Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Neutrinos interactions”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Axionlike particles and sterile neutrinos solve the 𝐵 → 𝐾⁢$𝜈⁢\bar{𝜈}$ and 𝐵 → 𝜋⁢𝐾 puzzles

The recent measurement of the branching ratio of 𝐵 + → 𝐾 + +inv (where “inv” denotes invisible states) by the Belle II Collaboration is enhanced relative to the standard model expectation by 2.7⁢𝜎. An older puzzle persists in measurements of the branching ratios and 𝐶⁢𝑃 asymmetries of 𝐵 → 𝜋⁢𝐾 decays. We address these two anomalies in flavor-changing neutral current 𝐵 decays, with a short-lived axionlike particle (ALP) with mass close to that of the 𝜋 0 . In the model with the minimum number of new couplings, the ALP has couplings to the photon, top quark and a heavy sterile neutrino. The ALP contributes to the 𝐵 → 𝜋 0 ⁢𝐾 decays by mixing with the 𝜋 0 . It contributes to 𝐵 + → 𝐾 + + inv by its off-shell coupling to sterile neutrino pairs. The model can explain the excess in the total rate, but not the observed distribution of signal events. We make predictions for all 𝐵 → 𝐾 (*) + inv modes and for the rare kaon decays, 𝐾 + → 𝜋 + + inv and 𝐾 𝐿 → 𝜋 0 + inv. We find an appreciable contribution to the magnetic moment of the muon, and negligible contributions to the magnetic moment of the electron and 𝑏 → 𝑠⁢𝑒 + ⁢𝑒 − .

axion-like particles↗
DOE OSTI2020

Next Generation Noble Liquid Detectors

The research program here combines Generic and Directed R\&D for Liquid Noble Gas detectors for neutrino physics and dark matter. In neutrino physics and dark matter research, we are addressing some of the most fundamental questions in particle physics today by studying these tiny particles in the electron family. To study them, detectors must be large, high precision, and ideally have the ability to collect detailed information from both charge and light from neutrino and dark matter interactions. Precision detection combined with large scales can be challenging. Liquid Argon detectors mitigate some of these challenges given the nature of its interaction medium and it’s relatively inexpensive cost per ton. Significant progress has been made in the last 15 years in developing these kinds of detectors to be built and operated at large scales. However there are still challenges and new ideas in moving these detectors from ton scale to kiloton scale. To be able to get the most out of these kinds of detectors directed questions with respect to specific components running and colleting data in the detectors must be understood. As well, new ideas on how to best combine charge and light measurements may lead to new ways to learn new things with these detectors. Experimental test stands to conduct this work, as is done in this proposal, to accomplish both of these goals are critical to address both of these questions. In the test stand enabled under this grant at Yale University’s Wright lab, new developments in efficient small scale setups were developed, instrumentation developed for running and future experiments (the SBND experiment at Fermilab at present, the DUNE experiment in the future) were and will be tested, and new ideas for charge and light determination for new measurements are under study. The long term impact of this work in neutrino physcis is both for the short and long baseline programs originating at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. At long baselines, the US flagship DUNE experiment will measure neutrino properties through neutrino oscillations using a beam originating at Fermilab and a massive LArTPC detector sited about a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. Studies here on the high voltage for thes detectors, and ongoing work on charge and light production and collection in the TPC are relevant for the design and data taking of this and other LArTPC detectors to enable them to best measure the neutrinos created at Fermilab that then pass through the detector in South Dakota. What we learn in these detectors may ultimately change the course of how we understand neutrino’s impact in the early universe. What we learn about how to improve this detection technology and develop new ideas in Lar detectors in general may impact both future neutrino experiments and dark matter experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Neutrinos in Stellar Astrophysics (in The Encyclopedia of Cosmology)

The physics of the mysterious and stealthy neutrino is at the heart of many phenomena in the cosmos. These particles interact with matter and with each other through the aptly named weak interaction. At typical astrophysical energies the weak interaction is some twenty orders of magnitude weaker than the electromagnetic interaction. However, in the early universe and in collapsing stars neutrinos can more than make up for their feeble interaction strength with huge numbers. Neutrinos can dominate the dynamics in these sites and set the conditions that govern the synthesis of the elements. Here we journey through the history of the discovery of these particles and describe their role in stellar evolution and collapse, the big bang, and multi-messenger astrophysics. Neutrino physics is at the frontier of elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics and cosmology. All of these fields overlap in the neutrino story.

