arXiv subjects

G. Barr

Publications and source records attributed to G. Barr.

265 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Measurements of the T2K neutrino beam properties using the INGRID on-axis near detector

Precise measurement of neutrino beam direction and intensity was achieved based on a new concept with modularized neutrino detectors. INGRID (Interactive Neutrino GRID) is an on-axis near detector for the T2K long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. INGRID consists of 16 identical modules arranged in horizontal and vertical arrays around the beam center. The module has a sandwich structure of iron target plates and scintillator trackers. INGRID directly monitors the muon neutrino beam profile center and intensity using the number of observed neutrino events in each module. The neutrino beam direction is measured with accuracy better than 0.4 mrad from the measured profile center. The normalized event rate is measured with 4% precision.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2011

The 2010 Interim Report of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment Collaboration Physics Working Groups

In early 2010, the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) science collaboration initiated a study to investigate the physics potential of the experiment with a broad set of different beam, near- and far-detector configurations. Nine initial topics were identified as scientific areas that motivate construction of a long-baseline neutrino experiment with a very large far detector. We summarize the scientific justification for each topic and the estimated performance for a set of far detector reference configurations. We report also on a study of optimized beam parameters and the physics capability of proposed Near Detector configurations. This document was presented to the collaboration in fall 2010 and updated with minor modifications in early 2011.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Search for the disappearance of muon antineutrinos in the NuMI neutrino beam

We report constraints on antineutrino oscillation parameters that were obtained by using the two MINOS detectors to measure the 7% muon antineutrino component of the NuMI neutrino beam. In the Far Detector, we select 130 events in the charged-current muon antineutrino sample, compared to a prediction of 136.4 +/- 11.7(stat) ^{+10.2}_{-8.9}(syst) events under the assumption |dm2bar|=2.32x10^-3 eV^2, snthetabar=1.0. Assuming no oscillations occur at the Near Detector baseline, a fit to the two-flavor oscillation approximation constrains |dm2bar|<3.37x10^-3 eV^2 at the 90% confidence level with snthetabar=1.0.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

First direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance

This letter reports the first direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance. The MINOS experiment has taken data with an accelerator beam optimized for muon antineutrino production, accumulating an exposure of $1.71\times 10^{20}$ protons on target. In the Far Detector, 97 charged current muon antineutrino events are observed. The no-oscillation hypothesis predicts 156 events and is excluded at $6.3σ$. The best fit to oscillation yields $Δ\bar{m}^{2}=(3.36^{+0.46}_{-0.40}\textrm{(stat.)}\pm0.06\textrm{(syst.)})\times 10^{-3}\,\eV^{2}$, $\sin^{2}(2\barθ)=0.86^{+0.11}_{-0.12}\textrm{(stat.)}\pm0.01\textrm{(syst.)}$. The MINOS muon neutrino and muon antineutrino measurements are consistent at the 2.0% confidence level, assuming identical underlying oscillation parameters.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Improved search for muon-neutrino to electron-neutrino oscillations in MINOS

We report the results of a search for $ν_{e}$ appearance in a $ν_μ$ beam in the MINOS long-baseline neutrino experiment. With an improved analysis and an increased exposure of $8.2\times10^{20}$ protons on the NuMI target at Fermilab, we find that $2\sin^2(θ_{23})\sin^2(2θ_{13})<0.12\ (0.20)$ at 90% confidence level for $δ\mathord{=}0$ and the normal (inverted) neutrino mass hierarchy, with a best fit of $2\sin^2(θ_{23})\sin^2(2θ_{13})\,\mathord{=}\,0.041^{+0.047}_{-0.031}\ (0.079^{+0.071}_{-0.053})$. The $θ_{13}\mathord{=}0$ hypothesis is disfavored by the MINOS data at the 89% confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Indication of Electron Neutrino Appearance from an Accelerator-produced Off-axis Muon Neutrino Beam

The T2K experiment observes indications of $ν_μ\rightarrow ν_e$ appearance in data accumulated with $1.43\times10^{20}$ protons on target. Six events pass all selection criteria at the far detector. In a three-flavor neutrino oscillation scenario with $|Δm_{23}^2|=2.4\times10^{-3}$ eV$^2$, $\sin^2 2θ_{23}=1$ and $\sin^2 2θ_{13}=0$, the expected number of such events is 1.5$\pm$0.3(syst.). Under this hypothesis, the probability to observe six or more candidate events is 7$\times10^{-3}$, equivalent to 2.5$σ$ significance. At 90% C.L., the data are consistent with 0.03(0.04)$<\sin^2 2θ_{13}<$ 0.28(0.34) for $δ_{\rm CP}=0$ and a normal (inverted) hierarchy.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Active to sterile neutrino mixing limits from neutral-current interactions in MINOS

