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Erica Caden

Publications and source records attributed to Erica Caden.

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Supernova Detection at SNOLAB

Neutrinos carry most of the energy released by a core-collapse supernova. SNOLAB has two neutrino-capable detectors, SNO+ and HALO, that have complementary neutrino flavour sensitivities. SNOLAB is also host to existing facilities, or plans to host future projects, that can enhance sensitivity to these neutrinos. These detectors, together with others worldwide both in existence and planned, will provide insights to a variety of different models using neutrinos from the next galactic supernova.

hep-ex

Status of the SNO+ Experiment

The SNO+ experiment is located at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It will employ 780 tonnes of liquid scintillator loaded, in its initial phase, with 1.3 tonnes of $^{130}$Te (0.5% by mass) for a low-background and high-isotope-mass search for neutrino-less double beta decay. SNO+ uses the acrylic vessel and PMT array of the SNO detector with several experimental upgrades and necessary adaptations to fill with liquid scintillator. The SNO+ technique can be scaled up with a future high loading Phase II, able to probe to the bottom of the inverted hierarchy parameter space for effective Majorana mass. Low backgrounds and a low energy threshold allow SNO+ to also have other physics topics in its program, including geo- and reactor neutrinos, supernova and solar neutrinos. This will describe the SNO+ approach for the double-beta decay program, the current status of the experiment and its sensitivity prospects.

physics.ins-det

Studying Neutrino Directionality with Double Chooz

The first results from Double Chooz with 100 days of data measured $\sin^2(2θ_{13}) = 0.086 \pm 0.051$. Backgrounds contribute significantly to the systematic uncertainty budget. Using the incoming neutrino directionality we will attempt to further separate the inverse beta decay signal from backgrounds. The CHOOZ experiment completed a similar analysis and found that the neutrino source can be located to within a cone of half-aperture of 18 degrees at the 68% C.L. We study the possible improvement of this result by Double Chooz.

physics.ins-det

Quantum Mechanical Reflection Resonances

Resonances in the reflection probability amplitude r(E) can occur in energy ranges in which the reflection probability R(E)=|r(E)|^2 is 1. They occur as the phase phi(E) defined by r(E) = t*(E)/t(E) = 1e^{i 2phi(E)} undergoes a rapid change of pi radians. During this transition the phase angle exhibits a Lorentzian profile in that d(phi(E))/dE ~= 1/[(E-E_0)^2+(hbar*gamma/2)^2]. The energy E_0 identifies the location of a quasi-bound state, gamma measures the lifetime of this state, and t(E) is a matrix element of the transfer operator. Methods for computing and measuring these resonances are proposed.

quant-ph