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T. Kajita

Publications and source records attributed to T. Kajita.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Search for Proton Decay into Muon plus Neutral Kaon in Super-Kamiokande I, II, and III

We have searched for proton into muon plus neutral kaon using data from a 91.7 kiloton-year exposure of Super-Kamiokande-I, a 49.2 kiloton-year exposure of Super-Kamiokande-II, and a 31.9 kiloton-year exposure of Super-Kamiokande-III. The number of candidate events in the data was consistent with the atmospheric neutrino background expectation and no evidence for proton decay in this mode was found. We set a partial lifetime lower limit of 1.6x10^33 years at the 90% confidence level.

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Search for GUT Monopoles at Super-Kamiokande

GUT monopoles captured by the Sun's gravitation are expected to catalyze proton decays via the Callan-Rubakov process. In this scenario, protons, which initially decay into pions, will ultimately produce ν_{e}, ν_μ and \barν_μ. After undergoing neutrino oscillation, all neutrino species appear when they arrive at the Earth, and can be detected by a 50,000 metric ton water Cherenkov detector, Super-Kamiokande (SK). A search for low energy neutrinos in the electron total energy range from 19 to 55 MeV was carried out with SK and gives a monopole flux limit of F_M(σ_0/1 mb) < 6.3 \times 10^{-24} (β_M/10^{-3})^2 cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1} at 90% C.L., where β_M is the monopole velocity in units of the speed of light and σ_0 is the catalysis cross section at β_M=1. The obtained limit is more than eight orders of magnitude more stringent than the current best cosmic-ray supermassive monopole flux limit, F_M < 1 \times 10^{-15} cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1} for β_M < 10^{-3} and also two orders of magnitude lower than the result of the Kamiokande experiment, which used a similar detection method.

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Search for Differences in Oscillation Parameters for Atmospheric Neutrinos and Antineutrinos at Super-Kamiokande

We present a search for differences in the oscillations of antineutrinos and neutrinos in the Super-Kamiokande -I, -II, and -III atmospheric neutrino sample. Under a two-flavor disappearance model with separate mixing parameters between neutrinos and antineutrinos, we find no evidence for a difference in oscillation parameters. Best fit antineutrino mixing is found to be at (dm2bar, sin2 2 thetabar) = (2.0x10^-3 eV^2, 1.0) and is consistent with the overall Super-K measurement.

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Letter of Intent: The Hyper-Kamiokande Experiment --- Detector Design and Physics Potential ---

We propose the Hyper-Kamiokande (Hyper-K) detector as a next generation underground water Cherenkov detector. It will serve as a far detector of a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment envisioned for the upgraded J-PARC, and as a detector capable of observing -- far beyond the sensitivity of the Super-Kamiokande (Super-K) detector -- proton decays, atmospheric neutrinos, and neutrinos from astronomical origins. The baseline design of Hyper-K is based on the highly successful Super-K, taking full advantage of a well-proven technology. (to be continued)

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Study of Non-Standard Neutrino Interactions with Atmospheric Neutrino Data in Super-Kamiokande I and II

In this paper we study non-standard neutrino interactions as an example of physics beyond the standard model using atmospheric neutrino data collected during the Super-Kamiokande I(1996-2001) and II(2003-2005) periods. We focus on flavor-changing-neutral-currents (FCNC), which allow neutrino flavor transitions via neutral current interactions, and effects which violate lepton non-universality (NU) and give rise to different neutral-current interaction-amplitudes for different neutrino flavors. We obtain a limit on the FCNC coupling parameter, varepsilon_{mu tau}, |varepsilon_{mu tau}|<1.1 x 10^{-2} at 90%C.L. and various constraints on other FCNC parameters as a function of the NU coupling, varepsilon_{e e}. We find no evidence of non-standard neutrino interactions in the Super-Kamiokande atmospheric data.

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Atmospheric neutrino oscillation analysis with sub-leading effects in Super-Kamiokande I, II, and III

We present a search for non-zero theta_{13} and deviations of sin^2 theta_{23} from 0.5 in the oscillations of atmospheric neutrino data from Super-Kamiokande -I, -II, and -III. No distortions of the neutrino flux consistent with non-zero theta_{13} are found and both neutrino mass hierarchy hypotheses are in agreement with the data. The data are best fit at Delta m^2 = 2.1 x 10^-3 eV^2, sin^2 theta_{13} = 0.0, and sin^2 theta_{23} =0.5. In the normal (inverted) hierarchy theta_{13} and Delta m^2 are constrained at the one-dimensional 90% C.L. to sin^2 theta_{13} < 0.04 (0.09) and 1.9 (1.7) x 10^-3 < Delta m^2 < 2.6 (2.7) x 10^-3 eV^2. The atmospheric mixing angle is within 0.407 <= sin^2 theta_{23} <= 0.583 at 90% C.L.

