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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

First Measurements of Differential Cross Sections In Kinematic Imbalance Variables With The MicroBooNE Detector

Making high-precision measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters requires an unprecedented understanding of neutrino-nucleus scattering. In this presentation, we present the first muon neutrino charged current double-differential cross sections in kinematic imbalance variables. These variables characterize the imbalance in the plane transverse to an incoming neutrino. We use events with a single muon above 100 MeV/c, a single final state proton above 300 MeV/c, and no recorded final state pions. Thus, these variables act as a direct probe of nuclear effects such as final state interactions, Fermi motion, and multi-nucleon processes. We also present a complementary ongoing analysis using electron neutrinos. This channel is of the utmost importance for the extraction of neutrino oscillation parameters by making high-precision measurements. Our measurements allow us to constrain systematic uncertainties associated with neutrino oscillation results performed by near-future experiments of the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program, as well as by future large-scale experiments like DUNE.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Commissioning of the Mu2e tracker DAQ, planning for the Vertical Slice Test and pre-pattern recognition studies

The primary objective of the Mu2e experiment at Fermilab is to search for the neutrino-less coherent $\mu \rightarrow e$ conversion in the field of an aluminum nucleus ($\mu^- \text{Al} \rightarrow e^- \text{Al}$). The signature of this process is a monochromatic Conversion Electron (CE) with an energy of approximately 104.97 MeV \cite{bartoszek2015mu2e}. Within the Standard Model (SM), the branching ratio for this process, including neutrino masses and oscillation, is expected to be less than $\mathcal{O}(10^{-50})$. This value is far beyond current experimental capabilities. However, models of physics beyond the SM predict much higher relative rates, approaching an observable level. The SINDRUM II experiment set an upper limit on muon conversion at $7 \times 10^{-13}$ (90\% CL) on Au target \cite{SINDRUMII:2006dvw}, and the Mu2e collaboration aims to improve this limit by four orders of magnitude. Observing this process would provide a clear evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model. A brief discussion of the theoretical and experimental aspects is provided in Chapter \ref{intr}. Mu2e adopts a sophisticated experimental setup to achieve its goals, further described in Chapter \ref{mu2echapter}. The central part of the Mu2e detector is the tracker, that consists of 18 tracking stations. The tracker must provide excellent momentum resolution, approximately 1 MeV/c, to distinguish the monochromatic CE signal from the background. To minimize the energy losses, a straw tube tracker will be used \cite{bobbb}. Chapter \ref{chaptertrk} provides an overview of the straw tracker design and its working principles. This Thesis presents a comprehensive study of the Mu2e tracker, covering complementary aspects from initial commissioning to optimization and first steps of the calibration processes. My work at Fermilab has been focused on the complete Data Acquisition (DAQ) testing from both hardware and software perspectives. I was involved in the commissioning of the Mu2e DAQ system and the Vertical Slice Test (VST) of the tracker. The VST encompasses the entire testing chain, from the straws to the readout, and to processed data on disk. I was also focused on the offline analysis, especially on pre-pattern recognition studies, to explore the best methods for identifying $\delta$-electrons during the data taking. Chapter \ref{commissioning} details the commissioning of the tracker DAQ system, emphasizing the importance of understanding of the readout process before the data acquisition. This includes validating the readout logic and firmware through Monte Carlo simulations to confirm functionality and buffering, monitoring the quality of the data from the tracker preamplifiers and front-end electronics, and assessing overall DAQ performance to ensure reliability during future calibration and data-taking. Chapter \ref{planning} discusses the initial steps towards the tracker calibration. The ultimate goal is to perform a time calibration of the first assembled station of the tracker using cosmic muons, aiming for a longitudinal hit position resolution better than 4 cm. This involves determining the signal propagation times and channel-to-channel delays. I performed a Monte Carlo study to determine the impact of the station orientation on the quality of the calibration, in particular on the cosmic track reconstruction, focusing on potential biases that could arise. These studies provide essential insights into the operation, optimization, and calibration of the Mu2e tracker system. Given the high data volume expected during Mu2e operations, estimated at approximately 7 PBytes per year, optimizing memory usage and minimizing CPU consumption are critical. A significant challenge lies in effectively flagging $\delta$-electron hits, which are the primary source of hits in the tracker, without compromising the efficiency of CE hit detection and track reconstruction. A detailed study of pre-pattern recognition and a thorough comparison of two $\delta$-electron flagging algorithms is provided in Chapter \ref{delta}. In Chapter \ref{conclusions}, the findings are concisely summarized, offering a comprehensive synthesis of the research and emphasizing the key insights derived from this study.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dimuon production in the MicroBooNE detector

