arXiv subjects

M. Bonesini

Publications and source records attributed to M. Bonesini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Construction, commissioning, and performance of the ENUBET demonstrator

A final full-size prototype of the instrumented decay tunnel of ENUBET, referred to as the Demonstrator, was constructed and its performance was tested during the 2022, 2023 and 2024 beam test campaigns at the CERN East Area facility. We demonstrate the full scalability of this specialized longitudinal sampling calorimeter technology, based on iron absorbers and scintillator tiles readout by wavelength-shifting fibers and SiPMs. In addition, we evaluate the channel-by- channel response and the performance in terms of electron energy resolution, linearity, and particle identification capabilities, using charged particle beams with energies up to 5 GeV. A comparison with the predictions of a GEANT4 simulation of the prototype is also presented. The results meet the requirements for neutrino monitoring through lepton identification in the decay tunnel and validate the ENUBET full simulation. Although some limitations have been identified, they can be readily addressed in future developments.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Measurement of muon (anti-)neutrino charged-current quasielastic-like cross section using off-axis NuMI beam at ICARUS

This paper presents the first neutrino cross-section measurement from the ICARUS detector at Fermilab, using NuMI (Neutrinos at the Main Injector) beam data collected from two beam operation periods corresponding to $2.5\times10^{20}$ protons-on-target in neutrino beam mode. The signal is defined by events with no pions produced in the final state, a topology dominated by charged-current quasielastic-like (CCQE-like) signatures. The measurement is reported as flux-averaged differential cross sections as functions of kinematic variables that provide sensitivity to the complex nuclear effects which often dominate the systematic uncertainty budgets of neutrino oscillation measurements. Specifically, this work reports cross sections in two angular variables -- the angle of the outgoing lepton and the opening angle between the lepton and leading proton -- and two variables characterizing the kinematic imbalance between the muon and proton in the plane transverse to the incoming neutrino. These results are compared against predictions from a variety of neutrino event generators, with $p$-values calculated between the extracted cross sections and each prediction. Overall, the predictions agree with the data; however, the current budget of uncertainties does not yet provide sufficient discriminating power to favor a specific model.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Molecular effects in low-energy muon transfer from muonic hydrogen to oxygen

In the present study we determine from the available experimental data the cross section of muon transfer to molecular oxygen at low energies with account of the oxygen molecule structure. Building on an earlier work, the results highlight the role of the molecular structure effects and signifcantly improve the agreement with theoretical calculations of the muon transfer rate. An effcient computational model of the kinetics of processes involving muonic hydrogen atoms in gaseous mixture of H2 and O2 is developed and analyzed. The model is applied in the description of the FAMU experiment for the measurement of the hyperfine splitting in muonic hydrogen and the Zemach radius of the proton.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2025

Cryogenics and purification systems of the ICARUS T600 detector installation at Fermilab

This paper describes the cryogenic and purification systems of the ICARUS T600 detector in its present implementation at the Fermi National Laboratory, Illinois, USA. The ICARUS T600 detector is made of four large Time Projection Chambers, installed in two separate containers of about 275 m3 each. The detector uses liquid argon both as target and as active media. For the correct operation of the detector, the liquid argon must be kept in very stable thermal conditions and the contamination of electronegative impurities must be consistently kept at the level of small fractions of parts per billion. The detector was previously operated in Italy, at the INFN Gran Sasso Underground laboratory, in a 3 year duration run on the CERN to LNGS Long Baseline Neutrino Beam. For its operation on the Booster and NuMI neutrino beams, at Fermilab, for the search of sterile neutrinos and measurements of neutrino-argon cross sections, the detector was moved from Gran Sasso to CERN for the upgrades required for operation at shallow depth with high intensity neutrino beams. The liquid argon containers, the thermal insulation and all the cryogenic equipment, have been completely re-designed and rebuild, following the schemes of the previous installation in Gran Sasso. The detector and all the equipment have been transported to Fermilab, where they have been installed, tested and recently put into operation. The work described in this paper has been conducted as a joint responsibility of CERN and Fermilab with the supervision provided by the Icarus Collaboration. Design, installation, testing, commissioning and operation is the result of a common effort of CERN, Fermilab and INFN Groups.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

First operation of the FAMU experiment at the RIKEN-RAL high intensity muon beam facility

The FAMU experiment, supported and funded by the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), aims to perform the first measurement of the ground-state hyperfine splitting (1S-hfs) of muonic hydrogen ($\mu H$). This quantity is highly sensitive to the proton's Zemach radius $R_Z$. An experimental determination of $R_Z$ provides significant constraints on the parametrization of the proton form factors as well as on theoretical models describing the proton's electromagnetic structure. Following years of technological and methodological development, the FAMU experiment began operations in 2023 at Port 1 of the RIKEN-RAL muon beam line at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source facility (Didcot, UK). In this paper, we first describe the unique detection technique employed by FAMU to determine the 1S-hfs of muonic hydrogen, followed by a detailed presentation of the final experimental layout. Finally, we report the first outcome from the 2023 commissioning run and from the initial physics runs performed in 2023 and 2024.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2025