Results are reported from a search for active to sterile neutrino oscillations in the MINOS long-baseline experiment, based on the observation of neutral-current neutrino interactions, from an exposure to the NuMI neutrino beam of $7.07\times10^{20}$ protons on target. A total of 802 neutral-current event candidates is observed in the Far Detector, compared to an expected number of $754\pm28\rm{(stat.)}\pm{37}\rm{(syst.)}$ for oscillations among three active flavors. The fraction $f_s$ of disappearing \numu that may transition to $ν_s$ is found to be less than 22% at the 90% C.L.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

The T2K Experiment

The T2K experiment is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. Its main goal is to measure the last unknown lepton sector mixing angle θ_{13} by observing ν_e appearance in a ν_μ beam. It also aims to make a precision measurement of the known oscillation parameters, Δm^{2}_{23} and sin^{2} 2θ_{23}, via ν_μ disappearance studies. Other goals of the experiment include various neutrino cross section measurements and sterile neutrino searches. The experiment uses an intense proton beam generated by the J-PARC accelerator in Tokai, Japan, and is composed of a neutrino beamline, a near detector complex (ND280), and a far detector (Super-Kamiokande) located 295 km away from J-PARC. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the instrumentation aspect of the T2K experiment and a summary of the vital information for each subsystem.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2011

Measurement of the neutrino mass splitting and flavor mixing by MINOS

Measurements of neutrino oscillations using the disappearance of muon neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI neutrino beam as observed by the two MINOS detectors are reported. New analysis methods have been applied to an enlarged data sample from an exposure of $7.25 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target. A fit to neutrino oscillations yields values of $|Δm^2| = (2.32^{+0.12}_{-0.08})\times10^{-3}$\,eV$^2$ for the atmospheric mass splitting and $\rm \sin^2\!(2θ) > 0.90$ (90%\,C.L.) for the mixing angle. Pure neutrino decay and quantum decoherence hypotheses are excluded at 7 and 9 standard deviations, respectively.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2010

A Search for Lorentz Invariance and CPT Violation with the MINOS Far Detector

We searched for a sidereal modulation in the MINOS far detector neutrino rate. Such a signal would be a consequence of Lorentz and CPT violation as described by the Standard-Model Extension framework. It also would be the first detection of a perturbative effect to conventional neutrino mass oscillations. We found no evidence for this sidereal signature and the upper limits placed on the magnitudes of the Lorentz and CPT violating coefficients describing the theory are an improvement by factors of $20-510$ over the current best limits found using the MINOS near detector.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2010

Large-angle production of charged pions with incident pion beams on nuclear targets

Measurements of the double-differential pi+/- production cross-section in the range of momentum 100 MeV/c <= p <= 800 MeV/c and angle 0.35 rad <= theta <= 2.15 rad using pi+/- beams incident on beryllium, aluminium, carbon, copper, tin, tantalum and lead targets are presented. The data were taken with the large acceptance HARP detector in the T9 beam line of the CERN Proton Synchrotron. The secondary pions were produced by beams in a momentum range from 3 GeV/c to 12.9 GeV/c hitting a solid target with a thickness of 5% of a nuclear interaction length. The tracking and identification of the produced particles was performed using a small-radius cylindrical time projection chamber (TPC) placed inside a solenoidal magnet. Incident particles were identified by an elaborate system of beam detectors. Results are obtained for the double-differential cross-sections d2sigma/dpdtheta at six incident beam momenta. Data at 3 GeV/c, 5 GeV/c, 8 GeV/c, and 12 GeV/c are available for all targets while additional data at 8.9 GeV/c and 12.9 GeV/c were taken in positive particle beams on Be and Al targets, respectively. The measurements are compared with several generators of GEANT4 and the MARS Monte Carlo simulation.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2009

Comparison of large-angle production of charged pions with incident protons on cylindrical long and short targets

The HARP collaboration has presented measurements of the double-differential pi+/pi- production cross-section in the range of momentum 100 MeV/c <= p 800 MeV/c and angle 0.35 rad <= theta <= 2.15 rad with proton beams hitting thin nuclear targets. In many applications the extrapolation to long targets is necessary. In this paper the analysis of data taken with long (one interaction length) solid cylindrical targets made of carbon, tantalum and lead is presented. The data were taken with the large acceptance HARP detector in the T9 beam line of the CERN PS. The secondary pions were produced by beams of protons with momenta 5 GeV/c, 8 GeV/c and 12 GeV/c. The tracking and identification of the produced particles were performed using a small-radius cylindrical time projection chamber (TPC) placed inside a solenoidal magnet. Incident protons were identified by an elaborate system of beam detectors. Results are obtained for the double-differential yields per target nucleon d2 sigma / dp dtheta. The measurements are compared with predictions of the MARS and GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2006

Charged Pion Production in p+C Collisions at 158 GeV/c Beam Momentum: Discussion

The new data on pion production in p+C interactions from the NA49 experiment at the CERN SPS are used for a detailed study of hadronization in the collision of protons with light nuclei. The comparison to the extensive set of data from p+p collisions obtained with the same detector allows for the separation and extraction of the projectile and target contributions to the pion yield both in longitudinal and in transverse momentum.

hep-ex↗