This analysis studies the production of the rare signal with two muons (dimuon) in the finalstate at µB using the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) as source of neutrino interactions. Themain background source for the dimuon signal are pions. Differentiating muons and pions hasbeen challenging at µB because the tracks left by these particles are almost identical. Thisanalysis faces this problem using a supervised classifier algorithm called boosted decisiontree (BDT). A Monte Carlo simulation (MC) enhanced dimuon signal sample was producedto train a BDT capable of recognizing this signal. A set of variables that show somediscrimination characteristics was used to perform the training. A MC neutrino interactionsimulation sample was used to estimate the background. Estimations of dimuon productionin real data samples were made for different cases. Additionally, an analysis of the systematicuncertainties, fake data studies, and BDT performance checks were obtained.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Secondary Beams at Jefferson Laboratory

This thesis explores the possibility of producing secondary beams at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF). Their possible applications in future experiments are studied using advanced Monte Carlo simulations with state-of-the-art software. In Jefferson Lab’s Hall-A, the interaction of the high-current O(100) µA, medium-energy O(11) GeV electron beam produced by the Continuous Electron Beams Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) with the Beam-Dump (BD) generates a substantial shower of standard model particles. This interaction creates a high-intensity secondary muon and neutrino beam and hypothetical Light Dark Matter (LDM) particles. Additionally, with the proposed Compact Photon Source (CPS), Hall-D could offer the possibility of producing an intense muon beam alongside a photon beam.

Fulci, Antonino↗
DOE OSTI2021

Studies on the scintillation light detection in the ProtoDUNE Dual Phase liquid-argon TPC and its capability for the supernova trigger in DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that aims at addressing key questions in neutrino physics in the next decades. Its scientific program includes the detection of the neutrino flux from a core-collapse supernova. The DUNE far detector will have four 17-kt mass liquid-argon (LAr) time-projection chamber (TPC) modules. ProtoDUNE Dual Phase (DP), a dual-phase LAr TPC with 300 t of active mass and 6 m of drift distance, was operated with cosmic muons in 2019-2020 as part of an R&D program at the CERN Neutrino Platform to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology at such a large scale. In a LAr TPC, the photon detection system (PDS) provides fundamental timing information and trigger capabilities. The PDS of ProtoDUNE-DP, which consisted of 36 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), counted on a dedicated light calibration system (LCS) to monitor the PMT response. In this dissertation, the characterization and validation of the ProtoDUNE-DP PDS and LCS components before their installation will be reviewed, highlighting the results of general interest for experiments that use liquid noble gasses as target medium. The results from the stable performance of both systems in the detector during 15 months will be presented next as well as the studies on the scintillation light detection in ProtoDUNE-DP, where the collection of light produced in LAr at 7 m from the photosensors has been achieved for the first time. It is worth pointing out that the excellent LAr purity and the large size of the detector have enabled to develop a unique data-driven investigation on aspects that are critical for LAr-based experiments but that are not completely understood. The analyses cover the characterization of the low-energy background detected by the PDS, the quantification of the electric field impact on the light yield, the evaluation of the Rayleigh scattering affecting the light propagation, and the analysis of the PMT detection efficiency. The effect of the VUV reflectivity of the detector materials will be also discussed. In addition, the estimation of the cosmic muon flux crossing the TPC and the study of the observed light yield by the PDS will be reported. Finally, the results from the simulation-based study of the supernova burst trigger capability with the PDS of a 12.1-kt active mass dual-phase LAr TPC as the one proposed for DUNE will be summarized. Several configurations of reflective foils installed in the TPC to enhance the light collection will be compared.