The fast X-ray detector system of the FAMU experiment at RAL

The FAMU experiment at RAL has been designed to study the hyperfine splitting (HFS) of muonic hydrogen and thus measure the Zemach radius of the proton, with a precision better than 1 %. The HFS transition is excited by a tunable MIR laser at ~ 6790 nm and is recognized by delayed ($\mu$O) X-ray emission around 130-170 keV. The fast X-ray detection system is based on 34 scintillating LaBr3:Ce crystals and one HPGe detector for inter-calibration.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Operation of the Trigger System for the ICARUS Detector at Fermilab

The ICARUS liquid argon TPC detector is taking data on the Booster (BNB) and Main Injector (NuMI) Neutrino beam lines at Fermilab with a trigger system based on the scintillation light produced by charged particles in coincidence with the proton beam extraction from the accelerators. The architecture and the deployment of the trigger system in the first two runs for physics are presented, as well as the triggered event rates. The event recognition efficiency has been evaluated as a function of the deposited energy and the position of cosmic muons stopping inside the detector.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Gamma-ray and high-energy X-ray detection with large area scintillating crystals: a hands-on review

Detection of photons with scintillating inorganic crystals in the high-energy range (> 0.1 MeV) will be discussed, making a comparison with other available methods. Energy resolutions up to 2 % at 662 keV and fast decay time of the order of 20 ns are within reach, with the introduction of Ce-doped crystals instead of alkali halide ones. Development is underway for the production of non-hygroscopic scintillating crystals, such as PrLuAg and CE:GAAG. At the end of this review, examples of experimental devices based on scintillating inorganic crystals will be discussed. Practical hands-on experience is emphasized at the expense of a more comprehensive description of all available and possible options. Detectors' construction details and the consequences of the different choices will be discussed. Emphasis will be put on the LaBr3:Ce-based detectors that are the present ''golden standard'' in gamma ray spectroscopy. This review will focus on photon detection in the high-energy region: mainly 0.1-2 MeV, including both gamma rays and high-energy X-rays, even if many considerations may be applied to the detection of low-energy X-rays.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

nuSCOPE: A short-baseline neutrino beam at CERN for high-precision cross-section measurements

A new generation of neutrino cross-section experiments at the GeV scale is crucial in the precision era of oscillation physics and lepton flavor studies. In this document, we present a novel neutrino beam design that leverages the experience and R&D achievements of the NP06/ENUBET and NuTag Collaborations and explore its potential implementation at CERN. This beam enables flux monitoring at the percent level and provides a neutrino energy measurement independent of final state particle reconstruction at the neutrino detector. As a result, it eliminates the two primary sources of systematic uncertainty in cross-section measurements: flux normalization and energy bias caused by nuclear effects. We provide a detailed description of the beam technology and instrumentation, along with an overview of its physics potential, with particular emphasis on cross-sections relevant to DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

The ENUBET monitored neutrino beam and its implementation at CERN

The ENUBET project recently concluded the R&D for a site independent design of a monitored neutrino beam for high precision cross section measurements, in which the neutrino flux is inferred from the measurement of charged leptons in an instrumented decay tunnel. In this phase three fundamental results were obtained and will be discussed here: 1) a beamline not requiring a horn and relying on static focusing elements allows to perform a $\nu_e$ cross section measurement in the DUNE energy range with 1% statistical uncertainty employing $10^{20}$ 400 GeV protons on target (pot) and a neutrino detector of the size of ProtoDUNE; 2) the instrumentation of the decay tunnel, based on a cost effective sampling calorimeter solution, has been tested with a large scale prototype achieving the performance required to identify positrons and muons from kaon decays with high signal-to-noise ratio; 3) the systematics budget on the neutrino flux is constrained at the 1% level by fitting the charged leptons observables measured in the decay tunnel. Based on these successful results ENUBET is now pursuing a study for a site dependent implementation at CERN in the framework of Physics Beyond Colliders. In this context a new beamline, able to enrich the neutrino flux at the energy of HK and to reduce by more than a factor 3 the needed pot, has been designed and is being optimized. The civil engineering and radioprotection studies for the siting of ENUBET in the North Area towards the two ProtoDUNEs are also in the scope of this work, with the goal of proposing a neutrino cross section experiment in 2026. The combined use of both the neutrino detectors and of the improved beamline would allow to perform cross section measurements with unprecedented precision in about 5 years with a proton request compatible with the needs of other users after CERN Long Shutdown 3.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Search for a Hidden Sector Scalar from Kaon Decay in the Di-Muon Final State at ICARUS

We present a search for long-lived particles (LLPs) produced from kaon decay that decay to two muons inside the ICARUS neutrino detector. This channel would be a signal of hidden sector models that can address outstanding issues in particle physics such as the strong CP problem and the microphysical origin of dark matter. The search is performed with data collected in the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam at Fermilab corresponding to $2.41\times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target. No new physics signal is observed, and we set world-leading limits on heavy QCD axions, as well as for the Higgs portal scalar among dedicated searches. Limits are also presented in a model-independent way applicable to any new physics model predicting the process $K\to \pi+S(\to\mu\mu)$, for a long-lived particle S. This result is the first search for new physics performed with the ICARUS detector at Fermilab. It paves the way for the future program of long-lived particle searches at ICARUS.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

