015

Muon Neutrino to Electron Neutrino Oscillation in NO$\nu$A

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment optimized for electron neu- trino ( e) appearance in the NuMI beam, a muon neutrino ( $\nu$ μ ) source at Fermilab. It consists of two functionally identical, nearly fully-active liquid-scintillator tracking calorimeters. The near detector (ND) at Fermilab is used to study the neutrino beam spectrum and composition before oscillation, and measure background rate to the $\nu$ e appearance search. The far detector, 810 km away in Northern Minnesota, observes the oscillated beam and is used to extract oscillation parameters from the data. NO$\nu$ A's long baseline, combined with the ability of the NuMI beam to operate in the anti- neutrino mode, makes NO$\nu$ A sensitive to the last unmeasured parameters in neutrino oscillations- mass hierarchy, CP violation and the octant of mixing angle 23. This thesis presents the search for e appearance in the first data collected by the NO A detectors from October 2013 till May 2015. Studies of the NuMI neutrino data collected in the NO A near detector are also presented, which show large discrepancies between the ND simulation and data. Muon- removed electron (MRE) events, constructed by replacing the muon in $\nu$ μ charged cur- rent interactions by a simulated electron, are used to correct the far detector $\nu$e appearance prediction for these discrepancies. In the analysis of the first data, a total of 6 e candidate events are observed in the far detector on a background of 1, a 3.46 σ excess, which is interpreted as strong evidence for e appearance. The results are consistent with our expectation, based on constraints from other neutrino oscillation experiments. The result presented here differs from the officially published $\nu$ e appearance result from the NO A experiment where the systematic error is assumed to cover the MRE correction.

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DOE OSTI2015

Measurement of the Muon Atmospheric Production Depth with the Water Cherenkov Detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) are particles of uncertain origin and composition, with energies above 1 EeV (10 18 eV or 0.16 J). The measured flux of UHECR is a steeply decreasing function of energy. The largest and most sensitive apparatus built to date to record and study cosmic ray Extensive Air Showers (EAS) is the Pierre Auger Observatory. The Pierre Auger Observatory has produced the largest and finest amount of data ever collected for UHECR. A broad physics program is being carried out covering all relevant topics of the field. Among them, one of the most interesting is the problem related to the estimation of the mass composition of cosmic rays in this energy range. Currently the best measurements of mass are those obtained by studying the longitudinal development of the electromagnetic part of the EAS with the Fluorescence Detector. However, the collected statistics is small, specially at energies above several tens of EeV. Although less precise, the volume of data gathered with the Surface Detector is nearly a factor ten larger than the fluorescence data. So new ways to study composition with data collected at the ground are under investigation. The subject of this thesis follows one of those new lines of research. Using preferentially the time information associated with the muons that reach the ground, we try to build observables related to the composition of the primaries that initiated the EAS. A simple phenomenological model relates the arrival times with the depths in the atmosphere where muons are produced. The experimental confirmation that the distributions of muon production depths (MPD) correlate with the mass of the primary particle has opened the way to a variety of studies, of which this thesis is a continuation, with the aim of enlarging and improving its range of applicability. We revisit the phenomenological model which is at the root of the analysis and discuss a new way to improve some aspects of the model. We carry out a thorough revision of the original analysis with the aim of understanding the different contributions to the total bias and resolution when building MPDs on an event-by-event basis. We focus on an alternative way to build MPDs by considering average MPDs for ensembles of air-showers, with the aim of enlarging the range of applicability of this kind of analysis. Finally, we analyze how different improvements in the Surface Detector electronics and its internal configuration affect the resolution of the MPD. We conclude by summarizing the main results and discussing potential ways to improve MPD-based mass composition studies.