Gallego Ros, Ana↗
DOE OSTI2020

Jefferson Lab High Precision Proton Radius Measurement Experiment: PRad

Proton is not a point-like particle; it has a finite size and an internal structure. The proton charge radius is usually measured through two different methods: using spectroscopy of hydrogen atoms, or through electron-proton (e - p) elastic scattering at low momentum transfer. In 2010, Phol et al [1] published a new measurement for proton charge radius obtained using the spectroscopy method from muonic hydrogen atoms. An ordinary hydrogen (H) atom is a bound state of an electron orbiting a proton. Likewise, a muonic hydrogen atom has a muon orbiting a proton. Since a muon has 200 times more mass than an electron, resulting in a much smaller orbiting radius, its orbit is much more sensitive to the proton charge distribution in space than the electron’s of an ordinary H-atom. Thus, the measurement from muonic hydrogen provides a 10 times more precise result than the previous methods. The radius from the muonic hydrogen measurement reported in [1] was significantly smaller than all the p

Bai, Xinzhan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of $\nu_\mu$ CC Interactions With Two-Proton Final State in MINERvA

This dissertation presents a measurement of charged–current (CC) muon–neutrino interactions with exactly two protons and no pions in the final state (CC~$2p\,0\pi$), using data collected by the MINERvA detector in the NuMI medium–energy beam at Fermilab. Such two–proton topologies are a sensitive probe of nuclear dynamics in the few–GeV regime, including multi–nucleon correlations (npnh, notably $2p2h$) and intranuclear final–state interactions (FSI) such as pion absorption and nucleon rescattering. A precise experimental characterization of these processes is essential both for neutrino–interaction theory and for reducing systematic uncertainties in oscillation experiments that rely on accurate modeling of neutrino–nucleus interactions. Events are selected by requiring a $\nu_\mu$ CC interaction with a reconstructed $\mu^-$ and two proton tracks originating from a common vertex in MINERvA’s finely segmented scintillator tracker, with no reconstructed mesons. Muon charge and momentum are constrained by matching to the MINOS Near Detector, while proton identification exploits energy–loss profiles and stopping–proton features. Backgrounds from pion–producing channels that enter the signal region through FSI or reconstruction effects are constrained with data–driven sidebands (Michel–electron and isolated–cluster “blob” samples) and tuned via a simultaneous fit across signal and sideband regions. To correct detector resolution and acceptance effects, the analysis employs iterative Bayesian unfolding with extensive validation: statistical pseudo–experiments, and robustness checks against generator systematic “universes” and additional strong shape warps. Single–differential cross sections are reported for three observables tailored to the two–proton final state: the opening–angle cosine $\cos\!\left(\theta_{pp}\right)$, the leading–proton momentum, and the subleading–proton momentum. Systematic uncertainties include contributions from neutrino flux, interaction modeling (e.g., npnh and resonance parameters, pion FSI), and detector response (calibration, reconstruction efficiencies). The resulting distributions provide targeted constraints on the interplay of multi–nucleon dynamics and FSI that shape CC~$2p\,0\pi$ final states on hydrocarbon. Comparisons to modern GENIE–based simulations highlight kinematic regions where model components require refinement. These measurements thus inform generator tuning and improve the reliability of neutrino–energy reconstruction strategies for current and future long–baseline oscillation programs.

Syrotenko, Vladyslav S. [Tufts U.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Machine Learning for LBNF Beam Diagnostics

This paper focuses on developing a machine learning model for predicting initial beam parameters for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) beamline using downstream muon monitor data. Parameters such as proton beam position on target, sigma on target, focusing horn current, and focusing horn tilt are parameters we anticipate to be predictable based on the muon monitors. Uncertainty in initial beam condition measurements are a major contributor to uncertainty in downstream flux, and over operation time beam misalignment can occur [1]. A machine learning model has promise to detect anomalies along the beamline based on discrepancies between predicted configurations and measured configurations, and thus can expedite error detection and handling. A PyTorch neural network is defined, trained, and tested. The developed model currently does not provide reliable predictions, with the lowest loss being 0.09.. Further steps to improve the model’s accuracy are discussed, as well as future plans to detect anomalous beam conditions using a digital twin.