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Further study of neutrino oscillation with two detectors in Kamioka and Korea

This paper updates and improves the study of electron neutrino appearance in the framework of two far detectors at different oscillation maxima, specifically, Tokai-To-Kamioka-to-Korea. We used a likelihood based on reconstructed quantities to distinguish charged current $ν_e$ interactions from neutral current background. We studied the efficiency of the likelihood for a 20% photo-coverage in comparison of a 40% photo-coverage. We used a detailed neutrino event simulation to estimate the neutral current background. With these analysis tools we studied the sensitivity of the proposed experiment to CP violation and mass hierarchy as a function of the off-axis angle.

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Summary of the 3rd International Workshop on a Far Detector in Korea for the J-PARC Beam

The 3rd International Workshop on a Far Detector in Korea for the J-PARC Neutrino Beam was held at the Hongo Campus of Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan on Sep. 30th and October 1, 2007. Forty seven physicists from Japan and Korea, as well as Europe and USA, participated in the workshop and discussed the physics opportunities offered by the J-PARC conventional neutrino beam detected by a new large underground neutrino detector in Korea. In this paper, we highlight some of the most relevant findings of the workshop.

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Probing Nonstandard Neutrino Physics at T2KK

Having a far detector in Korea for the J-PARC neutrino beam in addition to one at Kamioka has been shown to be a powerful way to lift neutrino parameter ($Δm^2$ and mixing angles) degeneracies. In this talk, I report the sensitivity of the same experimental setup to nonstandard neutrino physics, such as quantum decoherence, violation of Lorentz symmetry (with/without CPT invariance), and nonstandard neutrino interactions with matter. In many cases, two detector setup is better than one detector setup at SK. This observation makes another support for the two detector setup.

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Study of cosmic ray interaction model based on atmospheric muons for the neutrino flux calculation

We have studied the hadronic interaction for the calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux by summarizing the accurately measured atmospheric muon flux data and comparing with simulations. We find the atmospheric muon and neutrino fluxes respond to errors in the $π$-production of the hadronic interaction similarly, and compare the atmospheric muon flux calculated using the HKKM04 code with experimental measurements. The $μ^++μ^-$ data show good agreement in the 1$\sim$30 GeV/c range, but a large disagreement above 30 GeV/c. The the $μ^+/μ^-$ ratio shows sizable differences at lower and higher momenta for opposite directions. As the disagreements are considered to be due to assumptions in the hadronic interaction model, we try to improve it phenomenologically based on the quark parton model. The improved interaction model reproduces the observed muon flux data well. The calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux will be reported in the following paper

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Calculation of atmospheric neutrino flux using the interaction model calibrated with atmospheric muon data

Using the ``modified DPMJET-III'' model explained in the previous paper, we calculate the atmospheric neutrino flux. The calculation scheme is almost the same as HKKM04 \cite{HKKM2004}, but the usage of the ``virtual detector'' is improved to reduce the error due to it. Then we study the uncertainty of the calculated atmospheric neutrino flux summarizing the uncertainties of individual components of the simulation. The uncertainty of $K$-production in the interaction model is estimated by modifying FLUKA'97 and Fritiof 7.02 so that they also reproduce the atmospheric muon flux data correctly, and the calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux with those modified interaction models. The uncertainties of the flux ratio and zenith angle dependence of the atmospheric neutrino flux are also studied.

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Search for Dark Matter WIMPs using Upward Through-going Muons in Super-Kamiokande

We present the results of indirect searches for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) with 1679.6 live days of data from the Super-Kamiokande detector using neutrino-induced upward through-going muons. The search is performed by looking for an excess of high energy muon neutrinos from WIMP annihilations in the Sun, the core of the Earth, and the Galactic Center, as compared to the number expected from the atmospheric neutrino background. No statistically significant excess was seen. We calculate flux limits in various angular cones around each of the above celestial objects. We obtain conservative model-independent upper limits on WIMP-nucleon cross-section as a function of WIMP mass and compare these results with the corresponding results from direct dark matter detection experiments.

