arXiv subjects

David W. Schmitz

Publications and source records attributed to David W. Schmitz.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Neutrino Induced Charged Current Coherent Pion Production for Constraining the Muon Neutrino Flux at DUNE

We study neutrino induced charge current coherent pion production ($ν_μ\text{CC-Coh}π$) as a tool for constraining the neutrino flux at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The neutrino energy and flavor in the process can be directly reconstructed from the outgoing particles, making it especially useful to specifically constrain the muon neutrino component of the total flux. The cross section of this process can be obtained using the Adler relation with the $π$-Ar elastic scattering cross section, taken either from external data or, as we explore, from a simultaneous measurement in the DUNE near detector. We develop a procedure that leverages $ν_μ\text{CC-Coh}π$ events to fit for the neutrino flux while simultaneously accounting for relevant effects in the cross section. We project that this method has the statistical power to constrain the uncertainty on the normalization of the flux at its peak to a few percent. This study demonstrates the potential utility of a $ν_μ\text{CC-Coh}π$ flux constraint, though further work will be needed to determine the range of validity and precision of the Adler relation upon which it relies, as well as to measure the $π$-Ar elastic scattering cross section to the requisite precision. We discuss the experimental and phenomenological developments necessary to unlock the $ν_μ\text{CC-Coh}π$ process as a "standard candle'' for neutrino experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Effect of Diffusion on the Peak Value of Energy Loss Observed in a LArTPC

Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) detectors observe ionization electrons to measure charged particle trajectories and energy. In a LArTPC, the long time ($\sim$ms) between when the ionization is produced and when it is collected means that diffusion can smear the charge by an amount comparable to the spatial resolution of the detector, given by the spacing between charge sensing channels ($\sim$mm). This smearing has an impact on the distribution of energy losses measured by each channel. In particular, the smearing increases the length of the charged particle trajectory observed by each channel, and therefore the most-probable-value (MPV) of particle energy loss recorded by that channel. We find, for example, that this effect shifts the MPV $dE/dx$ of a muon with an energy of 1 GeV by ${\sim}4$% for a 2 ms drift time and 4.7 mm wire spacing, as in the DUNE-FD LArTPC. This has implications for the energy-scale calibration and electron lifetime measurements in a LArTPC, which both use the MPV of the muon energy loss distribution as a "standard candle". The impact of diffusion on these calibrations is assessed.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Snowmass Neutrino Frontier Report

This report summarizes the current status of neutrino physics and the broad and exciting future prospects identified for the Neutrino Frontier as part of the 2021 Snowmass Process.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

A method for computing hadron-nucleus cross sections in fully active sampling calorimetric targets

Interaction cross section measurements in fixed-target scattering experiments are typically performed by measuring the attenuation of a beam of particles that is incident upon a target slab of material. A fully active sampling calorimeter, such as the time projection chamber, is a more voluminous target that can be treated as a series of smaller target slabs. We present a method of computing hadron-nucleus interaction cross sections for data taken with fully active sampling calorimeters that is robust even if the target is comprised of numerous slabs of various thicknesses.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

The Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab

The Short-Baseline Neutrino, or SBN, program consists of three liquid argon time projection chamber detectors located along the Booster Neutrino Beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Its main goals include searches for new physics - particularly eV-scale sterile neutrinos, detailed studies of neutrino-nucleus interactions at the GeV energy scale, and the advancement of the liquid argon detector technology that will also be used in the DUNE/LBNF long-baseline neutrino experiment in the next decade. Here we review these science goals and the current experimental status of SBN.

hep-ex↗