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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

X-ray Novae and Related Systems

Accretion disk thermal instability models have been successful in accounting for the basic observations of dwarf novae and the steady behavior of nova-like systems. Models for the dwarf-nova like variability of the old nova and intermediate polar GK Per give good agreement with the burst amplitude, profile and recurrence time in the optical and UV. A month-long 'precursor plateau' in the UV is predicted for the expected 1992 outburst prior to the rise to maximum in the optical and UV. The models for the time scales of the outbursts and corresponding UV spectra at maximum are consistent with the inner edge of the accretion disk being essentially constant between quiescence and outburst and a factor of four larger than the co-rotation radius. These conclusions represent a challenge to the standard theory of magnetic accretion. Disk instability models have also given a good representation of the soft X-ray and optical outbursts of the X-ray novae A0620-00 and GS2000+25. Formation of coronae above the disk, heated by magneto-acoustic flux from the disk, may account for the temporal and spectral properties of the hard X-ray and gamma ray emission of related sources such as Cyg X-1, GS 2023+33 (V404 Cyg), IE 1740.7-2942 (the 'Galactic Center' Einstein Source), and GS 1124-683 (Nova Muscae).

Wheeler, J. Craig↗
NASA NTRS2007

Novae as a Class of Transient X-ray Sources

Motivated by the recently discovered class of faint (10(exp 34)-10(exp 35) ergs/s) X-ray transients in the Galactic Center region, we investigate the 2-10 keV properties of classical and recurrent novae. Existing data are consistent with the idea that all classical novae are transient X-ray sources with durations of months to years and peak luminosities in the 10(exp 34)-10(exp 35)ergs/s range. This makes classical novae a viable candidate class for the faint Galactic Center transients. We estimate the rate of classical novae within a 15 arcmin radius region centered on the Galactic Center (roughly the field of view of XMM-Newton observations centered on Sgr A*) to be approx.0.1 per year. Therefore, it is plausible that some of the Galactic Center transients that have been announced to date are unrecognized classical novae. The continuing monitoring of the Galactic Center region carried out by Chandra and XMM-Newton may therefore provide a new method to detect classical novae in this crowded and obscured region, an

Mukai, K.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Pan-chromatic observations of the recurrent nova LMC 2009a (LMC 1971b)

Nova LMC 2009a is confirmed as a recurrent nova (RN) from positional coincidence with nova LMC 1971b. The observational data set is one of the most comprehensive for any Galactic or extragalactic RN: optical and near-IR photometry from outburst until over 6 years later; optical spectra for the first 6 months, and Swift satellite ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray observations from 9 days to almost 1 year post-outburst. We find M{sub V} = −8.4 ± 0.8{sub r} ± 0.7{sub s} and expansion velocities between 1000 and 4000 km s{sup −1}. Coronal line emission before day 9 indicates shocks in the ejecta. Strengthening of He iiλ4686 preceded the emergence of the super-soft source (SSS) in X-rays at ∼63–70 days, which was initially very variable. Periodic modulations, P = 1.2 days, most probably orbital in nature, were evident in the UV and optical from day 43. Subsequently, the SSS shows an oscillation with the same period but with a delay of 0.28P. The progenitor system has been identified; the secondary is most likely a sub-giant feeding a luminous accretion disk. Properties of the SSS infer a white dwarf (WD) mass 1.1 M{sub ⊙} ≲ M{sub WD} ≲ 1.3 M{sub ⊙}. If the accretion occurs at a constant rate, M-dot {sub acc}≃3.6{sub −2.5}{sup +4.7}×10{sup −7} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} is needed, consistent with nova models for an inter-eruption interval of 38 years, low outburst amplitude, progenitor position in the color–magnitude diagram, and spectral energy distribution at quiescence. We note striking similarities between LMC 2009a and the Galactic nova KT Eri, suggesting that KT Eri is a candidate RN.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Coordinated analysis of two graphite grains from the CO3.0 LAP 031117 meteorite: first identification of a CO nova graphite and a presolar iron sulfide subgrain

Presolar grains constitute the remnants of stars that existed before the formation of the solar system. In addition to providing direct information on the materials from which the solar system formed, these grains provide ground-truth information for models of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. Here we report the in situ identification of two unique presolar graphite grains from the primitive meteorite LaPaz Icefield 031117. Based on these two graphite grains, we estimate a bulk presolar graphite abundance of 5{sub −3}{sup +7} ppm in this meteorite. One of the grains (LAP-141) is characterized by an enrichment in {sup 12}C and depletions in {sup 33,34}S, and contains a small iron sulfide subgrain, representing the first unambiguous identification of presolar iron sulfide. The other grain (LAP-149) is extremely {sup 13}C-rich and {sup 15}N-poor, with one of the lowest {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C ratios observed among presolar grains. Comparison of its isotopic compositions with new stellar nucleosynthesis and dust condensation models indicates an origin in the ejecta of a low-mass CO nova. Grain LAP-149 is the first putative nova grain that quantitatively best matches nova model predictions, providing the first strong evidence for graphite condensation in nova ejecta. Our discovery confirms that CO nova graphite and presolar iron sulfide contributed to the original building blocks of the solar system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Three-dimensional simulations of turbulent convective mixing in ONe and CO classical nova explosions

Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions that take place in the envelopes of accreting white dwarfs in binary systems. The material piles up under degenerate conditions, driving a thermonuclear runaway. The energy released by the suite of nuclear processes operating at the envelope heats the material up to peak temperatures of ~(1-4) × 10 8 K. During these events, about 10 -3 -10 -7 M ⊙ , enriched in CNO and, sometimes, other intermediate-mass elements (e.g., Ne, Na, Mg, Al) are ejected into the interstellar medium. To account for the gross observational properties of classical novae (in particular, the high concentrations of metals spectroscopically inferred in the ejecta), models require mixing between the (solar-like) material transferred from the secondary and the outermost layers (CO- or ONe-rich) of the underlying white dwarf. Recent multidimensional simulations have demonstrated that Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities can naturally produce self-enrichment of the accreted envelope with material from the underlying white dwarf at levels that agree with observations. However, the feasibility of this mechanism has been explored in the framework of CO white dwarfs, while mixing with different substrates still needs to be properly addressed. We performed three-dimensional simulations of mixing at the core-envelope interface during nova outbursts with the multidimensional code FLASH, for two types of substrates: CO- and ONe-rich. We also show that the presence of an ONe-rich substrate, as in “neon novae”, yields higher metallicity enhancements in the ejecta than CO-rich substrates (i.e., non-neon novae). Finally, a number of requirements and constraints for such 3D simulations (e.g., minimum resolution, size of the computational domain) are also outlined.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A detailed photometric and spectroscopic study of the 2011 outburst of the recurrent nova T Pyxidis from 0.8 to 250 days after discovery

We investigated the optical light curve of T Pyx during its 2011 outburst by compiling a database of Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) and AAVSO observations. The SMEI light curve, providing unprecedented detail covering t = 1.5-49 days post-discovery, was divided into four phases based on the idealized nova optical light curve: the initial rise (1.5-3.3 days), the pre-maximum halt (3.3-13.3 days), the final rise (14.7-27.9 days), and the early decline (27.9+ days). The SMEI light curve contains a strongly detected period of 1.44 ± 0.05 days during the pre-maximum halt phase. These oscillations resemble those found in recent thermonuclear runaway models arising from instabilities in the expanding envelope. No spectral variations that mirror the light curve periodicity were found, however. The marked dip at t ∼ 22-24 days just before the light curve maximum at t = 27.9 days may represent the same (shorter duration) phenomenon seen in other novae observed by SMEI and present in some model light curves. The spectra from the 2 m Liverpool Telescope and SMARTS 1.5 m telescope were obtained from t = 0.8-80.7 and 155.1-249.9 days, covering the major phases of development. The nova was observed very early in its rise where a distinct high-velocity ejection phase was evident with initially derived V {sub ej} ∼ 4000 km s{sup –1}. A marked drop occurred at t = 5.7 days, and then a gradual increase in derived V {sub ej} to stabilize at ∼1500 km s{sup –1} at the pre-maximum halt. Here, we propose two different stages of mass loss, a short-lived phase occurring immediately after outburst and lasting ∼6 days, followed by a more steadily evolving and higher mass loss phase. The overall spectral development follows that typical of a classical nova and comparison with the photometric behavior reveals consistencies with the simple evolving pseudo-photosphere model of the nova outburst. Comparing optical spectra to X-ray and radio light curves, weak [Fe X] 6375 Å emission was marginally detected before the X-ray rise and was clearly present during the brightest phase of X-ray emission. If the onset of the X-ray phase and the start of the final decline in the optical are related to the cessation of significant mass loss, then this occurred at t ∼ 90-110 days.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Serendipitous discovery of a dwarf Nova in the Kepler field near the G dwarf KIC 5438845

The Kepler satellite provides a unique window into stellar temporal variability by observing a wide variety of stars with multi-year, near-continuous, high precision, optical photometric time series. While most Kepler targets are faint stars with poorly known physical properties, many unexpected discoveries should result from a long photometric survey of such a large area of sky. During our Kepler Guest Observer programs that monitored late-type stars for starspot and flaring variability, we discovered a previously unknown dwarf nova that lies within a few arcseconds of the mid-G dwarf star KIC 5438845. This dwarf nova underwent nine outbursts over a 4 year time span. The two largest outbursts lasted ∼17–18 days and show strong modulations with a 110.8 minute period and a declining amplitude during the outburst decay phase. These properties are characteristic of an SU UMa-type cataclysmic variable. By analogy with other dwarf nova light curves, we associate the 110.8 minute (1.847 hr) period with the superhump period, close to but slightly longer than the orbital period of the binary. No precursor outbursts are seen before the super-outbursts and the overall super-outburst morphology corresponds to Osaki and Meyer “Case B” outbursts, which are initiated when the outer edge of the disk reaches the tidal truncation radius. “Case B” outbursts are rare within the Kepler light curves of dwarf novae. The dwarf nova is undergoing relatively slow mass transfer, as evidenced by the long intervals between outbursts, but the mass transfer rate appears to be steady, because the smaller “normal” outbursts show a strong correlation between the integrated outburst energy and the elapsed time since the previous outburst. At super-outburst maximum the system was at V ∼ 18, but in quiescence it is fainter than V ∼ 22, which will make any detailed quiescent follow-up of this system difficult.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

IR study of nova V2468 Cyg from early decline to the coronal phase

We present infrared spectroscopic and photometric observations of the nova V2468 Cyg covering the period from 2008 March 13 to 2008 November 11. The JHK spectra of the object were taken from the Mt. Abu Infrared Observatory using the Near-Infrared Imager/Spectrometer. Spectra from 0.8 to 5.2 μm that were obtained using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the SPEX instrument are also presented. The spectra are dominated by strong H i lines from the Brackett and Paschen series and Fe ii, O i, and C i lines in the initial days, typical of an Fe ii type nova. The lines were broader in the period immediately after outburst, with measured FWHMs of 1800–2300 km s{sup −1} for the Paβ and Brγ lines. These values narrowed to 1500–1600 km s{sup −1} by 12 days from the outburst. The spectra showed prominent He i lines at 1.0830 and 2.0581 μm together with H i and O i emission features after 36 days from the outburst. Our IR observations show the comparatively broad emission lines, the rapid development of the spectrum to higher ionization, the early appearance of coronal lines, and the absence of dust emission, all features that indicate the hybrid nature of the nova. This is perhaps the most extensively observed example of a probable Fe iib type nova at infrared wavelengths. We also note a short lived emission line of Fe ii at 2.0888 μm, which was present between 2008 April 9 and 2008 May 9. No dust emission is seen from the nova ejecta. We have also estimated the range for the ejecta mass in V2468 Cyg to be 3 × 10{sup −6}–10{sup −5}M {sub ⊙}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SIMULATIONS OF THE SYMBIOTIC RECURRENT NOVA V407 CYG. I. ACCRETION AND SHOCK EVOLUTIONS

The shock interaction and evolution of nova ejecta with wind from a red giant (RG) star in a symbiotic binary system are investigated via three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations. We specifically model the 2010 March outburst of the symbiotic recurrent nova V407 Cygni from its quiescent phase to its eruption phase. The circumstellar density enhancement due to wind–white-dwarf interaction is studied in detail. It is found that the density-enhancement efficiency depends on the ratio of the orbital speed to the RG wind speed. Unlike another recurrent nova, RS Ophiuchi, we do not observe a strong disk-like density enhancement, but instead observe an aspherical density distribution with ∼20% higher density in the equatorial plane than at the poles. To model the 2010 outburst, we consider several physical parameters, including the RG mass-loss rate, nova eruption energy, and ejecta mass. A detailed study of the shock interaction and evolution reveals that the interaction of shocks with the RG wind generates strong Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities. In addition, the presence of the companion and circumstellar density enhancement greatly alter the shock evolution during the nova phase. Depending on the model, the ejecta speed after sweeping out most of the circumstellar medium decreases to ∼100–300 km s{sup −1}, which is consistent with the observed extended redward emission in [N ii] lines in 2011 April.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

THE TRANSIENT MOLECULAR ENVELOPE IN THE OUTFLOW OF THE NOVA V2676 Oph DURING ITS EARLY PHASE

Novae are generally considered to be ''hot'' astronomical objects which show effective temperatures of 10,000 K or higher at their visual maximum. However, theoretical predictions suggest that the outer envelope of the nova outflow can become cool enough to form molecules which would be dissociated at such high temperatures. We detected strong C{sub 2} and CN absorption bands in the optical spectrum of the nova V2676 Oph, a very slow nova with dust formation. This is the first report of the detection of C{sub 2,} and the second of CN, in novae during an outburst. Although, based on previous studies, such simple molecules are predicted form in the envelope of the outflow, there are few reports of their detection thus far. The presence of the molecular envelope is considered to be very transient, with a duration of only a few days, in the case of V2676 Oph.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

NEAR-IR STUDIES OF RECURRENT NOVA V745 SCORPII DURING ITS 2014 OUTBURST

The recurrent nova V745 Scorpii underwent its third known outburst on 2014 February 6. Infrared monitoring of the eruption on an almost daily basis, starting from 1.3 days after discovery, shows the emergence of a powerful blast wave generated by the high velocity nova ejecta exceeding 4000 km s{sup –1} plowing into its surrounding environment. The temperature of the shocked gas is raised to a high value exceeding 10{sup 8} K immediately after outburst commencement. The energetics of the outburst clearly surpass those of similar symbiotic systems like RS Oph and V407 Cyg which have giant secondaries. The shock does not show a free-expansion stage but rather shows a decelerative Sedov-Taylor phase from the beginning. Such strong shock fronts are known to be sites for γ-ray generation. V745 Sco is the latest nova, apart from five other known novae, to show γ-ray emission. It may be an important testbed to resolve the crucial question of whether or not all novae are generically γ-ray emitters by virtue of having a circumbinary reservoir of material that is shocked by the ejecta rather than γ-ray generation being restricted to only symbiotic systems with a shocked red giant (RG) wind. The lack of a free-expansion stage favors V745 Sco to have a density enhancement around the white dwarf (WD), above that contributed by a RG wind. Our analysis also suggests that the WD in V745 Sco is very massive and a potential progenitor for a future SN Ia explosion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Old Novae. II. RR Pic, V533 Her, and DI Lac

The old novae V533 Her (Nova Her 1963), DI Lac (Nova Lac 1910), and RR Pic (Nova Pic 1891) are in (or near) their quiescent stage, following their nova explosions, and continue to accrete at a high rate in the aftermath of their explosions. They exhibit continua that are steeply rising into the FUV, as well as absorption lines and emission lines of uncertain origin. All three have Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spectra that offer not only higher spectral resolution but also wavelength coverage extending down to the Lyman Limit. For DI Lac, we have matched these FUSE spectra with existing archival International Ultraviolet Explorer spectral coverage to broaden the FUV wavelength coverage. We adopted the newly determined interstellar reddening corrections of Selvelli and Gilmozzi. The dereddened FUV spectra have been modeled with our grids of optically thick accretion disks and hot, NLTE white dwarf (WD) photospheres. The results of our modeling analysis indicate that the hot components in RR Pic and V533 Her are likely to be accretion disks with mass accretion rates of 10{sup −8} M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} and 10{sup −9} M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} respectively. However, the disk cannot produce the observed absorption lines. For the WD to be the source of the absorption lines in these two systems, it must be very hot, with a radius several times its expected size (because the WD in these systems is massive, it has a smaller radius). For DI Lac, we find the best fit to be a disk with M-dot =10{sup −10} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} with a 30,000 K WD.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Coronal Line Spectrum of the Iron Nova V3666 Ophiuchi