Haxton, Wick↗
DOE OSTI2024

Tidal disruption events and dark matter scatterings with neutrinos and photons

Stars can be tidally disrupted when passing near a black hole, and the debris can induce a flux of high-energy neutrinos. It has been discussed that there are hints in IceCube data of high-energy neutrinos produced in Tidal Disruption Events. The emitting region of neutrinos and photons in these astrophysical events is likely to be located in the vicinity of the central black hole, where the dark matter density might be significantly larger than in the outer regions of the galaxy. We explore the potential attenuation of the emitted neutrino and photon fluxes due to interactions with dark matter particles around the supermassive black hole of the host galaxies of AT2019dsg, AT2019fdr and AT2019aalc, and study the implications for some well-motivated models of dark matter-neutrino and dark matter-photon interactions. Furthermore, we discuss the complementarity of our constraints with values of the dark matter-neutrino scattering cross section proven to alleviate some cosmological tensions.

Fujiwara, Motoko↗
DOE OSTI2021

A measurement of proton-carbon forward scattering in a proof-of-principle test of the EMPHATIC spectrometer

The next generation of long-baseline neutrino experiments will be capable of precision measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters, precision neutrino-nucleus scattering, and unprecedented sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model. Reduced uncertainties in neutrino fluxes are necessary to achieve high precision and sensitivity in these future precise neutrino measurements. New measurements of hadron-nucleus interaction cross sections are needed to reduce uncertainties of neutrino fluxes. We report measurements of the differential cross-section as a function of scattering angle for proton-carbon interactions with a single charged particle in the final state at beam momenta of 20, 30, and 120 GeV/c. These measurements are the result of a beam test for EMPHATIC, a hadron-scattering and hadron-production experiment. The total, elastic and inelastic cross-sections are also extracted from the data and compared to previous measurements. These results can be used in current and future long-baseline neutrino experiments, and demonstrate the feasibility of future measurements by an upgraded EMPHATIC spectrometer.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measurements of $\overline{\nu}_{\mu}$ and $\overline{\nu}_{\mu} + \nu_{\mu}$ charged-current cross-sections without detected pions or protons on water and hydrocarbon at a mean anti-neutrino energy of 0.86 GeV

We report measurements of the flux-integrated $\overline{\nu}_\mu$ and $\overline{\nu}_\mu+\nu_\mu$ charged-current cross-sections on water and hydrocarbon targets using the T2K anti-neutrino beam with a mean beam energy of 0.86 GeV. The signal is defined as the (anti-)neutrino charged-current interaction with one induced $\mu^\pm$ and no detected charged pion or proton. These measurements are performed using a new WAGASCI module recently added to the T2K setup in combination with the INGRID Proton Module. The phase space of muons is restricted to the high-detection efficiency region, $p_{\mu}>400~{\rm MeV}/c$ and $\theta_{\mu}<30^{\circ}$, in the laboratory frame. An absence of pions and protons in the detectable phase spaces of $p_{\pi}>200~{\rm MeV}/c$, $\theta_{\pi}<70^{\circ}$ and $p_{\rm p}>600~{\rm MeV}/c$, $\theta_{\rm p}<70^{\circ}$ is required. In this paper, both the $\overline{\nu}_\mu$ cross-sections and $\overline{\nu}_\mu+\nu_\mu$ cross-sections on water and hydrocarbon targets and their ratios are provided by using the D’Agostini unfolding method. The results of the integrated $\overline{\nu}_\mu$ cross-section measurements over this phase space are $\sigma_{\rm H_{2}O}=(1.082\pm0.068(\rm stat.)^{+0.145}_{-0.128}(\rm syst.)) \times 10^{-39}\,{\rm cm^{2} / nucleon}$, $\sigma_{\rm CH}=(1.096\pm0.054(\rm stat.)^{+0.132}_{-0.117}(\rm syst.)) \times 10^{-39}\,{\rm cm^{2} / nucleon}$, and $\sigma_{\rm H_{2}O}/\sigma_{\rm CH} = 0.987\pm0.078(\rm stat.)^{+0.093}_{-0.090}(\rm syst.)$. The $\overline{\nu}_\mu+\nu_\mu$ cross-section is $\sigma_{\rm H_{2}O} = (1.155\pm0.064(\rm stat.)^{+0.148}_{-0.129}(\rm syst.)) \times 10^{-39}\,{\rm cm^{2} / nucleon}$, $\sigma_{\rm CH}=(1.159\pm0.049(\rm stat.)^{+0.129}_{-0.115}(\rm syst.)) \times 10^{-39}\,{\rm cm^{2} / nucleon}$, and $\sigma_{\rm H_{2}O}/\sigma_{\rm CH}=0.996\pm0.069(\rm stat.)^{+0.083}_{-0.078}(\rm syst.)$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Photon excess from dark matter and neutrino scattering at MiniBooNE and MicroBooNE

We propose new solutions to MiniBooNE electronlike excess and based on interactions involving light dark matter and/or neutrinos, that is also consistent with the photonlike excess at MicroBooNE. The novelty of our proposal lies in the utilization of a photon arising from 2-to-3 scattering processes between a nucleus/nucleon and a neutrino and/or dark matter via exchanges of light mediators. We find that viable regions exist in the coupling and mass parameter space of the mediators and light dark matter that can simultaneously explain the observed excesses and remain consistent with current experimental constraints. We further highlight that these scenarios can be tested with upcoming data from various ongoing experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quasi-sterile neutrinos from dark sectors. Part I. BSM matter effects in neutrino oscillations and the short-baseline anomalies.

