Exploring electron-neutrino-argon interactions / Krishan V. J. Mistry.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mistry, Krishan V. J., author.

Series:

Springer Theses

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Argon.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (223 pages)

Place of Publication:

Cham, Switzerland : Springer, [2023]

Summary:

This thesis explores the electron-neutrino and antineutrino cross section on argon using the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber detector. With only a handful of electron neutrino cross section measurements in the hundred MeV to GeV range to date and only one of them on argon as the target nucleus: the result from the ArgoNeuT experiment, there is a need for new, large statistics, electron-neutrino cross section measurements. The precise knowledge of the electron neutrino cross section is fundamental for tests of lepton universality, making meaningful interpretations of neutrino oscillations and beyond the Standard Model search experiments involving electron neutrinos. Moreover, the appearance of electron neutrinos in a beam of predominantly muon neutrinos is the key signature in searches for sterile neutrinos in short-baseline experiments and measurements of Charge-Parity violation in long-baseline oscillation experiments. The measurements in this thesisutilize the NuMI neutrino beamline which is highly off-axis to the MicroBooNE detector but provides a rich source of electron-neutrinos. Critical to the measurement of the cross section is a detailed understanding of the flux of neutrinos at MicroBooNE and the uncertainties associated with it. The neutrino flux prediction tools used for the on-axis NuMI experiments are described and studied in detail for their implementation in the case of MicroBooNE. These tools will form the foundation for many future measurements using the NuMI beam at MicroBooNE. With the use of argon as a target for studying neutrino interactions, the large size of the nucleus introduces nuclear effects which impact the kinematics and multiplicities of the particles produced in the initial interaction. Such effects are complicated to model and are currently an active area of research with various models and neutrino generators available. The measurements in this thesis compare the electron-neutrino argon cross section to several neutrino generators with differing physics models. These comparisons provide important information in the modelling of neutrino interactions with nuclei such as argon. The target audience for this thesis is aimed at particle physics graduate students, particularly in the field of neutrino physics working with noble element time-projection chambers.

Contents:

