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Ernesto Kemp

Publications and source records attributed to Ernesto Kemp.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Time-of-Flight Constraints on Neutrino Millicharge from Supernova Neutrinos in Galactic Magnetic Fields

A millicharged neutrino propagating through magnetic fields experiences a small Lorentz-force deflection, which induces a geometric time delay. In the ultra-relativistic regime relevant for supernova neutrinos, this delay scales as $q_\nu^2 E_\nu^{-2}$, where $q_\nu$ and $E_\nu$ denote the neutrino millicharge and energy, respectively, and thus shares the same leading energy dependence as the standard time-of-flight delay induced by neutrino mass. Motivated by this similarity, we propose a framework to reinterpret supernova time-of-flight limits on neutrino mass as constraints on neutrino millicharge. We express both effects in terms of a common $E_\nu^{-2}$ dispersion coefficient and compute the millicharge-induced contribution using a line-of-sight-dependent magnetic delay kernel, extending the original SN1987A uniform-field estimate. Applying this translation to existing SN1987A limits and to projected sensitivities for future Galactic core-collapse supernova observations, we obtain bounds ranging from the $\sim 10^{-17}\, e$ level for SN1987A to the low-$10^{-19}\, e$ regime for next-generation Galactic bursts, with optimistic combinations of detector sensitivity and Galactic sightline approaching $\sim 10^{-20}\, e$. We compare these results with other bounds in the literature and discuss how nonzero neutrino mass affects the interpretation.

hep-ph

Advancements in Computing and Simulation Techniques for the HIBEAM-NNBAR Experiment

The HIBEAM-NNBAR program is a proposed two-stage experiment at the European Spallation Source focusing on searches for baryon number violation processes as well as ultralight dark matter. This paper presents recent advancements in computing and simulation, including machine learning for event selection, fast parametric simulations for detector studies, and detailed modeling of the time projection chamber and readout electronics.

physics.ins-det

Bayesian network 3D event reconstruction in the Cygno optical TPC for dark matter direct detection

The CYGNO experiment is developing a high-resolution gaseous Time Projection Chamber with optical readout for directional dark matter searches. The detector uses a helium-tetrafluoromethane (He:CF$_4$ 60:40) gas mixture at atmospheric pressure and a triple Gas Electron Multiplier amplification stage, coupled with a scientific camera for high-resolution 2D imaging and fast photomultipliers for time-resolved scintillation light detection. This setup enables 3D event reconstruction: photomultipliers signals provide depth information, while the camera delivers high-precision transverse resolution. In this work, we present a Bayesian Network-based algorithm designed to reconstruct the events using only the photomultipliers signals, yielding a full 3D description of the particle trajectories. The algorithm models the light collection process probabilistically and estimates spatial and intensity parameters on the Gas Electron Multiplier plane, where light emission occurs. It is implemented within the Bayesian Analysis Toolkit and uses Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling for posterior inference. Validation using data from the CYGNO LIME prototype shows accurate reconstruction of localized and extended tracks. Results demonstrate that the Bayesian approach enables robust 3D description and, when combined with camera data, further improves the precision of track reconstruction. This methodology represents a significant step forward in directional dark matter detection, enhancing the identification of nuclear recoil tracks with high spatial resolution.

physics.ins-det

Modeling the light response of an optically readout GEM based TPC for the CYGNO experiment

The use of gaseous Time Projection Chambers enables the detection and the detailed study of rare events due to particles interactions with the atoms of the gas with energy releases as low as a few keV. Due to this capability, these instruments are being developed for applications in the field of astroparticle physics, such as the study of dark matter and neutrinos. To readout events occurring in the sensitive volume with a high granularity, the CYGNO collaboration is developing a solution where the light generated during the avalanche processes occurring in a multiplication stage based on Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) is read out by optical sensors with very high sensitivity and spatial resolution. To achieve a high light output, gas gain values of the order of $10^5\text{-}10^6$ are needed. Experimentally, a dependence of the detector response on the spatial density of the charge collected in the GEM holes has been observed, indicating a gain-reduction effect likely caused by space-charge buildup within the multiplication channels. This paper presents data collected with a prototype featuring a sensitive volume of about two liters, together with a model developed by the collaboration to describe and predict the gain dependence on charge density. A comparison with experimental data shows that the model accurately reproduces the gain behaviour over nearly one order of magnitude, with a percent-level precision.