Quasi-sterile neutrinos are a natural consequence of dark sectors interacting with the Standard Model (SM) sector via neutrino- and vector-portals. Essentially, quasi-sterile neutrinos are light dark sector fermions with two generic properties: (i) they mix with the active neutrinos of the SM, and (ii) they are charged under a vector mediator that couples feebly to SM matter. Various interesting phenomenological consequences result from this class of particles. In this article, we investigate one such consequence: new, beyond the SM matter effects that can alter in-medium neutrino oscillations. In particular, for special windows of energy and matter densities, active neutrinos can resonantly oscillate into sterile neutrinos. We take advantage of this feature to build a quasi-sterile neutrino model that can explain the MiniBooNE and LSND anomalies, while remaining compatible with observations from long-baseline reactor- and accelerator-based neutrino experiments. This model is also likely compatible with the recent results reported by the MicroBooNE collaboration (albeit we cannot precisely quantify this claim due to a lack of information in MicroBooNE’s public data releases to date). Implications for solar neutrinos and $ν_e$ disappearance searches are also briefly discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Abundance and properties of dark radiation from the cosmic microwave background

We study the cosmological signatures of new light relics that are collisionless like standard neutrinos or are strongly interacting. We provide a simple and succinct rephrasing of their physical effects in the cosmic microwave background, as well as the resulting parameter degeneracies with other cosmological parameters, in terms of the total radiation abundance and the fraction thereof that freely streams. In these more general terms, interacting and noninteracting light relics are differentiated by their respective decrease and increase of the free-streaming fraction, and, moreover, the scale-dependent interplay thereof with a common, correlated reduction of the fraction of matter in baryons. We then derive updated constraints on various dark-radiation scenarios with the latest cosmological observations, employing this language to identify the physical origin of the impact of each dataset. The “PR4” reanalyses of Planck CMB data prefer a larger primordial helium yield and therefore also slightly more radiation than the 2018 analysis; we investigate the differences between the two releases that drives these shifts. Smaller free-streaming fractions are disfavored by the excess lensing of the CMB measured in lensing reconstruction data from Planck and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. On the other hand, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument drive marginal detections of new, strongly interacting light relics due to that data's preference for lower matter fractions. Finally, we forecast measurements from the CMB-S4 experiment.

cosmological parameters from CMBR↗
DOE OSTI2020

A measurement of the group velocity of scintillation light in liquid argon

The propagation velocity of scintillation light in liquid argon vg at λ ∼ 128 nm wavelength, has been measured for the first time in a dedicated experimental setup at CERN. The obtained result 1/vg = 7.46 ± 0.08 ns/m, is then used to derive the value of the refractive index (n) and the Rayleigh scattering length (L) for liquid argon in the VUV region. For λ = 128 nm we found n= 1.358 ± 0.003 and L= 99.1 ± 2.3 cm. The measured values are of interest for a variety of experiments searching for rare events like neutrino and dark matter interactions. The derived quantities also represent key information for theoretical models describing the propagation of scintillation light in liquid argon.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Gas electroluminescence in a dual phase xenon-doped argon detector

Noble element detectors using argon or xenon as the detection medium are widely used in the searches for rare neutrino and dark matter interactions. Xenon doping in liquid argon can preserve attractive properties of an argon target while enhancing the detectable signals with properties of xenon. Here, in this work, we deployed a dual-phase liquid argon detector with up to 4% xenon doping in the liquid and studied its gas electroluminescence properties as a function of xenon concentration. At ∼2% xenon doping in liquid argon, we measured ∼34 ppm of xenon in the gas and observed ∼2.5 times larger electroluminescence signals using vacuum ultraviolet silicon photomultipliers than those in pure argon. Analysis of signals of different wavelengths confirms that the argon gas electroluminescence process is strongly modified by the addition of xenon. We propose an analytical model to describe the underlying energy transfer mechanism in argon-xenon gas mixtures. Lastly, the implications of this measurement for low-energy ionization signal detection will be discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Calorimetry for low-energy electrons using charge and light in liquid argon

