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Masaki Ishitsuka

Publications and source records attributed to Masaki Ishitsuka.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

First measurement of flux of the neutron background induced by accelerated neutrinos at the J-PARC facility

This article reports the measurement of the neutron background flux accidentally induced by the neutrino beam at the J-PARC facility in Japan. In particular, neutrino-nucleus neutral-current quasi-elastic (NCQE) scattering events, $ν~(\barν)+\rm{N}\toν~(\barν)+\rm{N'}$, can be obscured by a massive background of neutron-nucleus scattering events. The neutrons are produced within the materials (such as sand and concrete) located between the beam dump and the experimental area where the detectors are placed. We measured the accidental neutron events at the J-PARC neutrino facility using BGO and liquid scintillation detectors, with a plastic scintillation detector serving as an active veto counter. Based on a neutrino-mode data set of $2.972 \times 10^{20}$ POT, we observed 88 neutron-induced recoil proton events within an electron-equivalent recoil energy range of 0.98-11.60 $\rm MeV_{ee}$, selected via pulse-shape discrimination in the liquid scintillation detector. Accounting for the detection efficiency and resolution, and through comparison with simulations, the neutron flux was determined to be$[1.45^{+0.22}_{-0.24}~\rm{(stat.)} \pm 0.55~\rm{(sys.)}] \times 10^{-7}~\rm{cm}^{-2} \rm{s}^{-1}\rm{POT}^{-1}$,assuming an exponential neutron energy spectrum. This result will contribute to the evaluation of neutron backgrounds for neutrino experiments at the J-PARC facility.

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2025

Performance evaluation of electron multiplier tubes as a high-intensity muon beam monitor of accelerator neutrino experiments

Upgrade work towards increasing the beam intensity of the neutrino beamline at J- PARC is underway. Monitoring tertiary muon beams is essential for stable operation of the beamline. Accordingly, we plan to replace the present muon monitor sensors with electron multiplier tubes (EMTs). We investigated the radiation tolerance and linearity response of EMTs using a 90 MeV electron beam. An EMTs was irradiated with electrons up to 470 nC. EMTs show higher radiation tolerance than the Si sensors which are presently used as one of the muon monitor detectors for the T2K long-baseline neutrino experiment at J-PARC. The integrated charge yield decrease is found to be less than 8% after a beam irradiation equivalent to 132 days of operation at the future J-PARC beam power of 1.3 MW. The EMTs show linearity better than $\pm$5% up to the future beam intensity. The observed yield decrease is likely due to dynode deterioration based on the detailed investigation. The studies described here confirm that EMTs can be used as a high-intensity muon beam monitor. From the reported results, we are proceeding with the installation in the J-PARC neutrino beamline.

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2023

Analyzing the neutron and $γ$-ray emission properties of an americium-beryllium tagged neutron source

Americium-beryllium (AmBe), a well-known tagged neutron source, is commonly used for evaluating the neutron detection efficiency of detectors used in ultralow background particle physics experiments, such as reactor neutrino and diffuse supernova neutrino background experiments. In particular, AmBe sources are used to calibrate neutron tagging by selecting the 4438-keV $γ$-ray signal, which is simultaneously emitted with a neutron signal. Therefore, analyzing the neutron and $γ$-ray emission properties of AmBe sources is crucial. In this study, we used the theoretical shape of a neutron energy spectrum, which was divided into three parts, to develop models of the energy spectrum and verify the results using experimental data. We used an AmBe source to measure the energy spectra of simultaneously emitted neutrons and $γ$-rays and determine the emission ratio of the neutrons with and without $γ$-ray emission. The measured spectrum was consistent with that obtained from the simulated result, whereas the measured emission ratio was significantly different from the corresponding simulated result. Here, we also discuss the feasibility of determining the neutron emission rates from the spectra divided into three parts.

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2023

A method to measure the quenching factor for recoil energy of oxygen in bismuth germanium oxide scintillators

Bismuth germanium oxide ($\rm Bi_{4} Ge_{3} O_{12}$, BGO) scintillation crystals are widely used as detectors in the fields of particle physics and astrophysics due to their high density, and thus higher efficiency for gamma-ray detection. Owing to their good chemical stability, they can be used in any environment. For rare-event searches, such as dark matter and coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering, BGO crystals are essential to comprehend the response of nuclear recoil. In this study, we have analyzed the events of neutron elastic scattering with oxygen in BGO crystals. Then, we have measured the quenching factor for oxygen recoil energy in the BGO crystal as a function of recoil energy by using a monoenergetic neutron source.

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2005

Resolving Neutrino Mass Hierarchy and CP Degeneracy by Two Identical Detectors with Different Baselines

We explore the possibility of simultaneous determination of neutrino mass hierarchy and the CP violating phase by using two identical detectors placed at different baseline distances. We focus on a possible experimental setup using neutrino beam from J-PARC facility in Japan with beam power of 4MW and megaton (Mton)-class water Cherenkov detectors, one placed in Kamioka and the other at somewhere in Korea. We demonstrate, under reasonable assumptions of systematic uncertainties, that the two-detector complex with each fiducial volume of 0.27 Mton has potential of resolving neutrino mass hierarchy up to sin^2 2theta_{13} > 0.03 (0.055) at 2σ(3σ) CL for any values of delta and at the same time has the sensitivity to CP violation by 4 + 4 years running of nu_e and nu_e-bar appearance measurement. The significantly enhanced sensitivity is due to clean detection of modulation of neutrino energy spectrum, which is enabled by cancellation of systematic uncertainties between two identical detectors which receive the neutrino beam with the same energy spectrum in the absence of oscillations.

hep-ph↗