physics.ins-det

On the Effects of Quantum Decoherence in a Future Supernova Neutrino Detection

Quantum decoherence effects in neutrinos, described by the open quantum systems formalism, serve as a gateway to explore potential new physics, including quantum gravity. Previous research extensively investigated these effects across various neutrino sources, imposing stringent constraints on the spontaneous loss of coherence. In this study, we demonstrate that even within the Supernovae environment, where neutrinos are released as incoherent states, quantum decoherence could influence the flavor equipartition of $3ν$ mixing. Additionally, we examine the potential energy dependence of quantum decoherence parameters ($Γ= Γ_0 (E/E_0)^n$) with different power laws ($n = 0, 2, 5/2$). Our findings indicate that future-generation detectors (DUNE, Hyper-K, and JUNO) can significantly constrain quantum decoherence effects under different scenarios. For a Supernova located 10 kpc away from Earth, DUNE could potentially establish $3σ$ bounds of $Γ\leq 6.2 \times 10^{-14}$ eV in the normal mass hierarchy (NH) scenario, while Hyper-K could impose a $2σ$ limit of $Γ\leq 3.6 \times 10^{-14}$ eV for the inverted mass hierarchy (IH) scenario with $n=0$ - assuming no energy exchange between the neutrino subsystem and non-standard environment ($[H,V_p] = 0$). These limits become even more restrictive for a closer Supernova. When we relax the assumption of energy exchange ($[H,V_p] \neq 0$), for a 10 kpc SN, DUNE can establish a $3σ$ limit of $Γ_8 \leq 4.2 \times 10^{-28}$ eV for NH, while Hyper-K could constrain $Γ_8 \leq 1.3 \times 10^{-27}$ eV for IH ($n=0$) with $2σ$, representing the most stringent bounds reported to date. Furthermore, we examine the impact of neutrino loss during propagation for future Supernova detection.

hep-ph

SN1987A neutrino burst: limits on flavor conversion

In this paper, we revisit the SN1987A neutrino data to see its constraints on flavor conversion. We are motivated by the fact that most works that analyze this data consider a specific conversion mechanism, such as the MSW (Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein) effect, although flavor conversion is still an open question in supernovae due to the presence of neutrino-neutrino interactions. In our analysis, instead of considering a specific conversion mechanism, we let the electron antineutrino survival probability $P_{\overline{e}\overline{e}}$ be a free parameter. We fit the data from Kamiokande-II, Baksan, and IMB detected spectrum with two classes of models: time-integrated and time-dependent. For the time-integrated model, it is not possible to put limits above $1σ$ (68% confidence level) on the survival probability. The same happens for the time-dependent model when cooling is the only mechanism of antineutrino emission. However, for models considering an accretion phase, $P_{\overline{e}\overline{e}}\sim0$ is strongly rejected, showing a preference for the existence of an accretion component in the detected antineutrino flux, and a preference for normal mass ordering when only the MSW is present.

hep-ph

Neutrino-(anti)neutrino forward scattering potential for massive neutrinos at low energies

