Study of a Long Baseline nu_tau Appearance Neutrino Oscillation Experiment in the Quasi-Elastic Regime

We present a study for a design of a long baseline nu_mu to nu_tau appearance experiment to probe the high sin^2(2theta) and low Delta m^2 region relevant to explain the atmospheric neutrino anomaly. The experiment relies on a good identification of quasi-elastic interactions, which is a clean topology that has an important contribution in the lowest Delta m^2 part of the region probed. The detector we studied is a fine grained liquid scintillator detector of 15 kilotons, optimized to detect electrons from tau -> e bar(nu_e) nu_tau decays, while rejecting backgrounds from pi^0 in nu_mu interactions and electrons from the nu_e beam contamination. As a reference, the proposed nu_mu neutrino beam from CERN to Gran Sasso was used.Comment: 17 page

The Value of Demonstration in Human Maze Learning

In a first experiment, forty subjects were assigned to one of four groups. Each of these groups received one, two or three demonstrations, or no demonstration at all of a task on a bolt-head maze. It was found that number of demonstrations and reduction of errors per trial were positively related up to two demonstrations but no additional increment in performance appeared for three demonstrations. In a second experiment, error making by a demonstrator was contrasted with skilled demonstration. Three demonstrations with errors resulted in significantly fewer errors per trial than two demonstrations with errors. Three skilled errorless demonstration was nonsignificantly superior to three demonstrations with errors

Constraints on Non-Commutative Physics Scale with Neutrino-Electron Scattering

Neutrino-electron scatterings ($\nu - e$) are purely leptonic processes with robust Standard Model (SM) predictions. Their measurements can therefore provide constraints to physics beyond SM. Non-commutative (NC) field theories modify space-time commutation relations, and allow neutrino electromagnetic couplings at the tree level. Their contribution to neutrino-electron scattering cross-section was derived. Constraints were placed on the NC scale parameter $\Lambda_{NC}$ from $\nu - e$ experiments with reactor and accelerator neutrinos. The most stringent limit of $\Lambda_{NC} > 3.3 TeV$ at 95% confidence level improves over the direct bounds from collider experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, V2: minor revisions to match published versio

Proposal to Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons at the SPS

A new fixed-target experiment at the CERN SPS accelerator is proposed that will use decays of charm mesons to search for Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs), which are right-handed partners of the Standard Model neutrinos. The existence of such particles is strongly motivated by theory, as they can simultaneously explain the baryon asymmetry of the Universe, account for the pattern of neutrino masses and oscillations and provide a Dark Matter candidate. Cosmological constraints on the properties of HNLs now indicate that the majority of the interesting parameter space for such particles was beyond the reach of the previous searches at the PS191, BEBC, CHARM, CCFR and NuTeV experiments. For HNLs with mass below 2 GeV, the proposed experiment will improve on the sensitivity of previous searches by four orders of magnitude and will cover a major fraction of the parameter space favoured by theoretical models. The experiment requires a 400 GeV proton beam from the SPS with a total of 2x10^20 protons on target, achievable within five years of data taking. The proposed detector will reconstruct exclusive HNL decays and measure the HNL mass. The apparatus is based on existing technologies and consists of a target, a hadron absorber, a muon shield, a decay volume and two magnetic spectrometers, each of which has a 0.5 Tm magnet, a calorimeter and a muon detector. The detector has a total length of about 100 m with a 5 m diameter. The complete experimental set-up could be accommodated in CERN's North Area. The discovery of a HNL would have a great impact on our understanding of nature and open a new area for future research

Measurement of Neutrino-Electron Scattering Cross-Section with a CsI(Tl) Scintillating Crystal Array at the Kuo-Sheng Nuclear Power Reactor

The $\bar{\nu}_{e}-e^{-}$ elastic scattering cross-section was measured with a CsI(Tl) scintillating crystal array having a total mass of 187kg. The detector was exposed to an average reactor $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ flux of $\rm{6.4\times 10^{12} ~ cm^{-2}s^{-1}}$ at the Kuo-Sheng Nuclear Power Station. The experimental design, conceptual merits, detector hardware, data analysis and background understanding of the experiment are presented. Using 29882/7369 kg-days of Reactor ON/OFF data, the Standard Model(SM) electroweak interaction was probed at the squared 4-momentum transfer range of $\rm{Q^2 \sim 3 \times 10^{-6} ~ GeV^2}$. The ratio of experimental to SM cross-sections of $\xi =[ 1.08 \pm 0.21(stat)\pm 0.16(sys)]$ was measured. Constraints on the electroweak parameters $(g_V , g_A)$ were placed, corresponding to a weak mixing angle measurement of \s2tw = 0.251 \pm 0.031({\it stat}) \pm 0.024({\it sys}) . Destructive interference in the SM \nuebar -e process was verified. Bounds on anomalous neutrino electromagnetic properties were placed: neutrino magnetic moment at \mu_{\nuebar}< 2.2 \times 10^{-10} \mu_{\rm B} and the neutrino charge radius at -2.1 \times 10^{-32} ~{\rm cm^{2}} < \nuchrad < 3.3 \times 10^{-32} ~{\rm cm^{2}}, both at 90% confidence level.Comment: 18 Figures, 7 Tables; published version as V2 with minor revision from V

Comparison of large-angle production of charged pions with incident protons on cylindrical long and short targets

The HARP collaboration has presented measurements of the double-differential pi+/pi- production cross-section in the range of momentum 100 MeV/c <= p 800 MeV/c and angle 0.35 rad <= theta <= 2.15 rad with proton beams hitting thin nuclear targets. In many applications the extrapolation to long targets is necessary. In this paper the analysis of data taken with long (one interaction length) solid cylindrical targets made of carbon, tantalum and lead is presented. The data were taken with the large acceptance HARP detector in the T9 beam line of the CERN PS. The secondary pions were produced by beams of protons with momenta 5 GeV/c, 8 GeV/c and 12 GeV/c. The tracking and identification of the produced particles were performed using a small-radius cylindrical time projection chamber (TPC) placed inside a solenoidal magnet. Incident protons were identified by an elaborate system of beam detectors. Results are obtained for the double-differential yields per target nucleon d2 sigma / dp dtheta. The measurements are compared with predictions of the MARS and GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 43 pages, 20 figure