arXiv subjects

G. Cerati

Publications and source records attributed to G. Cerati.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Demonstration of neutron identification in neutrino interactions in the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber

A significant challenge in measurements of neutrino oscillations is reconstructing the incoming neutrino energies. While modern fully-active tracking calorimeters such as liquid argon time projection chambers in principle allow the measurement of all final state particles above some detection threshold, undetected neutrons remain a considerable source of missing energy with little to no data constraining their production rates and kinematics. We present the first demonstration of tagging neutrino-induced neutrons in liquid argon time projection chambers using secondary protons emitted from neutron-argon interactions in the MicroBooNE detector. We describe the method developed to identify neutrino-induced neutrons and demonstrate its performance using neutrons produced in muon-neutrino charged current interactions. The method is validated using a small subset of MicroBooNE's total dataset. The selection yields a sample with $60\%$ of selected tracks corresponding to neutron-induced secondary protons.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Improving neutrino energy estimation of charged-current interaction events with recurrent neural networks in MicroBooNE

We present a deep learning-based method for estimating the neutrino energy of charged-current neutrino-argon interactions. We employ a recurrent neural network (RNN) architecture for neutrino energy estimation in the MicroBooNE experiment, utilizing liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detector technology. Traditional energy estimation approaches in LArTPCs, which largely rely on reconstructing and summing visible energies, often experience sizable biases and resolution smearing because of the complex nature of neutrino interactions and the detector response. The estimation of neutrino energy can be improved after considering the kinematics information of reconstructed final-state particles. Utilizing kinematic information of reconstructed particles, the deep learning-based approach shows improved resolution and reduced bias for the muon neutrino Monte Carlo simulation sample compared to the traditional approach. In order to address the common concern about the effectiveness of this method on experimental data, the RNN-based energy estimator is further examined and validated with dedicated data-simulation consistency tests using MicroBooNE data. We also assess its potential impact on a neutrino oscillation study after accounting for all statistical and systematic uncertainties and show that it enhances physics sensitivity. This method has good potential to improve the performance of other physics analyses.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Measurement of nuclear effects in neutrino-argon interactions using generalized kinematic imbalance variables with the MicroBooNE detector

We present a set of new generalized kinematic imbalance variables that can be measured in neutrino scattering. These variables extend previous measurements of kinematic imbalance on the transverse plane, and are more sensitive to modeling of nuclear effects. We demonstrate the enhanced power of these variables using simulation, and then use the MicroBooNE detector to measure them for the first time. We report flux-integrated single- and double-differential measurements of charged-current muon neutrino scattering on argon using a topolgy with one muon and one proton in the final state as a function of these novel kinematic imbalance variables. These measurements allow us to demonstrate that the treatment of charged current quasielastic interactions in GENIE version 2 is inadequate to describe data. Further, they reveal tensions with more modern generator predictions particularly in regions of phase space where final state interactions are important.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2024

First search for dark-trident processes using the MicroBooNE detector

We present a first search for dark-trident scattering in a neutrino beam using a data set corresponding to $7.2 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target taken with the MicroBooNE detector at Fermilab. Proton interactions in the neutrino target at the Main Injector produce $π^0$ and $η$ mesons, which could decay into dark-matter (DM) particles mediated via a dark photon $A^\prime$. A convolutional neural network is trained to identify interactions of the DM particles in the liquid-argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) exploiting its image-like reconstruction capability. In the absence of a DM signal, we provide limits at the $90\%$ confidence level on the squared kinematic mixing parameter $\varepsilon^2$ as a function of the dark-photon mass in the range $10\le M_{A^\prime}\le 400$ MeV. The limits cover previously unconstrained parameter space for the production of fermion or scalar DM particles $χ$ for two benchmark models with mass ratios $M_χ/M_{A^\prime}=0.6$ and $2$ and for dark fine-structure constants $0.1\leα_D\le 1$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Measurement of the differential cross section for neutral pion production in charged-current muon neutrino interactions on argon with the MicroBooNE detector

We present a measurement of neutral pion production in charged-current interactions using data recorded with the MicroBooNE detector exposed to Fermilab's booster neutrino beam. The signal comprises one muon, one neutral pion, any number of nucleons, and no charged pions. Studying neutral pion production in the MicroBooNE detector provides an opportunity to better understand neutrino-argon interactions, and is crucial for future accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments. Using a dataset corresponding to $6.86 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target, we present single-differential cross sections in muon and neutral pion momenta, scattering angles with respect to the beam for the outgoing muon and neutral pion, as well as the opening angle between the muon and neutral pion. Data extracted cross sections are compared to generator predictions. We report good agreement between the data and the models for scattering angles, except for an over-prediction by generators at muon forward angles. Similarly, the agreement between data and the models as a function of momentum is good, except for an underprediction by generators in the medium momentum ranges, $200-400$ MeV for muons and $100-200$ MeV for pions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