Intro

Supervisor's Foreword

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Contents

1 Outline

References

2 Overview of Neutrino Properties

2.1 The Weak Interaction

2.2 Discovery of the Neutrino

2.3 Neutrino Oscillations

2.3.1 Neutrino Mixing

2.3.2 Neutrino Oscillations in Vacuum

2.4 Neutrino Oscillation Parameter Overview

2.4.1 Atmospheric Mixing Parameters

2.4.2 Solar Mixing Parameters

2.4.3 Reactor Mixing Parameters

2.4.4 Summary of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters

2.4.5 Short-Baseline Oscillations

2.4.6 Oscillations with Electron Neutrinos

3 Neutrino Interactions

3.1 Importance of Neutrino Cross Sections in Oscillation Experiments

3.2 Neutrino Interactions

3.2.1 Neutrino Generators

3.2.2 Quasi-Elastic Scattering

3.2.3 Resonant Scattering and Pion Production

3.2.4 Deep Inelastic Scattering

3.3 Nuclear Effects

3.3.1 Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions

3.3.2 Nucleon-Nucleon Correlations

3.3.3 Final State Interactions

3.4 Inclusive and Exclusive Measurements

3.5 Electron Neutrino Cross Section Measurements

3.5.1 Gargamelle

3.5.2 T2K

3.5.3 MINERvA

3.5.4 ArgoNeuT

3.5.5 Summary of Electron Neutrino Measurements

4 MicroBooNE as a LArTPC Detector

4.1 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers

4.2 Particle Interactions with Argon

4.2.1 Charged Particle Energy Loss

4.2.2 Chargeless Particle Interactions

4.2.3 Electromagnetic Showers

4.3 LArTPC Detector Effects

4.3.1 Diffusion

4.3.2 Space Charge Effect

4.3.3 Electron-Ion Recombination

4.3.4 Argon Purity

4.4 LArTPC Scintillation Light

4.4.1 Scintillation Light Production

4.4.2 Scattering and Attenuation

4.5 MicroBooNE TPC

4.5.1 MicroBooNE Charge Collection

4.5.2 MicroBooNE Light Collection System

4.6 MicroBooNE Readout and Trigger System.

4.6.1 MicroBooNE Readout

4.6.2 Beam Hardware Trigger

4.6.3 Software Trigger

4.6.4 External and Unbiased Trigger

4.7 MicroBooNE Event Display

5 The NuMI Beam and Neutrino Flux Prediction at MicroBooNE

5.1 Neutrino Production

5.2 The NuMI Beam

5.2.1 Neutrino and Antineutrino Modes

5.2.2 NuMI Protons: Timing, Slip-Stacking and Intensity

5.3 The NuMI Beam Simulation

5.3.1 g4numi_flugg

5.3.2 g4numi

5.3.3 Beam Simulation Output

5.4 Flux Constraints with PPFX

5.5 Neutrino Flux Calculation

5.6 NuMI Flux at MicroBooNE

5.6.1 Central Value Flux Prediction

5.6.2 Flux Prediction by Neutrino Parent

5.6.3 Flux Prediction in Energy and Angle

5.7 Flux Uncertainties

5.7.1 Hadron Production Uncertainties

5.7.2 Beamline Geometry Uncertainties

5.8 Flux and Event Rate Comparisons

5.8.1 Flux Comparisons

5.8.2 Rate Comparisons

6 Simulation and Reconstruction in MicroBooNE

6.1 Neutrino Generation

6.2 Cosmic Modelling

6.2.1 Cosmic Simulation

6.2.2 Cosmic Overlay

6.3 Particle, Charge and Light Propagation

6.4 Detector Simulation

6.5 TPC Signal Processing

6.5.1 Deconvolution

6.5.2 ROI Finding

6.5.3 Hit Finding

6.6 Optical Reconstruction

6.6.1 Optical Hits

6.6.2 Flash Reconstruction

6.7 Pandora Reconstruction

6.8 Charge Calibration and Energy Reconstruction

6.8.1 dQ/dx Calibration

6.8.2 dE/dx Calibration and Energy Reconstruction

6.9 Reconstructed-Truth Matching

6.10 MCC8 and MCC9 Productions

6.11 Samples

6.11.1 Beam-On Sample

6.11.2 Beam-Off Sample

6.11.3 Standard Monte Carlo Sample

6.11.4 Intrinsic Electron Neutrino Monte Carlo Sample

6.11.5 Out-of-Cryostat Monte Carlo Sample

6.11.6 Normalisation Factors

6.12 MicroBooNE Coordinate System

6.13 Efficiency and Purity

References.

7 Measurement of the Total Electron Neutrino and Antineutrino Cross Section on Argon

7.1 Charged Current Inclusive Selection

7.1.1 Pre-selection

7.1.2 Flash Matching

7.1.3 Vertex Reconstruction Quality

7.1.4 Shower Hit Threshold

7.1.5 Electron-Like Showers

7.1.6 Final Selection

7.1.7 Selection Performance

7.2 Total Cross Section

7.2.1 Cross Section Formula

7.2.2 Integrated Flux

7.2.3 Number of Target Nucleons

7.3 Systematic Uncertainties

7.3.1 Flux Uncertainties

7.3.2 Interaction Uncertainties

7.3.3 Detector Uncertainties

7.3.4 Out-of-Cryostat Uncertainties

7.3.5 Cosmic Simulation Uncertainty

7.3.6 POT Counting Uncertainty

7.3.7 Uncertainty on the Number of Targets

7.3.8 Systematic Uncertainty Summary

7.4 Total Cross Section Result

8 Selection for the CC Inclusive Differential Cross Section Measurement

8.1 Central Value and Validation

8.1.1 GENIE and PPFX Tunes

8.1.2 Out-of-Cryostat Interactions Correction

8.1.3 Flash Timing Distribution

8.2 Electron Neutrino and Antineutrino Selection

8.2.1 Event Classifications

8.2.2 Distributions Before Selection

8.2.3 Selection Overview

8.2.4 Neutrino Identification

8.2.5 Containment

8.2.6 Cosmic Rejection

8.2.7 Shower Identification

8.2.8 Electron-Photon Separation

8.3 Post Selection: Study of Kinematic Variables

8.3.1 Angular Distributions

8.3.2 Shower and Track Multiplicity

8.3.3 Reconstructed Shower Energy and Angle Performance

9 Uncertainties and Principles of Extracting the Differential Cross Section

9.1 Cross Section Methodology

9.1.1 Flux-Averaged Differential Cross Section Formula

9.1.2 Detector Response and Flux-Normalised Event Rate

9.1.3 Forward Folding

9.1.4 Unfolding

9.1.5 Integrated Flux

9.1.6 Number of Target Nucleons.

9.2 Systematic Uncertainties

9.2.1 Flux Systematic Uncertainty

9.2.2 Interaction Model Systematic Uncertainties

9.2.3 Detector Uncertainties

9.2.4 Data Statistical Uncertainties

9.2.5 MC Statistics for the Response Matrix

9.2.6 Uncertainties from POT Counting, Out-of-Cryostat Simulation and Number of Targets

9.2.7 Beam-Off Normalisation

9.2.8 Summary of Systematic Uncertainty

9.2.9 Summary of Total Uncertainty

10 The First CC Inclusive Differential Electron Neutrino and Antineutrino Cross Section on Argon in MicroBooNE

10.1 Total Cross Section Result

10.2 Forward Folded Result

10.3 Wiener-SVD Unfolded Result

10.4 Generator Comparisons

10.4.1 Total Cross Section Generator Comparison

10.4.2 Forward and Unfolded Cross Section Generator Comparisons

10.4.3 Comparison with the MCC8 Result

11 Conclusion and Outlook

Appendix A Additional Event Rate Distributions

Appendix B Differential Cross Section Bin Optimisations

Appendix C Resolution, Purity and Completeness for the Differential Cross Section Variables

C.1 Shower Purity

C.2 Shower Completeness

C.3 Shower Resolutions

Appendix D Cross Section Validation

D.1 Fake Data Test 1

D.1.1 Fake Data Test 1: Total Cross Section

D.1.2 Fake Data Test 1: Differential Cross Section

D.2 Fake Data Test 2: Data Extracted Cross Section

D.3 Model Independent Response Matrix

Appendix E Event Displays.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Mistry, Krishan V. J. Exploring Electron-Neutrino-Argon Interactions

ISBN:

9783031195723