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A New calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux in a 3-dimensional scheme

We have revised the calculation of the flux of atmospheric neutrinos based on a 3-dimensional scheme with the realistic IGRF geomagnetic model. The primary flux model has been revised, based on the AMS and BESS observations, and the interaction model updated to DPMJET-III. With a fast simulation code and computer system, the statistical errors in the Monte Carlo study are negligible. We estimate the total uncertainty of the atmospheric neutrino flux prediction is reduced to $\lesssim$ 10 % below 10 GeV. The `3-dimensional effects' are found to be almost the same as the study with the dipole magnetic field, but the muon curvature effect remains up to a few 10 GeV for horizontal directions. The uncertainty of the absolute normalization of the atmospheric neutrino is still large above 10 GeV due to the uncertainty of the primary cosmic ray flux above 100 GeV. However, the zenith angle variation is not affected by these uncertainties.

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Calculation of Muon Fluxes at the Small Atmospheric Depths

Precise knowledge of the hadronic interaction between primary cosmic rays and atmospheric nuclei is very important and fundamental to study atmospheric neutrinos and their oscillations. We studied hadronic interaction models using the data of primary and secondary cosmic rays observed by BESS experiments. By comparing the observed spectra with the ones calculated by several interaction models, we found DPMJET-III is most favored among them.

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Astrophysical Neutrino Telescopes

This review describes telescopes designed to study neutrinos from astrophysical sources. These sources include the Sun and Supernovae emitting neutrino energies up to tens of MeV, atmospheric neutrino sources caused by cosmic ray interactions and other sources generating neutrino energies ranging up to $1\times 10^{20}$ eV. Measurements with these telescopes also provide information on neutrino properties including clear evidence for neutrino flavor change. Telescopes in operation in the past and present are described, along with plans for future instruments to expand this rapidly growing field of particle astrophysics.

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The JHF-Kamioka neutrino project

The JHF-Kamioka neutrino project is a second generation long base line neutrino oscillation experiment that probes physics beyond the Standard Model by high precision measurements of the neutrino masses and mixing. A high intensity narrow band neutrino beam is produced by secondary pions created by a high intensity proton synchrotron at JHF (JAERI). The neutrino energy is tuned to the oscillation maximum at ~1 GeV for a baseline length of 295 km towards the world largest water Cerenkov detector, Super-Kamiokande. Its excellent energy resolution and particle identification enable the reconstruction of the initial neutrino energy, which is compared with the narrow band neutrino energy, through the quasi-elastic interaction. The physics goal of the first phase is an order of magnitude better precision in the nu_mu to nu_tau oscillation measurement (delta(Delta m_23^2)=10^-4 eV^2 and delta(sin^22theta_23)=0.01), a factor of 20 more sensitive search in the nu_mu to nu_e appearance (sin^22theta_{mu e} ~ 0.5sin^22theta_{13}>0.003), and a confirmation of the nu_mu to nu_tau oscillation or discovery of sterile neutrinos by detecting the neutral current events. In the second phase, an upgrade of the accelerator from 0.75 MW to 4 MW in beam power and the construction of 1 Mt Hyper-Kamiokande detector at Kamioka site are envisaged. Another order of magnitude improvement in the nu_mu to nu_e oscillation sensitivity, a sensitive search of the CP violation in the lepton sector (CP phase "delta" down to 10-20 degrees), and an order of magnitude improvement in the proton decay sensitivity is also expected.

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Comparison of 3-Dimensional and 1-Dimensional Schemes in the calculation of Atmospheric Neutrinos

A 3-dimensional calculation of atmospheric neutrinos flux is presented, and the results are compared with those of a 1-dimensional one. In this study, interaction and propagation of particles is treated in a 3-dimensional way including the curvature of charged particles due to the geomagnetic field, which is assumed to be a dipole field. The purpose of this paper is limited to the comparison of calculation schemes. The updated flux value with new interaction model and primary flux model will be reported in a separate paper. Except for nearly horizontal directions, the flux is very similar to the result of 1 dimensional calculations. However, for near-horizontal directions an enhancement of the neutrino flux is seen even at energies as high as 1 GeV. The production height of neutrinos is lower than the prediction by 1-dimensional calculation for near-horizontal directions, and is a little higher for near-vertical directions. However, the difference is not evident except for near-horizontal directions.

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Atmospheric Neutrinos

The atmospheric neutrino-flux is calculated over the wide energy range from 1 GeV to 3,000 GeV for the study of neutrino-physics using the data from underground neutrino-detectors. The uncertainty of atmospheric neutrino-flux is also discussed. A brief comment is made to interpret the anomaly in terms of neutrino oscillations.

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