O'Brien, Bridget [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigating One Body and Two Body Interference In Neutrino Interactions with ACHILLES

Understanding neutrino-nucleus interactions is critical for conducting precise neutrino oscillation experiments, but uncertainties in neutrino-nucleus cross section measurements and our incomplete understanding of nuclear effects remain a significant challenge in neutrino physics. In this paper, we investigate contributions from the interference between one-body and two-body contributions to charged current quasi-elastic (CCQE) neutrino scattering using the ACHILLES event generator. Simulations are performed using muon neutrino flux from Fermilab’s Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB). We observe the neutrino flux interacting with Argon nuclei as detected by the Short Baseline Near Detector (SBND), a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC). Although SBND has Argon, it’s also important for us to see how effects scale the number of nucleons, so we observed neutrino interactions with Carbon nuclei as well. We focus on one muon and one proton final states with no further cascade interactions. And, we analyze multiple experimental observables including outgoing kinematic variables, energy-momentum transfer variables, and Transverse Kinematic Imbalance (TKI) variables. Cross section ratios between Argon and Carbon are also studied in order to identify potential variables where nuclear effects scale differently. The ultimate goal is to reduce systematic uncertainties from Monte Carlo simulations when conducting oscillation experiments (like the upcoming DUNE experiment).

Serumaga, Peera [UC, San Diego; Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Validation of the NOνA experiment 2023-tuning on simulated neutrino-matter interactions

NOνA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that utilizes a two-detector design to study the oscillations of muon neutrinos into electron neutrinos over a baseline of 810 km. The Near Detector (ND) measures the neutrino beam spectrum and composition before oscillation, which is then compared to the oscillated neutrino energy spectrum observed in the Far Detector (FD). In the ND, the neutrinos are detected through their interactions with the heavy target nuclei within the detector. NOνA employs the GENIE neutrino event generator for simulating these neutrino-nucleus interactions. However, the default GENIE prediction does not adequately reproduce the ND data. To address this, NOνA developed a tune of the neutrino interaction models within GENIE version 3:0:6 to minimize discrepancies between the simulated predictions and the observed data in the ND. This dissertation tests the NOνA’s 2023 tune of the GENIE neutrino cross-section simulations by performing a data/simulations comparison for the ND. The analysis employed datasets comprising $2.55\times10^{21}$ protons-on-target (POT) in neutrino beam mode and $1.14\times10^{21}$ POT in antineutrino beam mode. The NOνA tuning of neutrino-matter interaction simulations matches with ND data within the $1\sigma$ error band, overestimating muon neutrino and antineutrino charged current interactions by approximately 6 % and 9 %, respectively. Discrepancies were observed in the energy region dominated by Quasi-Elastic-like interactions. Systematic uncertainties associated with the modeling of the neutrino cross-section, particularly those pertaining Quasi-Elastic like interactions, contributed considerably to the overall error in the simulations. Furthermore, the reconstruction algorithm used in NOνA for particle classification demonstrated significant misidentifications between charged pions and protons, as well as a tendency to overlook additional pions or protons in multi-particle simulated events.

Cortés Parra, Camilo Andrés↗
DOE OSTI2026

Agentic Diagrammatica: Towards Autonomous Symbolic Computation in High Energy Physics

We present Diagrammatica, a symbolic computation extension to the HEPTAPOD agentic framework, which enables LLM agents to plan and execute multi-step theoretical calculations. Symbolic computation poses a distinctive reliability challenge for LLM agents, as correctness is governed by implicit mathematical conventions that are not encoded in a form that can be easily checked in the computational backend. We identify two complementary remedies, tool-constrained computation and targeted knowledge grounding, and pursue the first as the primary architecture. Concretely, we concentrate the agent's action distribution onto tool calls with convention-fixing semantics, in which the agent specifies a compact, human-auditable diagram specification and a trusted backend performs the symbolic or numerical manipulations exactly. The toolkit provides two complementary calculation paths consuming a shared diagram specification: Naive Dimensional Analysis (NDA) for order-of-magnitude rate estimates and Exact Diagrammatic Analysis (EDA) for tree-level symbolic calculations via automatic FeynCalc code generation, both supplemented by automatic Feynman diagram enumeration and a navigable theory knowledge base. The architecture is validated on two benchmarks: (1) an exhaustive catalog of all tree-level, single-vertex $1\to 2$ partial decay widths across scalar, fermion, and vector parents, with complete massless and threshold limits and Standard Model validation; and (2) an NDA sensitivity study of the muon decay multiplicity $μ^+ \to ν_μ\barν_e + n(e^+e^-) + e^-$, determining the maximum observable $n$ at current and planned muon experiments.