The muon beam monitor for the FAMU experiment: design, simulation, test and operation

FAMU is an INFN-led muonic atom physics experiment based at the RIKEN-RAL muon facility at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (United Kingdom). The aim of FAMU is to measure the hyperfine splitting in muonic hydrogen to determine the value of the proton Zemach radius with accuracy better than 1%.The experiment has a scintillating-fibre hodoscope for beam monitoring and data normalisation. In order to carry out muon flux estimation, low-rate measurements were performed to extract the single-muon average deposited charge. Then, detector simulation in Geant4 and FLUKA allowed a thorough understanding of the single-muon response function, crucial for determining the muon flux. This work presents the design features of the FAMU beam monitor, along with the simulation and absolute calibration measurements in order to enable flux determination and enable data normalisation.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

Interim report for the International Muon Collider Collaboration (IMCC)

The International Muon Collider Collaboration (IMCC) [1] was established in 2020 following the recommendations of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP) and the implementation of the European Strategy for Particle Physics-Accelerator R&D Roadmap by the Laboratory Directors Group [2], hereinafter referred to as the the European LDG roadmap. The Muon Collider Study (MuC) covers the accelerator complex, detectors and physics for a future muon collider. In 2023, European Commission support was obtained for a design study of a muon collider (MuCol) [3]. This project started on 1st March 2023, with work-packages aligned with the overall muon collider studies. In preparation of and during the 2021-22 U.S. Snowmass process, the muon collider project parameters, technical studies and physics performance studies were performed and presented in great detail. Recently, the P5 panel [4] in the U.S. recommended a muon collider R&D, proposed to join the IMCC and envisages that the U.S. should prepare to host a muon collider, calling this their "muon shot". In the past, the U.S. Muon Accelerator Programme (MAP) [5] has been instrumental in studies of concepts and technologies for a muon collider.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2024

Angular dependent measurement of electron-ion recombination in liquid argon for ionization calorimetry in the ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber

This paper reports on a measurement of electron-ion recombination in liquid argon in the ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). A clear dependence of recombination on the angle of the ionizing particle track relative to the drift electric field is observed. An ellipsoid modified box (EMB) model of recombination describes the data across all measured angles. These measurements are used for the calorimetric energy scale calibration of the ICARUS TPC, which is also presented. The impact of the EMB model is studied on calorimetric particle identification, as well as muon and proton energy measurements. Accounting for the angular dependence in EMB recombination improves the accuracy and precision of these measurements.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

Calibration and simulation of ionization signal and electronics noise in the ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber

The ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detector has been taking physics data since 2022 as part of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. This paper details the equalization of the response to charge in the ICARUS time projection chamber (TPC), as well as data-driven tuning of the simulation of ionization charge signals and electronics noise. The equalization procedure removes non-uniformities in the ICARUS TPC response to charge in space and time. This work leverages the copious number of cosmic ray muons available to ICARUS at the surface. The ionization signal shape simulation applies a novel procedure that tunes the simulation to match what is measured in data. The end result of the equalization procedure and simulation tuning allows for a comparison of charge measurements in ICARUS between Monte Carlo simulation and data, showing good performance with minimal residual bias between the two.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Investigating the Proton Structure: The FAMU experiment

The article gives the motivations for the measurement of the hyperfine splitting (hfs) in the ground state of muonic hydrogen to explore the properties of the proton at low momentum transfer. It summarizes these proposed measurement methods and finally describes the FAMU experiment in more detail.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

One inch LaBr3:Ce detectors, with temperature control and improved time resolution for low energy X-rays spectroscopy

Large area LaBr3:Ce detectors with a SiPM array readout have been developed for the FAMU experiment at RAL. The aim was to have a good energy resolution for low energy X-rays detection (around 100 keV) and good timing properties of the signal pulse. Sixteen 1" detectors and twelve 1/2" detectors have been presently installed in the FAMU experiment and are taking data since March 2023, at RIKEN RAL Port 1.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Status of the detector setup for the FAMU experiment at RIKEN-RAL for a precision measurement of the Zemach radius of the proton in muonic hydrogen

The FAMU experiment at RIKEN-RAL is a muonic atom experiment with the aim to determine the Zemach radius of the proton by measuring the 1s hyperfine splitting in muonic hydrogen. The activity of the FAMU Collaboration in the years 2015-2023 enabled the final optimisation of the detector-target setup as well as the gas working condition in terms of temperature, pressure and gas mixture composition. The experiment has started its data taking in July 2023. The status of the detector setup for the 2023 experimental runs, for the beam characterisation and muonic X-ray detection in the 100-200 keV energy range, is presented and discussed.

physics.atom-ph↗