Modelling heavy neutral leptons in accelerator beamlines
Physical Review D American Physical Society 107 (2023) 055003
Abstract:
Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs) with masses 0.1-1 GeV/c^2 are promising candidates for the simultaneous explanation of the smallness of the observed neutrino masses as well as the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the observable Universe. These particles can be produced in the decay of hadrons typically produced in a neutrino beamline used for oscillation experiments, and have sufficient lifetime to propagate to a near detector, where they decay to observable particles. For the approximation of a single new mass eigenstate mixing with the Standard Model via the lepton mixing matrix, a simulation framework based on the GENIE event generator has been developed. This module is designed to facilitate searches for HNL through a unified, minimal interface employing a detailed treatment of the kinematics and dynamics of massive unstable neutrinos, with a transparently organised suite of physics effects tracking the HNL from its production to its decay. These mechanisms are expounded on in the current work, underlining the rich landscape for novel, non-trivial physics that has already been identified in previous literature. This framework is an ongoing effort to provide a consistent and comprehensive description of heavy neutrinos from particle decays. We highlight use cases and future applications of interest to the accelerator neutrino community.MINERvA medium-energy physics results
Proceedings of 41st International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP2022) Sissa Medialab 414 (2022)
Abstract:
MINERν A is a neutrino-nucleus interaction experiment in the Neutrino Main Injector beam at Fermilab. With the ⟨Eν⟩∼6GeV Medium Energy run complete and 12×1020 protons on target delivered in neutrino and antineutrino mode, MINERν A combines a high statistics reach and the ability to make precise cross-section measurements in more than one dimensions. Analyses of plastic scintillator and nuclear target data constrain interaction models, providing feedback to neutrino event generators and driving down systematic uncertainties for future oscillation experiments. Specifically, MINERν A probes both the intrinsic neutrino scattering and the extrinsic nuclear effects which complicate the interactions. Generally, nuclear effects can be separated into initial- and final-state interactions, both of which are not known a priori to the precision needed for oscillation experiments. By fully exploiting the precisely measured final-state particles out of different target materials in the MINERν A detector, these effects can be accurately probed. In this work, the newest MINERν A analyses since the last ICHEP, which encompass a broad physics range, will be presented: inclusive cross-section measurements in the tracker and in situ measurements of the delivered flux, allowing detailed comparisons with generator predictions, and control of systematic flux uncertainties, respectively. Moreover, by exploiting the significant statistics reach offered by the large exposure, MINERν A measures rare processes.Measurement of the multineutron ν¯μ charged current differential cross section at low available energy on hydrocarbon
Physical Review D American Physical Society (APS) 108:11 (2023) 112010
High-statistics measurement of antineutrino quasielasticlike scattering at Eν¯ 6 GeV on a hydrocarbon target
Physical Review D American Physical Society (APS) 108:3 (2023) 032018
Neutrino-Induced Coherent π^{+} Production in C, CH, Fe, and Pb at ⟨E_{ν}⟩∼6 GeV.
Physical review letters 131:5 (2023) 051801