First measurement of $η$ production in neutrino interactions on argon with MicroBooNE

We present a measurement of $η$ production from neutrino interactions on argon with the MicroBooNE detector. The modeling of resonant neutrino interactions on argon is a critical aspect of the neutrino oscillation physics program being carried out by the DUNE and Short Baseline Neutrino programs. $η$ production in neutrino interactions provides a powerful new probe of resonant interactions, complementary to pion channels, and is particularly suited to the study of higher-order resonances beyond the $Δ(1232)$. We measure a flux-integrated cross section for neutrino-induced $η$ production on argon of $3.22 \pm 0.84 \; \textrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.86 \; \textrm{(syst.)}$ $10^{-41}{\textrm{cm}}^{2}$/nucleon. By demonstrating the successful reconstruction of the two photons resulting from $η$ production, this analysis enables a novel calibration technique for electromagnetic showers in GeV accelerator neutrino experiments.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Measurement of double-differential cross sections for mesonless charged-current muon neutrino interactions on argon with final-state protons using the MicroBooNE detector

Charged-current neutrino interactions with final states containing zero mesons and at least one proton are of high interest for current and future accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments. Using the Booster Neutrino Beam and the MicroBooNE detector at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, we have obtained the first double-differential cross section measurements of this channel for muon neutrino scattering on an argon target with a proton momentum threshold of 0.25 GeV/c. We also report a flux-averaged total cross section of $σ= (11.8 \pm 1.2) \times 10^{-38}$ cm$^2$ / Ar and several single-differential measurements which extend and improve upon previous results. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are quantified with a full treatment of correlations across 359 kinematic bins, including correlations between distributions describing different observables. The resulting data set provides the most detailed information obtained to date for testing models of mesonless neutrino-argon scattering.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Measurement of ambient radon progeny decay rates and energy spectra in liquid argon using the MicroBooNE detector

We report measurements of radon progeny in liquid argon within the MicroBooNE time projection chamber (LArTPC). The presence of specific radon daughters in MicroBooNE's 85 metric tons of active liquid argon bulk is probed with newly developed charge-based low-energy reconstruction tools and analysis techniques to detect correlated $^{214}$Bi-$^{214}$Po radioactive decays. Special datasets taken during periods of active radon doping enable new demonstrations of the calorimetric capabilities of single-phase neutrino LArTPCs for $β$ and $α$ particles with electron-equivalent energies ranging from 0.1 to 3.0 MeV. By applying $^{214}$Bi-$^{214}$Po detection algorithms to data recorded over a 46-day period, no statistically significant presence of radioactive $^{214}$Bi is detected, and a limit on the activity is placed at $<0.35$ mBq/kg at the 95% confidence level. This bulk $^{214}$Bi radiopurity limit -- the first ever reported for a liquid argon detector incorporating liquid-phase purification -- is then further discussed in relation to the targeted upper limit of 1 mBq/kg on bulk $^{222}$Rn activity for the DUNE neutrino detector.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Search for heavy neutral leptons in electron-positron and neutral-pion final states with the MicroBooNE detector

We present the first search for heavy neutral leptons (HNL) decaying into $νe^+e^-$ or $νπ^0$ final states in a liquid-argon time projection chamber using data collected with the MicroBooNE detector. The data were recorded synchronously with the NuMI neutrino beam from Fermilab's Main Injector corresponding to a total exposure of $7.01 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target. We set upper limits at the $90\%$ confidence level on the mixing parameter $\lvert U_{μ4}\rvert^2$ in the mass ranges $10\le m_{\rm HNL}\le 150$ MeV for the $νe^+e^-$ channel and $150\le m_{\rm HNL}\le 245$ MeV for the $νπ^0$ channel, assuming $\lvert U_{e 4}\rvert^2 = \lvert U_{τ4}\rvert^2 = 0$. These limits represent the most stringent constraints in the mass range $35<m_{\rm HNL}<175$ MeV and the first constraints from a direct search for $νπ^0$ decays.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2023

First demonstration of $\mathcal{O}(1\,\text{ns})$ timing resolution in the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber

MicroBooNE is a neutrino experiment located in the Booster Neutrino Beamline (BNB) at Fermilab, which collected data from 2015 to 2021. MicroBooNE's liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) is accompanied by a photon detection system consisting of 32 photomultiplier tubes used to measure the argon scintillation light and determine the timing of neutrino interactions. Analysis techniques combining light signals and reconstructed tracks are applied to achieve a neutrino interaction time resolution of $\mathcal{O}(1\,\text{ns})$. The result obtained allows MicroBooNE to access the ns neutrino pulse structure of the BNB for the first time. The timing resolution achieved will enable significant enhancement of cosmic background rejection for all neutrino analyses. Furthermore, the ns timing resolution opens new avenues to search for long-lived-particles such as heavy neutral leptons in MicroBooNE, as well as in future large LArTPC experiments, namely the SBN program and DUNE.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2023

First measurement of quasi-elastic $Λ$ baryon production in muon anti-neutrino interactions in the MicroBooNE detector

We present the first measurement of the cross section of Cabibbo-suppressed $Λ$ baryon production, using data collected with the MicroBooNE detector when exposed to the neutrinos from the Main Injector beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The data analyzed correspond to $2.2 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target of neutrino mode running and $4.9 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target of anti-neutrino mode running. An automated selection is combined with hand scanning, with the former identifying five candidate $Λ$ production events when the signal was unblinded, consistent with the GENIE prediction of $5.3 \pm 1.1$ events. Several scanners were employed, selecting between three and five events, compared with a prediction from a blinded Monte Carlo simulation study of $3.7 \pm 1.0$ events. Restricting the phase space to only include $Λ$ baryons that decay above MicroBooNE's detection thresholds, we obtain a flux averaged cross section of $2.0^{+2.2}_{-1.7} \times 10^{-40}$ cm$^2/$Ar, where statistical and systematic uncertainties are combined.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Measurement of neutral current single $π^0$ production on argon with the MicroBooNE detector

We report the first measurement of $π^0$ production in neutral current (NC) interactions on argon with average neutrino energy of $\lesssim1$~GeV. We use data from the MicroBooNE detector's 85-tonne active volume liquid argon time projection chamber situated in Fermilab's Booster Neutrino Beam and exposed to $5.89\times10^{20}$ protons on target for this measurement. Measurements of NC $π^0$ events are reported for two exclusive event topologies without charged pions. Those include a topology with two photons from the decay of the $π^0$ and one proton and a topology with two photons and zero protons. Flux-averaged cross-sections for each exclusive topology and for their semi-inclusive combination are extracted (efficiency-correcting for two-plus proton final states), and the results are compared to predictions from the \textsc{genie}, \textsc{neut}, and \textsc{NuWro} neutrino event generators. We measure cross sections of $1.243\pm0.185$ (syst) $\pm0.076$ (stat), $0.444\pm0.098\pm0.047$, and $0.624\pm0.131\pm0.075$ $[10^{-38}\textrm{cm}^2/\textrm{Ar}]$ for the semi-inclusive NC$π^0$, exclusive NC$π^0$+1p, and exclusive NC$π^0$+0p processes, respectively.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Search for long-lived heavy neutral leptons and Higgs portal scalars decaying in the MicroBooNE detector

We present a search for long-lived Higgs portal scalars (HPS) and heavy neutral leptons (HNL) decaying in the MicroBooNE liquid-argon time projection chamber. The measurement is performed using data collected synchronously with the NuMI neutrino beam from Fermilab's Main Injector with a total exposure corresponding to $7.01 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target. We set upper limits at the $90\%$ confidence level on the mixing parameter $\lvert U_{μ4}\rvert^2$ ranging from $\lvert U_{μ4}\rvert^2<12.9\times 10^{-8}$ for Majorana HNLs with a mass of $m_{\rm HNL}=246$ MeV to $\lvert U_{μ4}\rvert^2<0.92 \times 10^{-8}$ for $m_{\rm HNL}=385$ MeV, assuming $\lvert U_{e 4}\rvert^2 = \lvert U_{τ4}\rvert^2 = 0$ and HNL decays into $μ^\pmπ^\mp$ pairs. These limits on $\lvert U_{μ4}\rvert^2$ represent an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared to the previous MicroBooNE result. We also constrain the scalar-Higgs mixing angle $θ$ by searching for HPS decays into $μ^+μ^-$ final states, excluding a contour in the parameter space with lower bounds of $θ^2<31.3 \times 10^{-9}$ for $m_{\rm HPS}=212$ GeV and $θ^2<1.09 \times 10^{-9}$ for $m_{\rm HPS}=275$ GeV. These are the first constraints on the scalar-Higgs mixing angle $θ$ from a dedicated experimental search in this mass range.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

First constraints on light sterile neutrino oscillations from combined appearance and disappearance searches with the MicroBooNE detector