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DOE OSTI2013

Muon Energy Reconstruction Through the Multiple Scattering Method in the NO$\mathrm{\nu}$A Detectors

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DOE OSTI2015

Determinacion del error sistematico del momentum de muones producidos por interacciones neutrino-nucleon en el detector MINER$\nu$A

El Modelo Estandar describe todas las partculas observadas en el naturaleza hasta el momento as como las caractersticas que gobiernan a las interacciones fundamentales entre ellas. En especial es posible identicar a las interacciones electromagnetica y debil, las cuales bajo determinadas condiciones de temperatura y energa pueden ser descritas a traves de una sola teora que engloba a ambas. A esta teora se le denomina electrodebil y tiene como nalidad caracterizar las propiedades de la interaccion maniesta a partir de la mezcla de las interacciones electromagnetica y debil, la que tambien lleva como nombre interaccion electrodebil. Particularmente, los neutrinos son de especial interes ya que, por un lado, interactuan por medio de la interaccion debil muy raramente en comparacion con otras partculas y, por el otro, no son acertadamente descritos por el Modelo Estandar. Por medio de observaciones experimentales que demostraban que los neutrinos cambian de sabor al propagarse, fenomeno llamado oscilaciones de neutrinos, se pudo llegar a la conclusion de que la implicancia de este fenomeno da como consecuencia que los neutrinos efectivamente s tienen masa, algo que entra en contradiccion con la descripcion inicial del Modelo Estandar, el cual los describe como partculas sin masa. Es de esta manera que las oscilaciones de neutrinos han sido y siguen siendo en la actualidad objeto de interes en la Fsica de Altas Energas tanto teorica como experimental. A n de poder realizar mediciones precisas de oscilaciones de neutrinos, los experimentos encargados de estas mediciones deben tratar de reducir sus incertidumbres en lo posible. Una de estas proviene de la caracterizacion de las secciones de choque de los neutrinos cuando interactuan con la materia, particularmente los nucleones al interior de los nucleos atomicos. El experimento MINERA esta orientado, entre otras cosas, a hacer una correcta caracterizacion de secciones de choque neutrino-nucleon por medio del estudio de un tipo especco de interaccion denominado corriente cargada, cuyas partculas de estado nal incluye hadrones y, principalmente, muones. La precision en los resultados de secciones de choque esta sujeta a que la energa y el momentum estos muones sean, a su vez, correctamente caracterizados, incluyendo sus incertidumbres sistematicas. El objetivo de este trabajo de tesis es precisamente presentar la metodologa usada para medir las energas de los muones producidos por interacciones de neutrinos y sus correspondientes incertidumbres asociadas a dicha medicion.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Developing the Precision Magnetic Field for the E989 Muon g{2 Experiment

The experimental value of $(g\hbox{--}2)_\mu$ historically has been and contemporarily remains an important probe into the Standard Model and proposed extensions. Previous measurements of $(g\hbox{--}2)_\mu$ exhibit a persistent statistical tension with calculations using the Standard Model implying that the theory may be incomplete and constraining possible extensions. The Fermilab Muon g-2 experiment, E989, endeavors to increase the precision over previous experiments by a factor of four and probe more deeply into the tension with the Standard Model. The $(g\hbox{--}2)_\mu$ experimental implementation measures two spin precession frequencies defined by the magnetic field, proton precession and muon precession. The value of $(g\hbox{--}2)_\mu$ is derived from a relationship between the two frequencies. The precision of magnetic field measurements and the overall magnetic field uniformity achieved over the muon storage volume are then two undeniably important aspects of the e xperiment in minimizing uncertainty. The current thesis details the methods employed to achieve magnetic field goals and results of the effort.

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DOE OSTI2018

Measurement of the Kaon Production Normalization in the NuMI Target Using Uncontained Charged-Current Muon Neutrino Interactions in the NOvA Far Detector

aNOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that uses the NuMI beam from Fermilab. Its physics goals include providing constraints to the neutrino mass hierarchy and the CP-violating phase $\delta$ by precision measurements of the electron (anti)neutrino appearance in a muon (anti)neutrino beam. Similarly, new limits on the values of $\sin^2{\theta_{23}}$ and $\Delta m^{2}_{32}$ will be achieved by measurements of the muon (anti)neutrino disappearance probabilities. A combined analysis measurement will allow a better resolution of the $\theta_{23}$ octant. The NuMI beam is produced by the collision of high energy protons into a target, giving rise to kaon and pion mesons that decay to neutrinos of a specific flavor. This thesis presents a measurement of the kaon production normalization scale using uncontained charged-current muon neutrinos at the Far Detector. Because the neutrino beam is not pure in flavor, it contains an admixture of other different n eutrino flavors that become a source of background. %in oscillation analysis. Therefore, it is of paramount importance for accelerator experiments, such as NOvA, to have a reliable flux prediction of the neutrino beam in order to achieve its physics goals. One method to constrain the flux is to constrain and measure each flux component independently. The kaon component contributes to the intrinsic $\nu_{e}$ contamination of the beam, a key background for the $\nu_{e}$-appearance analysis. We observed that the uncontained sample in the 10-20 GeV region corresponds to the kaon component of the NuMI beam at the Far Detector. We also found a 60-80\% correlation between the Near Detector $\nu_{e}$ background and the Far Detector $\nu_{\mu}$ uncontained signal. The data used for this analysis was collected from October 2014 to February 2017, corresponding to $7.99 \times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target (POT). The ratio between the Far Detector data and the simulation is fitted to a lin e in the 10-20 GeV energy region. Calibration, energy scale,! final state interactions and neutrino flux (e.g. beam transport and hadron production shape only) systematic uncertainties are considered. The kaon production normalization scale is measured to be $S_{K} = 1.07 \pm 0.16$.

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DOE OSTI2019

Measuring the Precession Frequency in the E989 Muon g – 2 Experiment

The E989 Muon $g-2$ Experiment aims to measure the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a_\mu$, to an unprecedented precision of 140 parts per billion (ppb). There currently stands a greater than 3$\sigma$ discrepancy between the best measurement of $a_\mu$ and its theoretical value predicted using the Standard Model. The E989 experiment seeks to either resolve or confirm this discrepancy, which is suggestive of new physics interactions within reach of many contemporary experiments. To achieve the E989 target precision, the anomalous precession frequency, $\omega_a$, of muons in a magnetic storage ring must be determined with a systematic uncertainty below 70\,ppb. This frequency is imprinted on the time-dependent energy distribution of decay positrons observed by 24 electromagnetic calorimeters. These calorimeters feature a novel design optimized expressly for the stringent demands of the $\omega_a$ measurement. This dissertation outlines the motivation for and measuremen t principles behind E989, discusses the requirements, prototyping, testing, commissioning, and operations of the electromagnetic calorimeters, and presents a preliminary, blinded analysis of data collected in the spring of 2018.

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DOE OSTI2019

First Measurements of Inclusive Muon Neutrino Charged Current Differential Cross Sections on Argon at 0.8 GeV Average Neutrino Energy with the MicroBooNE Detector

Current and next-generation precision neutrino oscillation experiments aim to determine the neutrino mass ordering, to measure the extent of CP violation in the lepton sector and to probe beyond Standard Model physics, such as sterile neutrinos. These experiments rely on models for neutrino interactions with matter that are complicated by nuclear effects and final state interactions. To date, these effects cannot be modelled precisely, especially for heavy target nuclei, typically used in modern neutrino experiments. Many future experiments will employ detectors based on the liquid argon time projection chamber technology. As a consequence, neutrino-argon cross-section measurements are of the outmost importance, especially given the relative scarcity of neutrino-argon data, due to the novelty of the technology. This thesis presents the first measurement of muon-neutrino charged-current inclusive cross section on argon at a mean neutrino energy of 0.8 GeV. Data were collected using the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber in the Fermilab Booster neutrino beam during a period of six months, corresponding to an exposure of $1.6 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target. The measured cross section is presented as a function of the outgoing muon momentum, using multiple Coulomb scattering as a measurement technique, as well as the muon angle with respect to the beam direction. A comparison of the measured cross section obtained with two different configurations of the \textsc{Genie} neutrino event generator is performed, and better agreement is found when using nuclear-effect modelling in the theoretical calculations. Additionally, the total flux integrated cross section is measured to be $0.693 \pm 0.010 \, (\text{stat.}) \pm 0.165 \, (\text{syst.}) \times 10^{-38} \, \text{cm}^{2}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