Precise calorimetric reconstruction of 5–50 MeV electrons in liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) will enable the study of astrophysical neutrinos in DUNE and could enhance the physics reach of oscillation analyses. Liquid argon scintillation light has the potential to improve energy reconstruction for low-energy electrons over charge-based measurements alone. Here we demonstrate light-augmented calorimetry for low-energy electrons in a single-phase LArTPC using a sample of Michel electrons from decays of stopping cosmic muons in the LArIAT experiment at Fermilab. Michel electron energy spectra are reconstructed using both a traditional charge-based approach as well as a more holistic approach that incorporates both charge and light. A maximum-likelihood fitter, using LArIAT’s well-tuned simulation, is developed for combining these quantities to achieve optimal energy resolution. A sample of isolated electrons is simulated to better determine the energy resolution expected for astrophysical electron-neutrino charged-current interaction final states. In LArIAT, which has very low wire noise and an average light yield of 18 pe/MeV, an energy resolution of σ/E≃9.3%/E⊕1.3% is achieved. Samples are then generated with varying wire noise levels and light yields to gauge the impact of light-augmented calorimetry in larger LArTPCs. At a charge-readout signal-to-noise of S/N≃30, for example, the energy resolution for electrons below 40 MeV is improved by ≈10%, ≈20%, and ≈40% over charge-only calorimetry for average light yields of 10 pe/MeV, 20 pe/MeV, and 100 pe/MeV, respectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exotic Dark Matter Search with the Majorana Demonstrator

With excellent energy resolution and ultralow-level radiogenic backgrounds, the high-purity germanium detectors in the enable searches for several classes of exotic dark matter (DM) models. In this work, we report new experimental limits on keV-scale sterile neutrino DM via the transition magnetic moment from conversion to active neutrinos ν s → ν a . We report new limits on fermionic dark matter absorption ( χ + A → ν + A ) and sub-GeV DM-nucleus 3 → 2 scattering ( χ + χ + A → ϕ + A ), and new exclusion limits for bosonic dark matter (axionlike particles and dark photons). These searches utilize the (1–100)-keV low-energy region of a 37.5-kg y exposure collected by the between May 2016 and November 2019 using a set of Ge 76 -enriched detectors whose surface exposure time was carefully controlled, resulting in extremely low levels of cosmogenic activation. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Efficient Monte Carlo event generation for neutrino-nucleus exclusive cross sections

Modern neutrino-nucleus cross section computations need to incorporate sophisticated nuclear models to achieve greater predictive precision. However, the computational complexity of these advanced models often limits their practicality for experimental analyses. To address this challenge, we introduce a new Monte Carlo method utilizing normalizing flows to generate surrogate cross sections that closely approximate those of the original model while significantly reducing computational overhead. As a case study, we built a Monte Carlo event generator for the neutrino-nucleus cross section model developed by the Ghent group. This model employs a Hartree-Fock procedure to establish a quantum mechanical framework in which both the bound and scattering nucleon states are solutions to the mean-field nuclear potential. The surrogate cross sections generated by our method demonstrate excellent accuracy with a relative effective sample size of more than 98.4%, providing a computationally efficient alternative to traditional Monte Carlo sampling methods for differential cross sections.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Latin American Strategy for Research Infrastructures for High Energy, Cosmology, Astroparticle Physics LASF4RI for HECAP

The present document, the Latin American HECAP Physics Briefing Book, is the result of this ambitious grass roots effort. This report contains the work performed by the Preparatory Group to synthesize the main contributions and discussions for each of the topical working groups: Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astroparticle Physics; Cosmology; Dark Matter; Neutrinos; Electroweak and Strong Interactions, Higgs physics, Flavour and CP Physics and Beyond the Standard Model Physics; Instrumentation and Computing. This work aims at providing a landscape of existing expertise and capabilities. It will hopefully instruct some recommendations for further development of strategic research infrastructures relevant for future HECAP efforts in the region as well as for a continuous and successful involvement of Latin American HECAP researchers in the global arena.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bounds on Lorentz Violation Parameters in the DUNE Experiment

The Standard Model (SM) has been highly successful in describing fundamental interactions, yet phenomena like neutrino oscillations point to physics beyond its framework. Among the proposed extensions, Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) stands out as a compelling possibility. Long-baseline neutrino experiments such as DUNE, with its 1300 km baseline, offer a promising setting to test LIV effects with high precision. In this work, we evaluate DUNE s sensitivity to LIV by analyzing event rates and oscillation probabilities using the GLoBES framework. A custom implementation of LIV parameters was employed to derive bounds on the aa and cc matrices, identifying the parameter values that lead to a 10% deviation from the standard oscillation probability. Our results show partial agreement with previous studies for the aa parameters, while deviations in the cc parameters highlight the impact of differing methodologies and sensitivities. These findings reinforce the relevance of LIV searches and motivate further theoretical and experimental efforts in this direction.

Cruz, Thiago. [Tech. Fed. Parana U.]↗