In this work, we calculate expression for the potential due to neutrino-(anti)neutrino forward scattering at low energies ($E< >m_ν$), a representative regime within astrophysical scenarios. There is a broadly used expression for this potential in the literature, which, however, lacks an explicit derivation from basic principles of quantum field theory. Therefore, this paper has the intention to guide the reader through the steps and concepts to derive this potential, trying to be clear and pedagogical. Moreover, we used a rigorous approach concerning the massive nature of the neutrinos, using massive quantized neutrino fields throughout the entire process, while the usual approach is to consider massless neutrino fields at the interaction. In this context, we explicitly show the validity of the massless neutrino fields approximation at the ultra-relativistic regime, as expected. As the last step, we connect the potential expression to the density matrix formalism, which is a usual framework for works considering neutrino-neutrino interactions. We also discuss some theoretical details through the paper, such as the normal ordering of quantum operators and the implications of massive fields in the neutrino state at its production.

hep-ph

A measurement of absolute efficiency of the ARAPUCA photon detector in Liquid Argon

In the Fall of 2017, two photon detector designs for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Far Detector were installed and tested in the TallBo liquid argon (LAr) cryostat at the Proton Assembly (PAB) facility, Fermilab. The designs include two light bars developed at Indiana University and a photon detector based on the ARAPUCA light trap engineered by Colorado State University and Fermilab. The performance of these devices is determined by analyzing 8 weeks of cosmic ray data. The current paper focuses solely on the ARAPUCA device as the performance of the light bars will be reported separately. The paper briefly describes the ARAPUCA concept, the TallBo setup, and focuses on data analysis and results.

physics.ins-det

Front-end control system and precise threshold configuration of the v-Angra experiment

The v-Angra experiment aims to estimate the flux of antineutrino particles coming out from the Angra II nuclear reactor. Such flux is proportional to the thermal power released in the fission process and therefore can be used to infer the quantity of fuel that has been burned during a certain period. To do so, the v-Angra Collaboration has developed an antineutrino detector and a complete acquisition system to readout and store the signals generated by its sensors. The entire detection system has been installed inside a container laboratory placed beside the dome of the nuclear reactor, in a restricted zone of the Angra II site. The system is supposed to work standalone for a few years in order to collect enough data so that the experiment can be validated. The detector's readout electronics and its environmental conditions are crucial parts of the experiment and they should work autonomously and be controlled and monitored remotely. Additionally, threshold configuration is a central issue of the experiment since antineutrino particles produce low energy signals in the detector, being necessary to carefully adjust it for all the detector channels in order to make the system capable of detecting signals as low as those generated by single photons. To this end, an embedded system was developed and integrated to the detection apparatus installed in the container at the Angra II site and is now operational and accessible to the v-Angra Collaboration. This article aims at describing the proposed embedded system and presenting the results obtained during its commissioning phase.

physics.ins-det

Magnetized Neutron Stars

In this work we show the results for numerical solutions of the relativistic Grad-Shafranov equation for a typical neutron star with 1.4 solar masses. We have studied the internal magnetic field considering both the poloidal and toroidal components, as well as the behavior of the field lines parametrized by the ratio between these components of the field.

astro-ph.HE

The Influence of Magnetic Field Geometry in Neutron Stars Crustal Oscillations

In this work, we have studied oscillations in the crust of a neutron star which magnetic field has both dipolar and toroidal components, the former extends from the stellar interior to the outer space and the later is confined inside the star radius. Our study is based on the solutions we have got for perturbations in the star fluid, confined to the crust thickness. Our results are compared to the frequencies observed in the Soft Gamma Repeaters signals.

gr-qc

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment -- DUNE: the precision era of neutrino physics