Menzo, Tony [Alabama U.; Fermilab] (ORCID:00000002↗
DOE OSTI2026

First results from the search of $ν_μ$ disappearance with ICARUS

his work presents a search for muon neutrino disappearance signal using the ICARUS detector. ICARUS is currently working as the far detector of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program. Its main goal is to investigate the possible oscillation of a sterile neutrino state ($\Delta m^2 \sim \text{eV}^2$), that would drive short baseline oscillations at the scale of L/E $\sim$ km/GeV. Neutrino interactions from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) are investigated, looking for simple final state topology with a single muon and at least one proton (1$\mu$Np). This analysis tests the 3+1 model using the two flavor neutrino approximation, where careful consideration has been given to the systematic uncertainties arising from flux, neutrino interaction, and detector models. No statistically significant $\nu_\mu$ disappearance is observed, hence 90\% C.L. exclusion contours are reported in the $\Delta m^2_{41} - \sin^22\theta_{\mu\mu}$ parameter space.

Artero Pons, Maria [INFN, Padua; U. Padua (main)]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Mu2e Experiment

The goal of the Mu2e experiment is right in the name. Mu2e (pronounced “mew-to-ee”) is shorthand for “muon to electron.” Scientists are looking for the one-to-one conversion of a particle called the muon into its more familiar relative, the electron. New theories predict this never observed transformation, and Mu2e will be 10,000 times more sensitive than previous attempts to discover it. A successful sighting could hint at undiscovered particles and potentially illuminate a grand unification theory of nature’s four forces. The experiment complements research at the Large Hadron Collider in Europe, potentially clarifying the origins of new particles.

Fermilab, Fermilab↗
DOE OSTI2026

High Statistics Measurements of $ν_μ$ Charged-Current Single $π^{+}$ Production with Zero Pion Kinetic Energy Threshold in MINERvA

This Letter presents measurements of single-differential cross sections of $ν_μ$-induced charged-current 1 $π^{+}$ production on scintillator using the MINERvA detector at Fermilab. These measurements use traditional track-based pion reconstruction as well as pions identified solely via Michel electron decays, allowing measurement of kinetic energies from 0 to 350 MeV. In total, 91,843 events were selected with $W_{exp}$$<$ 1.4 GeV/c. Differential cross sections as a function of pion and muon kinematic variables are presented and compared with the predictions of several neutrino event generators. Overall, modern pion production models tend to agree with data at the ends of the kinematic regions probed, but are discrepant with the main regions of the phase space probed by up to 15% in muon observables and up to 20% in pion observables. No model describes any of the variables well, and this result highlights model areas that require improvement for the next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments.

Granados, E. [Guanajuato U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutrino-Argon Cross Sections in MicroBooNE: Measurements Spanning Multiple Interaction Channels, Final States, and Neutrino Fluxes

Neutrinos are one of the most elusive particles in the Standard Model of particle physics due to their tiny interaction cross section, which makes them challenging to detect and study. There are three known flavors of neutrinos, and any given neutrino probabilistically oscillates between them as a function of the particle's energy and propagation distance. Experimental characterization of these oscillations elucidates fundamental properties of the neutrino and the Standard Model. Meeting the precision goals of ongoing and future oscillation measurements requires detailed modeling of the way neutrinos interact with nuclear matter. Precision modeling of these interactions is a challenging theoretical problem, rich with intricate physics effects to explore, and requires input from equally precise measurements of neutrino-nucleus interaction cross sections spanning a broad range of scattering channels. To fill this need, there is an ongoing multi-experiment effort to measure these cross sections across energies, interaction channels, and nuclear targets. This thesis describes three analyses reporting neutrino-argon cross section measurements with data from the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber detector. These span multiple interaction channels, final state topologies, and neutrino fluxes. The first analysis is a set of inclusive charged current muon neutrino cross section measurements for final states with and without protons, which provides a unique view of the hadronic final state produced in these interactions. Second is a set of cross section measurements for neutral current neutral pion production, which provides a vital dataset on this under-characterized channel. Third is significant progress on measuring neutrinos produced by kaons decaying at rest, which represents a unique opportunity to measure cross sections with a mono-energetic flux of neutrinos. These measurements are accompanied by a modeling study in the GiBUU theory framework, which probes the sensitivity of the muon neutrino and pion production measurements to the modeling of nucleon-nucleon final state interactions in neutrino-nucleus scattering.

