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K. S. McFarland

Publications and source records attributed to K. S. McFarland.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Measurement of Coherent Production of $π^\pm$ in Neutrino and Anti-Neutrino Beams on Carbon from $E_ν$ of $1.5$ to $20$ GeV

Neutrino-induced coherent charged pion production on nuclei, $\stackrel{(-)}ν_μA\toμ^\pmπ^\mp A$ is a rare, inelastic interaction in which a small squared four-momentum $| t|$ is transferred to the recoil nucleus leaving it intact in the reaction. In the scintillator tracker of MINERvA, we remove events with evidence of particles from nuclear breakup and reconstruct $| t|$ from the final state pion and muon. We select low $| t|$ events to isolate a sample rich in coherent candidates. By selecting low $| t|$ events we produce a model-independent measurement of the differential cross section for coherent scattering of neutrinos and anti-neutrinos on carbon. We find poor agreement with the predicted kinematics in neutrino generators used by current oscillation experiments.

hep-ex↗

Measurement of Muon Antineutrino Quasi-Elastic Scattering on a Hydrocarbon Target at E_ν ~ 3.5 GeV

We have isolated muon anti-neutrino charged-current quasi-elastic interactions occurring in the segmented scintillator tracking region of the MINERvA detector running in the NuMI neutrino beam at Fermilab. We measure the flux-averaged differential cross-section, dσ/dQ^2, and compare to several theoretical models of quasi-elastic scattering. Good agreement is obtained with a model where the nucleon axial mass, M_A, is set to 0.99 GeV/c^2 but the nucleon vector form factors are modified to account for the observed enhancement, relative to the free nucleon case, of the cross-section for the exchange of transversely polarized photons in electron-nucleus scattering. Our data at higher Q^2 favor this interpretation over an alternative in which the axial mass is increased.

hep-ex↗

Measurement of Muon Neutrino Quasi-Elastic Scattering on a Hydrocarbon Target at E_ν ~ 3.5 GeV

We report a study of muon neutrino charged-current quasi-elastic events in the segmented scintillator inner tracker of the MINERvA experiment running in the NuMI neutrino beam at Fermilab. The events were selected by requiring a μ^- and low calorimetric recoil energy separated from the interaction vertex. We measure the flux-averaged differential cross-section, dσ/dQ^2, and study the low energy particle content of the final state. Deviations are found between the measured dσ/dQ^2 and the expectations of a model of independent nucleons in a relativistic Fermi gas. We also observe an excess of energy near the vertex consistent with multiple protons in the final state.

hep-ex↗

Design, Calibration, and Performance of the MINERvA Detector

The MINERvA experiment is designed to perform precision studies of neutrino-nucleus scattering using $ν_μ$ and ${\barν}_μ$ neutrinos incident at 1-20 GeV in the NuMI beam at Fermilab. This article presents a detailed description of the \minerva detector and describes the {\em ex situ} and {\em in situ} techniques employed to characterize the detector and monitor its performance. The detector is comprised of a finely-segmented scintillator-based inner tracking region surrounded by electromagnetic and hadronic sampling calorimetry. The upstream portion of the detector includes planes of graphite, iron and lead interleaved between tracking planes to facilitate the study of nuclear effects in neutrino interactions. Observations concerning the detector response over sustained periods of running are reported. The detector design and methods of operation have relevance to future neutrino experiments in which segmented scintillator tracking is utilized.

physics.ins-det↗

The MINER$ν$A Data Acquisition System and Infrastructure

MINER$ν$A (Main INjector ExpeRiment $ν$-A) is a new few-GeV neutrino cross section experiment that began taking data in the FNAL NuMI (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Neutrinos at the Main Injector) beam-line in March of 2010. MINER$ν$A employs a fine-grained scintillator detector capable of complete kinematic characterization of neutrino interactions. This paper describes the MINER$ν$A data acquisition system (DAQ) including the read-out electronics, software, and computing architecture.

physics.ins-det↗

The T2K ND280 Off-Axis Pi-Zero Detector

The Pi-Zero detector (PØD) is one of the subdetectors that makes up the off-axis near detector for the Tokai-to-Kamioka (T2K) long baseline neutrino experiment. The primary goal for the PØD is to measure the relevant cross sections for neutrino interactions that generate pi-zero's, especially the cross section for neutral current pi-zero interactions, which are one of the dominant sources of background to the electron neutrino appearance signal in T2K. The PØD is composed of layers of plastic scintillator alternating with water bags and brass sheets or lead sheets and is one of the first detectors to use Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs) on a large scale.

physics.ins-det↗

Demonstration of Communication using Neutrinos

Beams of neutrinos have been proposed as a vehicle for communications under unusual circumstances, such as direct point-to-point global communication, communication with submarines, secure communications and interstellar communication. We report on the performance of a low-rate communications link established using the NuMI beam line and the MINERvA detector at Fermilab. The link achieved a decoded data rate of 0.1 bits/sec with a bit error rate of 1% over a distance of 1.035 km, including 240 m of earth.