NOvA muon energy scale systematic

The systematic uncertainty on the correspondence between muon range and energy is developed for the NOvA neutrino experiment. NOvA consists of two detectors, the Near Detector at Fermilab and the Far Detector in northern Minnesota. Total errors are developed for the Near Detector, with its Muon Catcher treated separately, the Far Detector, and all combinations of correlated and uncorrelated errors between these three detectors. The absolute errors for the Near Detector (1.0%), the Far Detector (0.9%), and the fully correlated error shared by them (0.9%) are strongly dominated by Geant4’s treatment of the Bethe density effect. At the Near Detector, the next biggest uncertainty is from stray hits caused by neutron capture pile-up. Other contributions are marginally significant, with the biggest, in descending order, being due to external measurements of the mean excitation energies of elements, detector mass accounting, and modification of energy loss by chemical binding. For the Muon Catcher, the absolute error is expressed as an offset instead of a percentage: 21MeV. The density effect (at higher energies) and neutron capture pile-up (at lower energies) are the strongly dominant errors. The relative error between the Near and Far Detectors is 0.4% and is strongly dominated by neutron capture pile-up at the Near Detector, with a subdominant contribution from detector mass accounting.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

NOvA Muon Energy Scale Systematic

The systematic uncertainty on the correspondence between muon range and energy is developed for the NOvA neutrino experiment. NOvA consists of two detectors, the Near Detector at Fermilab and the Far Detector in northern Minnesota. Total errors are developed for the Near Detector, with its Muon Catcher treated separately, the Far Detector, and all combinations of correlated and uncorrelated errors between these three detectors. The absolute errors for the Near Detector (1.0%), the Far Detector (0.9%), and the fully correlated error shared by them (0.9%) are strongly dominated by Geant4's treatment of the Bethe density effect. At the Near Detector, the next biggest uncertainty is from stray hits caused by neutron capture pile-up. Other contributions are marginally significant, with the biggest, in descending order, being due to external measurements of the mean excitation energies of elements, detector mass accounting, and modification of energy loss by chemical binding. For the Muon Catcher, the absolute error is expressed as an offset instead of a percentage: 21 MeV. The density effect (at higher energies) and neutron capture pile-up (at lower energies) are the strongly dominant errors. The relative error between the Near and Far Detectors is 0.4% and is strongly dominated by neutron capture pile-up at the Near Detector, with a subdominant contribution from detector mass accounting.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2019

Liquid argon time projection chamber calibration using cosmogenic muons, and measurement of neutrino induced charged kaon production in argon in the charged current mode (MicroBooNE experiment)

The MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab uses the novel LArTPC technology to reconstruct neutrino interactions with liquid argon. The experiment consists of a detector having an active mass of 85 tons of liquid argon, where the operational electric field of the TPC is 0.273 kV/cm. While BNB neutrino beam at Fermilab is the main source for neutrinos for the experiment having an average energy of ~0.8 GeV, the NUMI neutrino beam at Fermilab also provides high energy neutrinos to perform different physics analyses. The MicroBooNE experiment has been in operation since october 2015. Its major physics goals include investigating into the anomalous production of electron neutrino like events as observed by MiniBooNE and LSND experiments and detail studies of neutrino-argon cross sections at lower neutrino energies. Moreover, the experiment will also serve as R&D for future LArTPC experiments like the already proposed SBN and DUNE programs. One of the major operational requirements of any LArTPC experiment including MicroBooNE is to achieve a high liquid argon purity keeping the electronegative contaminants like H2O and O2 at low concentration levels. This dissertation first describes how to perform an electron attenuation measurement using cosmogenic muons, which provides a handle over the the amount of electronegative impurities inside our detector medium. Likewise this measurement also serves as the first step towards reconstruction of particle energies as MicroBooNE must compensate for the loss of ionization electrons due to capture by electronegative contaminants. Secondly, the discussion is about how to calibrate any LArTPC detector in removing any spatial and temporal variations of the dQ/dx (charge deposited per unit length) spectrum using cosmogenic muons and then how to calculate correct energies of particle interactions with these calibrated out dQ/dx values. The translation of dQ/dx to particle energies (dE/dx - energy deposited per unit lengt h) makes use of the stopping muons coming from neutrino inte! ractions as the standard candle. The final discussion is about the neutrino induced charged kaon production at charged current mode in the lower neutrino energies of MicroBooNE experiment. This measurement is crucial as there is no such measurement so far on argon at the scale of neutrino energies used for MicroBooNE while already existing measurements on lighter nuclear targets are also sparse. This dissertation presents the first identified neutrino induced kaon candidates in MicroBooNE.