Bogart, Benjamin [Michigan U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measuring the neutrino-oxygen neutral current quasielastic cross section using the accelerator neutrino neutron interaction experiment

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is a 26-ton gadolinium-doped water Cherenkov detector located on-axis to Fermilab’s Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB). ANNIE is uniquely positioned to perform high-statistics measurements of neutrino-nucleus interactions in water, benefiting from a large neutrino flux due to a short (100-meter) baseline. A central focus of ANNIE’s physics program is the measurement of both charged current (CC) and neutral current (NC) cross sections on water, including neutral current quasielastic (NCQE) and CC-inclusive channels. The NCQE measurement is particularly critical for constraining uncertainties in rare-event searches such as the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB), where atmospheric $\nu$NCQE interactions constitute a significant and poorly constrained background. This dissertation presents a measurement of the flux-averaged neutrino-oxygen neutral current quasielastic ($\nu$NCQE) cross section using $2.573 \times 10^{20}$~POT of BNB exposure from the 2022 and 2023 beam years. The $\nu$NCQE interaction is identified through the primary $\gamma$-rays produced by nuclear de-excitation of the residual $^{15}$N$^*$ or $^{15}$O$^*$ nucleus following nucleon knockout from $^{16}$O. A dedicated Monte Carlo (MC) re-tuning campaign was conducted using an americium-beryllium (AmBe) calibration source, Michel electrons from stopped muons, and throughgoing dirt muons originating upstream of the detector. This multi-sample approach provided a wide-ranging $\mathcal{O}(\text{MeV})$--$\mathcal{O}(\text{GeV})$ dataset for tuning the simulated detector response, which was subsequently validated against AmBe neutron and Michel electron data for use in the $\nu$NCQE analysis. A dedicated laser calibration campaign was carried out to reduce timing uncertainties across the PMT system, enabling reconstruction of the BNB bunch substructure with sufficient resolution to serve as a background rejection tool. By selecting events in-time with individual neutrino bunches, beam-correlated $\nu$NCQE events are separated from diffuse and accelerator-induced backgrounds, notably skyshine neutrons and externally-originating events, that would otherwise dominate traditional charge-based selections within a small-scale, surface-level, short-baseline detector. A data-driven estimation of the skyshine neutron and external background rates was performed and incorporated into the systematic uncertainty budget. The flux-averaged $\nu$NCQE cross section on oxygen is measured to be $1.57 \pm 0.06\,(\text{stat.})$ $^{+0.91}_{-0.67}\,(\text{syst.})$ $\times 10^{-38}\ \text{cm}^{2}$. A full systematic budget is constructed by propagating uncertainties in the secondary hadronic interaction modeling, background cross section normalizations, detector response, neutrino flux, and the primary $\gamma$-ray emission probabilities from oxygen nuclear de-excitation. An idealized de-excitation model, constructed from existing measurements in the literature is developed to benchmark the predictions of the \textsc{GENIE} event generator. A comparison reveals that \textsc{GENIE} systematically overpredicts the primary $\gamma$-ray emission probability from oxygen de-excitation by a factor of $1.49\times$ for $E_\gamma > 6$~MeV and $3.07\times$ in the $3$--$6$~MeV band. This comparison motivates the dominant systematic uncertainty in this analysis, where a conservative uncertainty of $^{+39.9\%}_{-0\%}$ on the primary $\gamma$-ray signal prediction is assigned. The ANNIE result is consistent with and complementary to existing flux-averaged $\nu$NCQE cross section measurements from T2K and Super-Kamiokande, providing an independent measurement with a different detector, neutrino beam, and analysis methodology. Looking ahead, an upgrade to the ANNIE DAQ infrastructure enabling continuous extended readout will allow a complementary $\nu$NCQE neutron multiplicity measurement, directly relevant to constraining the NCQE background in DSNB searches, competitive with the recent T2K measurement at SK-Gd. The planned Super-SANDI upgrade, deploying a large Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS) volume, will further extend ANNIE's reach to hadronic final states and exclusive NC channels, and enable joint measurements with liquid argon detectors sharing the BNB beamline ahead of DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande.