The last decade was remarkable for neutrino physics. In particular, the phenomenon of neutrino flavor oscillations has been firmly established by a series of independent measurements. All parameters of the neutrino mixing are now known and we have elements to plan a judicious exploration of new scenarios that are opened by these recent advances. With precise measurements, we can test the 3-neutrino paradigm, neutrino mass hierarchy and CP asymmetry in the lepton sector. The future long-baseline experiments are considered to be a fundamental tool to deepen our knowledge of electroweak interactions. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment -- DUNE will detect a broad-band neutrino beam from Fermilab in an underground massive Liquid Argon Time-Projection Chamber at an L/E of about $10^3$ km / GeV to reach good sensitivity for CP-phase measurements and the determination of the mass hierarchy. The dimensions and the depth of the Far Detector also create an excellent opportunity to look for rare signals like proton decay to study violation of baryonic number, as well as supernova neutrino bursts, broadening the scope of the experiment to astrophysics and associated impacts in cosmology. In this presentation, we will discuss the physics motivations and the main experimental features of the DUNE project required to reach its scientific goals.

hep-ex

Probing light sterile neutrinos in medium baseline reactor experiments

Medium baseline reactor experiments (Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO) provide a unique opportunity to test the presence of light sterile neutrinos. We analyze the data of these experiments in the search of sterile neutrinos and also test the robustness of theta_13 determination in the presence of sterile neutrinos. We show that existence of a light sterile neutrino state improves the fit to these data moderately. We also show that the measured value of theta_{13} by these experiments is reliable even in the presence of sterile neutrinos, and the reliability owes significantly to the Daya Bay and RENO data. From the combined analysis of the data of these experiments we constrain the mixing of a sterile neutrino with mass squared difference in the range of (10^{-3}-10^{-1}) eV^2 to sin^2 2 theta_{14} <0.1 at 95 % C.L..

hep-ph

Estimations of the Distances of Stellar Collapses in the Galaxy by Analyzing the Energy Spectrum of Neutrino Bursts

The neutrino telescopes of the present generation, depending on their specific features, can reconstruct the neutrino spectra from a galactic burst. Since the optical counterpart could be not available, it is desirable to have at hand alternative methods to estimate the distance of the supernova explosion using only the neutrino data. In this work we present preliminary results on the method we are proposing to estimate the distance from a galactic supernova based only on the spectral shape of the neutrino burst and assumptions on the gravitational binding energy released an a typical supernova explosion due to stellar collapses.

astro-ph.IM

Identifying Patterns on Cosmic Ray Maps with Wavelets on the Sphere

The deflection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays depends on the shape of the injection spectrum of the source and the pervasive cosmic magnetic fields. In this work it is applied the wavelet transform on the sphere to search for energy ordered filamentary structures arisen from magnetic bending. These structures, the so-called multiplets, can bring relevant information concerning the intervening magnetic fields.

astro-ph.IM

Detection of Point Sources in Cosmic Ray Maps using the Mexican Hat Wavelet Family

An analysis of the sensitivity of gaussian and mexican hat wavelet family filters to the detection of point sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays was performed. A source embedded in a background was simulated and the number of events and amplitude of this source was varied aiming to check the sensitivity of the method to detect faint sources with low statistic of events.

astro-ph.IM

Amplification of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Cosmic Ray Maps Using the Mexican Hat Wavelet Family

In this work we analyze the effect of smoothing maps containing arrival directions of cosmic rays with a gaussian kernel and kernels of the mexican hat wavelets of orders 1, 2 and 3. The analysis is performed by calculating the amplification of the signal-to-noise ratio for several background patterns (noise) and different number of events coming from a simulated source (signal) for an ideal detector capable of observing the full sky with uniform coverage. We extend this analysis for a virtual observatory with two sites, one in the northern hemisphere, the other in the southern, considering an acceptance law.

astro-ph.IM

Wavelets Applied to the Detection of Point Sources of UHECRs

In this work we analyze the effect of smoothing maps containing arrival directions of cosmic rays with a gaussian kernel and kernels of the mexican hat wavelets of orders 1, 2 and 3. The analysis is performed by calculating the amplification of the signal-to-noise ratio for several anisotropy patterns (noise) and different number of events coming from a simulated source (signal) for an ideal detector capable of observing the full sky with equal probability. We extend this analysis for a virtual detector located within the array of detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory, considering an acceptance law.

astro-ph.IM