Current and Future Liquid Argon Neutrino Experiments

The liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detector technology provides an opportunity for precision neutrino oscillation measurements, neutrino cross section measurements, and searches for rare processes, such as SuperNova neutrino detection. These proceedings review current and future LArTPC neutrino experiments. Particular focus is paid to the ICARUS, MicroBooNE, LAr1, 2-LArTPC at CERN-SPS, LBNE, and 100 kton at Okinoshima experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 1 table, Proceedings for NuInt'1

Searches for new physics at MiniBooNE : sterile neutrinos and mixing freedom

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 294-306).The MiniBooNE experiment was designed to perform a search for Vu --> Ve oscillations in a region of A[delta]sin 2 20very different from that allowed by standard, three neutrino oscillations, as determined by solar and atmospheric neutrino experiments. This search was motivated by the LSND experimental observation of an excess of F/e events in a 1,1 beam which was found compatible with two-neutrino oscillations at [delta]m 2 ~ 1 eV2 and sin2 20 Ve oscillations, MiniBooNE has also performed a search for Vu -->Ve oscillations, which provides a test of the LSND two-neutrino oscillation interpretation that is independent of CP or CPT violation assumptions. This dissertation presents the MiniBooNE Vu -->Ve and Vu --> Ve analyses and results, with emphasis on the latter. While the neutrino search excludes the two-neutrino oscillation interpretation of LSND at 98% C.L., the antineutrino search shows an excess of events which is in agreement with the two neutrino Vu -->Ve oscillation interpretation of LSND, and excludes the no oscillations hypothesis at 96% C.L. Even though the neutrino and antineutrino oscillation results from MiniBooNE disagree under the single sterile neutrino oscillation hypothesis, a simple extension to the model to include additional sterile neutrino states and the possibility of CP violation allows for differences between neutrino and antineutrino oscillation signatures. In view of that, the viability of oscillation models with one or two sterile neutrinos is investigated in global fits to MiniBooNE and LSND data, with and without constraints from other oscillation experiments with similar sensitivities to those models. A general search for new physics scenarios which would lead to effective non-unitarity of the standard 3 x 3 neutrino mixing matrix, or mixing freedom, is also performed using neutrino and antineutrino data available from MiniBooNE.by Georgia S. Karagiorgi.Ph.D

A Combined Limit on the Neutrino Mass from Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay and Constraints on Sterile Majorana Neutrinos

We present a framework to combine data from the latest neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments for multiple isotopes and derive a limit on the effective neutrino mass using the experimental energy distributions. The combined limits on the effective mass range between 130-310 meV, where the spread is due to different model calculations of nuclear matrix elements (NMEs). The statistical consistency (p values) between this result and the signal observation claimed by the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment is derived. The limits on the effective mass are also evaluated in a (3+1) sterile neutrino model, assuming all neutrinos are Majorana particles.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures. Version accepted by Phys Rev D, including latest CUORE-0 result

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure