Optimization of neutrino beams for underground sites in Europe

Abstract

We present an optimization procedure for neutrino beams which could be produced at CERN and aimed to a set of seven possible underground sites in Europe with distances ranging from 130 km to 2300 km. Studies on the feasibility of a next generation very massive neutrino observatory have been performed for these sites in the context of the first phase of the LAGUNA design study. We consider specific scenarios for the proton driver (a high power proton driver at 4.5 GeV for the shortest baseline and a 50 GeV machine for longer baselines) and the far detector (a Water Cherenkov for the shortest baseline and a LAr TPC for longer baselines). The flux simulation profits of a full GEANT4 simulation. The optimization has been performed before the recent results on nu_e appearance by reactor and accelerator experiments and hence it is based on the maximization of the sensitivity on theta13. Nevertheless the optimized fluxes have been widely used since their publication on the internet (2010). This work is therefore mainly intended as a documentation of the adopted method and at the same time as an intermediate step towards future studies which will put the emphasis on the performances of beams for the study of delta_CP.