hep-ex↗

Arachne - A web-based event viewer for MINERvA

Neutrino interaction events in the MINERvA detector are visually represented with a web-based tool called Arachne. Data are retrieved from a central server via AJAX, and client-side JavaScript draws images into the user's browser window using the draft HTML 5 standard. These technologies allow neutrino interactions to be viewed by anyone with a web browser, allowing for easy hand-scanning of particle interactions. Arachne has been used in MINERvA to evaluate neutrino data in a prototype detector, to tune reconstruction algorithms, and for public outreach and education.

hep-ex↗

Precise Measurement of Neutrino and Anti-neutrino Differential Cross Sections

The NuTeV experiment at Fermilab has obtained a unique high statistics sample of neutrino and anti-neutrino interactions using its high-energy sign-selected beam. We present a measurement of the differential cross section for charged-current neutrino and anti-neutrino scattering from iron. Structure functions, F_2(x,Q^2) and xF_3(x,Q^2), are determined by fitting the inelasticity, y, dependence of the cross sections. This measurement has significantly improved systematic precision as a consequence of more precise understanding of hadron and muon energy scales.

hep-ex↗

A Departure from Prediction: Electroweak Physics at Nutev

The NuTeV experiment has performed precision measurements of the ratio of neutral-current to charged-current cross-sections in high rate, high energy neutrino and anti-neutrino beams on a dense, primarily steel, target. The separate neutrino and anti-neutrino beams, high statistics, and improved control of other experimental systematics, allow the determination of electroweak parameters with significantly greater precision than past neutrino-nucleon scattering experiments. Our null hypothesis test of the standard model prediction measures sin2thetaW=0.2277+/-0.0013(stat)+/-0.0009(syst), a value which is 3.0 standard deviations above the prediction. We discuss possible explanations for and implications of this discrepancy.

hep-ex↗

On the Effect of Asymmetric Strange Seas and Isospin-Violating Parton Distribution Functions on sin2thetaW Measured at NuTeV

The NuTeV collaboration recently reported a value of sin2thetaW measured in neutrino-nucleon scattering that is 3 standard deviations above the standard model prediction. This result is derived assuming that (1) the strange sea is quark-antiquark symmetric, s(x)=sbar(x), and (2) up and down quark distributions are symmetric under the simultaneous interchange of u<->d and p<->n. We report the impact of violations of these symmetries on sin2thetaW and discuss the theoretical and experimental constraints on such asymmetries.

hep-ex↗

A Precise Determination of Electroweak Parameters in Neutrino-Nucleon Scattering

The NuTeV collaboration has extracted sin^2theta_W from the ratios of neutral current to charged current neutrino and anti-neutrino cross-sections. Our value, sin^2theta_W(on-shell)=0.2277+/-0.0013(stat)+/-0.0009(syst), is three standard deviations above the standard model prediction. We also present a model independent analysis of the same data.

hep-ex↗

Off the Mass Shell: Electroweak Physics at NuTeV

The NuTeV collaboration has performed precision measurements of the ratio of neutral current to charged current cross-sections in high rate, high energy neutrino and anti-neutrino beams on a dense, primarily steel, target. The separate neutrino and anti-neutrino beams, high statistics, and improved control of other experimental systematics, allow the determination of electroweak parameters with significantly greater precision than past neutrino-nucleon scattering experiments. Our null hypothesis test of the standard model prediction measures sin2thetaW=0.2277+/-0.0013(stat)+/-0.0009(syst), a value which is 3 sigma above the prediction. We discuss possible explanations for and implications of this discrepancy.

hep-ex↗

Reply to the Comment on "A Precise Determination of Electroweak Parameters in Neutrino-Nucleon Scattering"

In a recent comment, Miller and Thomas assert that differences in nuclear shadowing effects between neutrino neutral current (NC) and charged current (CC) interactions could explain the difference between NuTeV's measurement of the weak mixing angle and the prediction from other electroweak data. We argue that the proposed effect could have only a small impact on sin2thetaW derived from the Paschos-Wolfenstein R- and that such an effect is strongly disfavored by the neutrino and anti-neutrino NC-to-CC cross-section ratios also measured by NuTeV.

hep-ex↗

A Search for Muon-neutrino to Electron-neutrino and Muon-antineutrino to Electron-antineutrino Oscillations at NuTeV

Limits on $ν_μ\to ν_e$ and $\barν_μ\to \barν_e$ oscillations are extracted using the NuTeV detector with sign-selected $ν_μ$ and $\nub_μ$ beams. In $\nub_μ$ mode, for the case of $\sin^2 2α= 1$, $Δm^2 > 2.6$ ${\rm eV^2}$ is excluded, and for $Δm^2 \gg 1000$ ${\rm eV^2}$, $\sin^2 2α> 1.1 \times 10^{-3}$. The NuTeV data exclude the high $Δm^2$ end of $\barν_μ\to \barν_e$ oscillations parameters favored by the LSND experiment without the need to assume that the oscillation parameters for $ν$ and $\nub$ are the same. We present the most stringent experimental limits for $ν_μ(\barν_μ) \to ν_e (\barν_e)$ oscillations in the large $Δm^2$ region.

hep-ex↗

Neutrino Scattering in a Magnetic Field

Motivated by the evidence for a finite neutrino mass we examine anew the interaction of neutrinos in a magnetic field. We present the rate for radiative scattering for both massless and massive neutrinos in the standard model and give the corresponding numerical estimates. We also consider the effects arising from a possible neutrino magnetic moment.

hep-ph↗