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DOE OSTI2018

First Muon-Neutrino Charged-Current Inclusive Differential Cross Section Measurement for MicroBooNE Run 1 Data

This note presents MicroBooNE’s first ν µ charged-current (CC) inclusive measurement using 6 months of Run 1 data (~ 1.6 × 10 20 POT). The measurement is presented as a function of reconstructed muon kinematics, including a first assessment of systematic uncertainties. The signal topology for a ν µ CC inclusive measurement is the presence of a neutrino-induced muon track with or without other accompanying particles. It is therefore the most inclusive cross section measurement that can be made, and due to the very clear signal definition allows straight-forward comparisons to theory models and other experiments. Additionally, this analysis selection can be used for more exclusive-channel cross section measurements, and be used to further develop reconstruction and event selection techniques. The note also discusses the techniques developed to distinguish neutrino-induced from cosmic muons for a sample with full angular coverage.

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DOE OSTI2015

Helical Muon Beam Cooling Channel Engineering Design (Phase I)

Develop a design for the integration of 805 MHz RF cavities into a 10 T Nb3Sn based HCC test section. Several SBIR-STTR developed inventions will be combined in an innovative practical engineering solution for a muon cooling channel suitable for a muon collider or for high-brightness muon beams for other applications.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Promising Technologies and R&D Directions for the Future Muon Collider Detectors

Among the post-LHC generation of particle accelerators, the muon collider represents a unique machine with capability to provide very high energy leptonic collisions and to open the path to a vast and mostly unexplored physics programme. However, on the experimental side, such great physics potential is accompanied by unprecedented technological challenges, due to the fact that muons are unstable particles. Their decay products interact with the machine elements and produce an intense flux of background particles that eventually reach the detector and may degrade its performance. In this paper, we present technologies that have a potential to match the challenging specifications of a muon collider detector and outline a path forward for the future R&D efforts.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2023

Muon Decay Study at NSRL

A muon is an unstable subatomic particle, classified as a lepton according to the Standard Model. Muons are charged leptons with 1/2 spin. They were discovered by Neddermeyer and Anderson from hadronic cosmic ray showers. Figure 1 provides a visual representation of a cosmic ray shower in Earth’s atmosphere. At a height of 50 000 m in the atmosphere, a primary cosmic ray (mainly protons, helium, a heavy nucleus or a gamma ray) interacts with a gas molecule. The striking of a gas molecule creates a cosmic ray shower, where the energy of the primary particle is distributed among many secondary particles and gamma rays. With each interaction, the cosmic ray particles in the shower lose energy but distribute this energy among a higher number of particles. From the initial interaction, primarily heavy nuclei and pions are generated. Heavy nuclei will interact with gas molecules to produce protons, gamma rays, electrons and pions. The dominant decay mode of neutral pions is to two gamma rays, while charged pions decay to a muon and a neutrino (equation 1): $π^+ → µ^+$ + $\overline ν$ $_µ$; $π → µ$ $^-$ + $\overline v$ $_µ$.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Measuring the Radial Component of the Magnetic Field in the Muon g-2 Experiment

A leading systematic error in the muon electric dipole moment (EDM) analysis at Muon g-2 is the presence of radial magnetic fields because they cause indistinguishable effects to the muon spin precession plane from a true EDM measurement. Measuring a non-zero EDM would place a constraint in CP-violation, indicating new physics beyond the Standard Model. The radial field is composed of an applied radial field by the surface correction coils (SCC) and a background radial field due to imperfections in the materials and alignment of magnetic elements. We determine an optimal SCC setting that best minimizes the background radial field by performing a scan at different electro-static quadrupole settings and studying its relation with the vertical beam position and applied radial field. In this talk I will present our results and describe our efforts to design an apparatus outfitted with Hall probes and tilt sensors to directly measure the radial magnetic field as a function of az imuth.

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