Optical and infrared spectroscopy are presented for the classical nova V3666 Ophiuchi (Nova Ophiuchi 2018 No.3) from 11 months after its outburst. At that epoch, V3666 Oph displayed an [Fe x] λ0.6375 emission line stronger than Hα and nearly a factor of 3 larger, relative to Hα, than in any nova observed previously. The [Fe x] feature, with an equivalent width exceeding 1300 Å, was enormously strong relative to the continuum emission as well. V3666 Oph also reached a state of high excitation for an Fe ii type nova, displaying coronal lines of [Fe xi], [S ix], and [Ar x], and permitted features that can be identified with the C vi (8–7), (9–8), and (10–9) transitions. In addition to [Fe x] and [Fe xi], V3666 Oph also displayed bright lines of [Fe vii], indicating that the prominent iron features were not confined to a single or narrow range of ionization states. Modeling the emission line spectrum of V3666 Oph with the photoionization code Cloudy indicated that the bulk of the emission line gas was matter-bounded, severely reducing the amount of low ionization gas and resulting in coronal lines that were very strong in comparison to lines such as H i and He i, and the familiar low excitation forbidden lines of nitrogen and oxygen. Such matter-bounded regions are observationally rare in novae since they are both faint and short-lived, offering a plausible explanation for why [Fe x] λ0.6375 had not be seen at this strength previously.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Developing the S 32 ( p , d ) S * 31 ( p ) ( γ ) reaction to probe the P 30 ( p , γ ) S 31 reaction rate in classical novae

Background: The 30 P(p,γ) 31 S reaction rate is one of the largest remaining sources of uncertainty in the final abundances of nuclei created in a classical nova involving a ONe white dwarf. The reaction rate directly influences silicon isotopic ratios, which are used as identifiers of presolar grains with nova origins. Additionally, the uncertainty in the 30 P(p,γ) 31 S reaction rate has been found to limit the use of nova nuclear thermometers based on observations of elemental ratios in nova ejecta. Purpose: Reduce uncertainties in the nuclear data for proton-unbound states in 31 S, which act as resonances for the 30 P(p,γ) 31 S reaction at classical nova temperatures, and develop a technique for high efficiency, high-resolution reaction-decay coincidence measurements. Methods: Here, the 32 S(p,d) 31 S reaction was used to populate the states of interest in 31 S. The experiment was performed at the Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute using the LLNL Hyperion array for the detection of charged particles and γ rays. A downstream silicon telescope was used to select reaction deuterons, and a single upstream silicon detector was used to measure protons emitted in the decay of unbound 31 S levels. Results: Several states in 31 S above the proton separation energy were observed to have been populated. Decay protons from the resonant states in 31 S were identified as events in the upstream silicon detectors that came in coincidence with deuterons in the downstream telescope. Protons emitted from these states were measured and branching ratios extracted. Conclusions: While no new reaction rate is derived, spin-parity assignments for several higher-lying proton unbound states have been confirmed. Measured p 0 branching ratios for these levels have been compared to previous measurements with good agreement, and in some cases provided a reduction in uncertainty. The previously identified T = 3/2 state may have been incorrectly assigned a large p 0 branching ratio in a previous measurement. The technique of measuring reaction-decay coincidences with a particle-gamma setup appears promising.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Observation of Electron Neutrino Appearance in the NuMI Beam with the NOvA Experiment

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that uses two functionally identical detectors separated by 810 kilometers at locations 14 milliradians off-axis from the NuMI muon neutrino beam at Fermilab. At these locations the beam energy peaks at 2 GeV. This baseline is the longest in the world for an accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiment, which enhances the sensitivity to the neutrino mass ordering. The experiment studies oscillations of the muon neutrino and anti-neutrino beam that is produced. Both detectors completed commissioning in the summer of 2014 and continue to collect data. One of the primary physics goals of the experiment is the measurement of electron neutrino appearance in the muon neutrino beam which yields measurements of the oscillation parameters sin 2 2θ 13 , δ , and the neutrino mass ordering within the standard model of neutrino oscillations. This thesis presents the analysis of data collected between February 2014 and May 2015, corresponding to 3.52 X 10 20 protons-on-target. In this first analysis NOvA recorded 6 electron neutrino candidates, which is a 3.3σ observation of electron neutrino appearance. The T2K experiment performs the same measurement on a baseline of 295 kilometers and has a 1 σ preference for the normal mass ordering over the inverted ordering over the phase space of the CP violating parameter δ, which is also weakly seen in the NOvA result. By the summer of 2016 NOvA will triple its statistics due to increased beam power and a completed detector. If electron neutrinos continue to be observed at the current rate NOvA will be able to establish a mass ordering preference at a similar confidence level to T2K.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Muon Neutrino Disappearance in NOvA with a Deep Convolutional Neural Network Classifier

