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arXiv · 2609.10804

The NOvA Test Beam Experiment

NOvA Collaboration·S. Abubakar·M. A. Acero·B. Acharya·P. Adamson·N. Anfimov·A. Antoshkinaf·E. Arrieta-Diaz·L. Asquith·A. Aurisano·N. Balashov·P. Baldi·B. A. Bambah·E. F. Bannister·A. Barros·J. Barrow·A. Bat·T. J. C. Bezerra·V. Bhatnagar·B. Bhuyan·J. Bian·S. Block·A. C. Booth·B. Brahma·C. Bromberg·N. Buchanan·J. Burns·A. Butkevich·T. J. Carroll·E. Catano-Mur·J. P. Cesar·C. Chang·S. Chaudhary·H. Chen·S. Choate·B. C. Choudhary·O. T. K. Chow·A. Christensen·M. F. Cicala·T. E. Coan·T. Contreras·A. Cooleybeck·L. Cremonesi·G. S. Davies·P. F. Derwent·K. Dever·Z. Djurcic·K. Dobbs·D. Dueñas Tonguino·E. C. Dukes·A. Dye·R. Ehrlich·E. Ewart·P. Filip·W. Flanagan·M. J. Frank·H. R. Gallagher·F. Gao·A. Giri·R. A. Gomes·M. C. Goodman·R. Group·A. Gusmão·A. Habig·F. Hakl·J. Hartnell·R. Hatcher·J. M. Hays·M. He·A. Heggestuen·K. Heller·V Hewes·A. Himmel·T. Horoho·J. Huang·X. Huang·T. Huynh·A. Ivanova·C. Joe·K. Kaess·I. Kakorin·A. Kalitkina·D. M. Kaplan·A. Khanam·B. Kirezli·J. Kleykamp·O. Klimov·L. W. Koerner·L. Kolupaeva·R. Kralik·G. Kufatty·A. Kumar·C. D. Kuruppu·V. Kus·T. Lackey·K. Lang·A. Lister·J. Liu·J. A. Lock·S. Magill
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Abstract

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment designed to study the neutrino mixing parameters, mass ordering, and CP violation in the lepton sector. A key component of the success of the experiment is a robust understanding of the systematic uncertainties associated with detector response and calibration. To address this, NOvA deployed a Test Beam experiment at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility, which collected data from April 2019 through July 2022. The NOvA Test Beam experiment used a 30-ton segmented liquid scintillator detector functionally identical to the NOvA Near and Far Detectors to analyze tagged particles produced from p-Cu collisions, with instrumentation capable of selecting and identifying electrons, muons, pions, kaons, and protons with momentum ranging from 0.4-1.5GeV/c. Analysis of the collected data provides a better understanding of the largest systematic uncertainties impacting NOvA's analyses, which include the detector response, energy calibration, and hadronic and electromagnetic energy resolutions.

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NOvA Collaboration, S. Abubakar, M. A. Acero, B. Acharya, P. Adamson, N. Anfimov, A. Antoshkinaf, E. Arrieta-Diaz, L. Asquith, A. Aurisano, N. Balashov, P. Baldi, B. A. Bambah, E. F. Bannister, A. Barros, J. Barrow, A. Bat, T. J. C. Bezerra, V. Bhatnagar, B. Bhuyan, J. Bian, S. Block, A. C. Booth, B. Brahma, C. Bromberg, N. Buchanan, J. Burns, A. Butkevich, T. J. Carroll, E. Catano-Mur, J. P. Cesar, C. Chang, S. Chaudhary, H. Chen, S. Choate, B. C. Choudhary, O. T. K. Chow, A. Christensen, M. F. Cicala, T. E. Coan, T. Contreras, A. Cooleybeck, L. Cremonesi, G. S. Davies, P. F. Derwent, K. Dever, Z. Djurcic, K. Dobbs, D. Dueñas Tonguino, E. C. Dukes, A. Dye, R. Ehrlich, E. Ewart, P. Filip, W. Flanagan, M. J. Frank, H. R. Gallagher, F. Gao, A. Giri, R. A. Gomes, M. C. Goodman, R. Group, A. Gusmão, A. Habig, F. Hakl, J. Hartnell, R. Hatcher, J. M. Hays, M. He, A. Heggestuen, K. Heller, V Hewes, A. Himmel, T. Horoho, J. Huang, X. Huang, T. Huynh, A. Ivanova, C. Joe, K. Kaess, I. Kakorin, A. Kalitkina, D. M. Kaplan, A. Khanam, B. Kirezli, J. Kleykamp, O. Klimov, L. W. Koerner, L. Kolupaeva, R. Kralik, G. Kufatty, A. Kumar, C. D. Kuruppu, V. Kus, T. Lackey, K. Lang, A. Lister, J. Liu, J. A. Lock, S. Magill. 2026-09-09. The NOvA Test Beam Experiment. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.10804

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