Doran, Steven [Iowa State U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Detection of scintillation light in noble gases with wavelength-shifting optical fibers

Wavelength-shifting (WLS) techniques enable particle detectors based on noble gases, whose scintillation light is predominantly emitted in the vacuum-ultraviolet. We investigate WLS fibers coated with tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) for scintillation light detection in gaseous xenon and argon at pressures up to 8.5 bar, motivated by future high-pressure xenon time-projection chambers of the NEXT program. Two detector configurations are studied: an elongated high-pressure vessel with four PTFE panels equipped with WLS fibers read by temperature-stabilized SiPMs, and a compact box-shaped detector operated at 1 bar Xe with WLS fibers read out by PMTs. Both operate with continuous gas purification. The detector response is characterized using cosmic muons and alpha particles from a $^{241}$Am source. With the SiPM setup, we measure a light collection efficiency (LCE) of ${1.18 \pm 0.01~\mathrm{(sta.)}~^{+0.07}_{-0.09}~\mathrm{(sys.)}~\%}$ for xenon and ${1.07 \pm 0.01~\mathrm{(sta.)}~^{+0.06}_{-0.08}~\mathrm{(sys.)}~\%}$ for argon. With PMT readout, we measure a LCE of ${0.45 \pm 0.01~\mathrm{(sta.)} \pm 0.05~\mathrm{(sys.)}~\%}$ in xenon, in agreement with the SiPM result once photon detection efficiency is accounted for. Average scintillation waveforms in xenon and argon are studied to assess the time structure of the emitted light. Cosmic-muon measurements yield a mean energy required to produce a scintillation photon $45\pm7~\mathrm{(sta.)}~^{+4}_{-5}~\mathrm{(sys.)}~\mathrm{eV}$ at 1.5 bar, in agreement with the literature. The results demonstrate that TPB-coated WLS fiber systems can reliably detect scintillation light in high-pressure gaseous noble detectors, with a LCE representing an upper limit for realistic large-scale TPCs, where additional photon losses from materials and fiber attenuation are expected.

Soleti, S. R. [Donostia Intl. Phys. Ctr., San Seba↗
DOE OSTI2025

NOvA Sterile Neutrino Search with Additional Systematic Constraints

The NOvA experiment measures neutrino oscillations in a nearly pure muon neutrino beam. The neutral current (NC) and the muon neutrino charged current (CC) interaction disappearance are studied to search for active-to-sterile neutrino oscillations. NOvA consists of two functionally identical detectors placed 14 mrad off-axis of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's NuMI beamline. The Near Detector (ND) is located 100 meters underground on-site at Fermilab, while the Far Detector (FD) is situated on the surface 810 kilometers away at Ash River, Minnesota. The NuMI beam is capable of operating in either forward or reverse horn current modes, producing predominantly neutrino or antineutrino beams, respectively. For this analysis, a simultaneous near and far detector joint fit approach was utilized. Systematic uncertainties constrain the ND while the statistical uncertainties constrain the FD. In addition to the dual baseline approach, the neutrino-on-electron elastic scattering sample was included. This interaction is advantageous as it is subject to minimal cross-section uncertainties, which will help reduce degeneracies between other uncertainty categories. This thesis presents the sterile neutrino oscillation sensitivity results using 27.2e+20 POT in FHC mode, 12.6e+20 in RHC mode, with the nu-on-e sample of 13.6e+20 POT in FHC.

Oh, Haejun [Cincinnati U.]↗