Search for \nu_\mu -> \nu_\tau oscillations in appearance mode in the OPERA experiment

The OPERA experiment in the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) has been designed to perform the first detection of neutrino oscillations in direct appearance mode in the muon neutrino to tau neutrino channel. The detector is hybrid, being made of an emulsion/lead target and of electronic detectors. It is placed in the CNGS neutrino beam 730 km away from the neutrino source. Runs with CNGS neutrinos were successfully carried out in 2008, 2009, and 2010. After a brief description of the beam and the experimental setup, we report on event analysis of a sample of events corresponding to 1.89\times 10^{19} p.o.t. in the CERN CNGS \nu_{\mu} beam that yielded the observation of a first candidate \nu_{\tau} CC interaction. The topology and kinematics of this candidate event are described in detail. The background sources are explained and the significance of the candidate is assessed.Comment: Contribution to Les Rencontres de Physique de la Vall\'ee D'Aoste (La Thuile, February 27-March 5 2011); 8 pages, 4 figure

Study of Neutrino Oscillations in the OPERA Experiment

The OPERA experiment has been designed to perform the first detection of neutrino oscillations in direct appearance mode in the $\nu_{\mu}\to\nu_{\tau}$ channel, through the detection of the tau lepton produced in charged current interaction on an event by event basis. The detector is hybrid, being made of an emulsion/lead target and of electronic detectors. It exploited the CNGS muon neutrino beam from CERN to Gran Sasso, 730 km from the source. Runs with CNGS neutrinos were successfully carried out from 2008 to 2012. We report on the large data sample analysed so far and give our results on the search for $\nu_{\mu}\to\nu_{\tau}$ and $\nu_{\mu}\to\nu_{e}$ oscillations.Comment: Prensented at the Lake Louise Winter 2013 Conference, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 17-23 February 201

NESSiE: The Experimental Sterile Neutrino Search in Short-Base-Line at CERN

Several different experimental results are indicating the existence of anomalies in the neutrino sector. Models beyond the standard model have been developed to explain these results and involve one or more additional neutrinos that do not weakly interact. A new experimental program is therefore needed to study this potential new physics with a possibly new Short-Base-Line neutrino beam at CERN. CERN is actually promoting the start up of a New Neutrino Facility in the North Area site, which may host two complementary detectors, one based on LAr technology and one corresponding to a muon spectrometer. The system is doubled in two different sites. With regards to the latter option, NESSiE, Neutrino Experiment with Spectrometers in Europe, had been proposed for the search of sterile neutrinos studying Charged Current (CC) muon neutrino and antineutrino ineractions. The detectors consists of two magnetic spectrometers to be located in two sites:"Near" and "Far" from the proton target of the CERN-SPS beam. Each spectrometer will be complemented by an ICARUS-like LAr target in order to allow also Neutral Current (NC) and electron neutrino CC interactions reconstruction.Comment: Prensented at the Lake Louise Winter 2013 Conference, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 17-23 February 201

Plasticity effects in subsequent simulations of car structures

In order to further reduce the weight of car components while at the same time\ud maintaining performance and safe life it is necessary to enhance the simulation process. This\ud is especially important for chassis parts which have not only a high dynamic load but are also\ud partly undamped. To reach this goal, the logical step is to couple the successive operations of\ud forming, assembly and virtual performance testing.\ud The objective is a complete determination of the mechanical state of the (sub-)assemblies.\ud It is therefore necessary to consider all forming and joining processes a part has previously\ud undergone and to consider them in the virtual model. This virtual model is ideally suited for\ud virtual prototyping (e.g. structural analysis, fatigue, crash) because the complete history of\ud every part is contained. In contrast to standard models, the changed thickness of sheet metal\ud parts and residual stresses due to forming and joining as well as the new material state at\ud every point are known prior to any external loading. This results in a more reliable prediction\ud of product performance.\ud Using a relatively simple part it is demonstrated how the performance of chassis parts\ud changes with the inclusion of plastic forming effects as compared to the exclusion of these\ud effects. The transfer of the results of the forming process to the comprehensive model is shown\ud first. Hereafter the model is subjected to static and dynamic external loads. The results are\ud compared to calculations that use a standard model and show clearly that the inclusion of the\ud plastic history has a significant influence on the product performance