The NuMI Off-axis Neutrino Appearance Experiment (NOvA) is designed to study neutrino oscillation in the NuMI (Neutrinos at the Main Injector) beam. NOvA observes neutrino oscillation using two detectors separated by a baseline of 810 km; a 14 kt Far Detector in Ash River, MN and a functionally identical 0.3 kt Near Detector at Fermilab. The experiment aims to provide new measurements of Δm 2 and θ23 and has potential to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy as well as observe CP violation in the neutrino sector. Essential to these analyses is the classification of neutrino interaction events in NOvA detectors. Raw detector output from NOvA is interpretable as a pair of images which provide orthogonal views of particle interactions. A recent advance in the field of computer vision is the advent of convolutional neural networks, which have delivered top results in the latest image recognition contests. This work presents an approach novel to particle physics analysis in which a convolutional neural network is used for classification of particle interactions. The approach has been demonstrated to improve the signal efficiency and purity of the event selection, and thus physics sensitivity. Early NOvA data has been analyzed (2.74×10 20 POT, 14 kt equivalent) to provide new best- fit measurements of sin 2 (θ23) = 0.43 (with a statistically-degenerate compliment near 0.60) and |Δm2 | = 2.48 × 10 -3 eV 2 .

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Data Driven Trigger Design and Analysis for the NOvA Experiment

This thesis primarily describes analysis related to studying the Moon shadow with cosmic rays, an analysis using upward-going muons trigger data, and other work done as part of MSc thesis work conducted at Fermi National Laboratory. While at Fermilab I made hardware and software contributions to two experiments - NOvA and Mu2e. NOvA is a neutrino experiment with the primary goal of measuring parameters related to neutrino oscillation. This is a running experiment, so it's possible to provide analysis of real beam and cosmic data. Most of this work was related to the Data-Driven Trigger (DDT) system of NOvA. The results of the Upward-Going muon analysis was presented at ICHEP in August 2016. The analysis demonstrates the proof of principle for a low-mass dark matter search. Mu2e is an experiment currently being built at Fermilab. Its primary goal is to detect the hypothetical neutrinoless conversion from a muon into an electron. I contributed to the production and tests of Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) which are required for testing the Cosmic Ray Veto (CRV) system for the experiment. This contribution is described in the last chapter along with a short description of the technical work provided for the DDT system of the NOvA experiment. All of the work described in this thesis will be extended by the next generation of UVA graduate students and postdocs as new data is collected by the experiment. I hope my eorts of have helped lay the foundation for many years of beautiful results from Mu2e and NOvA.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Measurement of $\nu_e$ Appearance and $\nu_\mu$ Disappearance Neutrino Oscillations with the NOvA Experiment

NOvA is a two-detector, neutrino oscillation experiment on an 810 km baseline in the NuMI beam at Fermilab. NuMI is an off-axis, narrow-band beam centered near 1.8 GeV and is configurable to send a high-purity $\nu_\mu$ or $\bar{\nu}_\mu$ neutrino flux which passes through the NOvA far detector, sensitive to $\nu_\mu$ and $\bar{\nu}_\mu$ disappearance and $\nu_e$ and $\bar{\nu}_e$ appearance. The NOvA near and far detectors are functionally identical, liquid scintillator trackers. They are finely segmented relative to the radiation length in the detectors allowing for the detailed reconstruction of electromagnetic shower necessary to identify $\nu_e$ CC events. Through a joint analysis of the appearance and disappearance oscillation channels using neutrino and anti-neutrino data, NOvA constrains the allowed parameter space in $\delta_{CP}$, the neutrino mass hierarchy, $\sin^2\theta_{23}$, and $\Delta m^2_{32}$. We observe 58 and 18 appearance candidates on an expected backgr ound of 15.06 and 5.32 events in neutrino and anti-neutrino mode, respectively. This observation gives a $1.77\sigma$ preference for the normal mass hierarchy and $1.7\sigma$ preference for $\theta_{23} > \pi/4$. NOvA will maintain its position as a long-baseline oscillation experiment with leading sensitivity for several more years in which time analysis will further disambiguate the fundamental neutrino parameters that determine oscillation behavior.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