We present a search for eV-scale sterile neutrino oscillations in the MicroBooNE liquid argon detector, simultaneously considering all possible appearance and disappearance effects within the $3+1$ active-to-sterile neutrino oscillation framework. We analyze the neutrino candidate events for the recent measurements of charged-current $ν_e$ and $ν_μ$ interactions in the MicroBooNE detector, using data corresponding to an exposure of 6.37$\times$10$^{20}$ protons on target from the Fermilab booster neutrino beam. We observe no evidence of light sterile neutrino oscillations and derive exclusion contours at the $95\%$ confidence level in the plane of the mass-squared splitting $Δm^2_{41}$ and the sterile neutrino mixing angles $θ_{μe}$ and $θ_{ee}$, excluding part of the parameter space allowed by experimental anomalies. Cancellation of $ν_e$ appearance and $ν_e$ disappearance effects due to the full $3+1$ treatment of the analysis leads to a degeneracy when determining the oscillation parameters, which is discussed in this paper and will be addressed by future analyses.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

The Future of High Energy Physics Software and Computing

Software and Computing (S&C) are essential to all High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments and many theoretical studies. The size and complexity of S&C are now commensurate with that of experimental instruments, playing a critical role in experimental design, data acquisition/instrumental control, reconstruction, and analysis. Furthermore, S&C often plays a leading role in driving the precision of theoretical calculations and simulations. Within this central role in HEP, S&C has been immensely successful over the last decade. This report looks forward to the next decade and beyond, in the context of the 2021 Particle Physics Community Planning Exercise ("Snowmass") organized by the Division of Particles and Fields (DPF) of the American Physical Society.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Observation of Radon Mitigation in MicroBooNE by a Liquid Argon Filtration System

The MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) maintains a high level of liquid argon purity through the use of a filtration system that removes electronegative contaminants in continuously-circulated liquid, recondensed boil off, and externally supplied argon gas. We use the MicroBooNE LArTPC to reconstruct MeV-scale radiological decays. Using this technique we measure the liquid argon filtration system's efficacy at removing radon. This is studied by placing a 500 kBq $^{222}$Rn source upstream of the filters and searching for a time-dependent increase in the number of radiological decays in the LArTPC. In the context of two models for radon mitigation via a liquid argon filtration system, a slowing mechanism and a trapping mechanism, MicroBooNE data supports a radon reduction factor of greater than 99.999% or 97%, respectively. Furthermore, a radiological survey of the filters found that the copper-based filter material was the primary medium that removed the $^{222}$Rn. This is the first observation of radon mitigation in liquid argon with a large-scale copper-based filter and could offer a radon mitigation solution for future large LArTPCs.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Snowmass Computational Frontier: Topical Group Report on Experimental Algorithm Parallelization

The substantial increase in data volume and complexity expected from future experiments will require significant investment to prepare experimental algorithms. These algorithms include physics object reconstruction, calibrations, and processing of observational data. In addition, the changing computing architecture landscape, which will be primarily composed of heterogeneous resources, will continue to pose major challenges with regard to algorithmic migration. Portable tools need to be developed that can be shared among the frontiers (e.g., for code execution on different platforms) and opportunities, such as forums or cross-experimental working groups, need to be provided where experiences and lessons learned can be shared between experiments and frontiers. At the same time, individual experiments also need to invest considerable resources to develop algorithms unique to their needs (e.g., for facilities dedicated to the experiment), and ensure that their specific algorithms will be able to efficiently exploit external heterogeneous computing facilities. Common software tools represent a cost-effective solution, providing ready-to-use software solutions as well as a platform for R\&D work. These are particularly important for small experiments which typically do not have dedicated resources needed to face the challenges imposed by the evolving computing technologies. Workforce development is a key concern across frontiers and experiments, and additional support is needed to provide career opportunities for researchers working in the field of experimental algorithm development. Finally, cross-discipline collaborations going beyond high-energy physics are a key ingredient to address the challenges ahead and more support for such collaborations needs to be created. This report targets future experiments, observations and experimental algorithm development for the next 10-15 years.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Differential cross section measurement of charged current $ν_{e}$ interactions without final-state pions in MicroBooNE

In this letter we present the first measurements of an exclusive electron neutrino cross section with the MicroBooNE experiment using data from the Booster Neutrino Beamline at Fermilab. These measurements are made for a selection of charged-current electron neutrinos without final-state pions. Differential cross sections are extracted in energy and angle with respect to the beam for the electron and the leading proton. The differential cross section as a function of proton energy is measured using events with protons both above and below the visibility threshold. This is done by including a separate selection of electron neutrino events without reconstructed proton candidates in addition to those with proton candidates. Results are compared to the predictions from several modern generators, and we find the data agrees well with these models. The data shows best agreement, as quantified by $p$-value, with the generators that predict a lower overall cross section, such as GENIE v3 and NuWro.

hep-ex↗