43 research outputs found
Neutrino Probes of the Nature of Light Dark Matter
Dark matter particles gravitationally trapped inside the Sun may annihilate
into Standard Model particles, producing a flux of neutrinos. The prospects of
detecting these neutrinos in future multi-\kton{} neutrino detectors designed
for other physics searches are explored here. We study the capabilities of a
34/100 \kton{} liquid argon detector and a 100 \kton{} magnetized iron
calorimeter detector. These detectors are expected to determine the energy and
the direction of the incoming neutrino with unprecedented precision allowing
for tests of the dark matter nature at very low dark matter masses, in the
range of 5-50 GeV. By suppressing the atmospheric background with angular cuts,
these techniques would be sensitive to dark matter - nucleon spin dependent
cross sections at the fb level, reaching down to a few ab for the most
favorable annihilation channels and detector technology.Comment: Minor changes and clarifications, matches JCAP versio
The ArgoNeuT Detector in the NuMI Low-Energy beam line at Fermilab
The ArgoNeuT liquid argon time projection chamber has collected thousands of
neutrino and antineutrino events during an extended run period in the NuMI
beam-line at Fermilab. This paper focuses on the main aspects of the detector
layout and related technical features, including the cryogenic equipment, time
projection chamber, read-out electronics, and off-line data treatment. The
detector commissioning phase, physics run, and first neutrino event displays
are also reported. The characterization of the main working parameters of the
detector during data-taking, the ionization electron drift velocity and
lifetime in liquid argon, as obtained from through-going muon data complete the
present report.Comment: 43 pages, 27 figures, 5 tables - update referenc
Phenomenological template family for black-hole coalescence waveforms
Recent progress in numerical relativity has enabled us to model the
non-perturbative merger phase of the binary black-hole coalescence problem.
Based on these results, we propose a phenomenological family of waveforms which
can model the inspiral, merger, and ring-down stages of black hole coalescence.
We also construct a template bank using this family of waveforms and discuss
its implementation in the search for signatures of gravitational waves produced
by black-hole coalescences in the data of ground-based interferometers. This
template bank might enable us to extend the present inspiral searches to
higher-mass binary black-hole systems, i.e., systems with total mass greater
than about 80 solar masses, thereby increasing the reach of the current
generation of ground-based detectors.Comment: Minor changes, Submitted to Class. Quantum Grav. (Proc. GWDAW11
The LAGUNA design study- towards giant liquid based underground detectors for neutrino physics and astrophysics and proton decay searches
The feasibility of a next generation neutrino observatory in Europe is being
considered within the LAGUNA design study. To accommodate giant neutrino
detectors and shield them from cosmic rays, a new very large underground
infrastructure is required. Seven potential candidate sites in different parts
of Europe and at several distances from CERN are being studied: Boulby (UK),
Canfranc (Spain), Fr\'ejus (France/Italy), Pyh\"asalmi (Finland),
Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The
design study aims at the comprehensive and coordinated technical assessment of
each site, at a coherent cost estimation, and at a prioritization of the sites
within the summer 2010.Comment: 5 pages, contribution to the Workshop "European Strategy for Future
Neutrino Physics", CERN, Oct. 200
The LBNO long-baseline oscillation sensitivities with two conventional neutrino beams at different baselines
The proposed Long Baseline Neutrino Observatory (LBNO) initially consists of
kton liquid double phase TPC complemented by a magnetised iron
calorimeter, to be installed at the Pyh\"asalmi mine, at a distance of 2300 km
from CERN. The conventional neutrino beam is produced by 400 GeV protons
accelerated at the SPS accelerator delivering 700 kW of power. The long
baseline provides a unique opportunity to study neutrino flavour oscillations
over their 1st and 2nd oscillation maxima exploring the behaviour, and
distinguishing effects arising from and matter. In this paper we
show how this comprehensive physics case can be further enhanced and
complemented if a neutrino beam produced at the Protvino IHEP accelerator
complex, at a distance of 1160 km, and with modest power of 450 kW is aimed
towards the same far detectors. We show that the coupling of two independent
sub-MW conventional neutrino and antineutrino beams at different baselines from
CERN and Protvino will allow to measure CP violation in the leptonic sector at
a confidence level of at least for 50\% of the true values of
with a 20 kton detector. With a far detector of 70 kton, the
combination allows a sensitivity for 75\% of the true values of
after 10 years of running. Running two independent neutrino
beams, each at a power below 1 MW, is more within today's state of the art than
the long-term operation of a new single high-energy multi-MW facility, which
has several technical challenges and will likely require a learning curve.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figure
Comparison of high-accuracy numerical simulations of black-hole binaries with stationary phase post-Newtonian template waveforms for Initial and Advanced LIGO
We study the effectiveness of stationary-phase approximated post-Newtonian
waveforms currently used by ground-based gravitational-wave detectors to search
for the coalescence of binary black holes by comparing them to an accurate
waveform obtained from numerical simulation of an equal-mass non-spinning
binary black hole inspiral, merger and ringdown. We perform this study for the
Initial- and Advanced-LIGO detectors. We find that overlaps between the
templates and signal can be improved by integrating the match filter to higher
frequencies than used currently. We propose simple analytic frequency cutoffs
for both Initial and Advanced LIGO, which achieve nearly optimal matches, and
can easily be extended to unequal-mass, spinning systems. We also find that
templates that include terms in the phase evolution up to 3.5 pN order are
nearly always better, and rarely significantly worse, than 2.0 pN templates
currently in use. For Initial LIGO we recommend a strategy using templates that
include a recently introduced pseudo-4.0 pN term in the low-mass (M \leq 35
\MSun) region, and 3.5 pN templates allowing unphysical values of the
symmetric reduced mass above this. This strategy always achieves
overlaps within 0.3% of the optimum, for the data used here. For Advanced LIGO
we recommend a strategy using 3.5 pN templates up to M=12 \MSun, 2.0 pN
templates up to M=21 \MSun, pseudo-4.0 pN templates up to 65 \MSun, and 3.5
pN templates with unphysical for higher masses. This strategy always
achieves overlaps within 0.7% of the optimum for Advanced LIGO.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures. Presented at NRDA 200
Neutrino-nucleus cross sections for oscillation experiments
Neutrino oscillations physics is entered in the precision era. In this
context accelerator-based neutrino experiments need a reduction of systematic
errors to the level of a few percent. Today one of the most important sources
of systematic errors are neutrino-nucleus cross sections which in the
hundreds-MeV to few-GeV energy region are known with a precision not exceeding
20%. In this article we review the present experimental and theoretical
knowledge of the neutrino-nucleus interaction physics. After introducing
neutrino oscillation physics and accelerator-based neutrino experiments, we
overview general aspects of the neutrino-nucleus cross sections, both
theoretical and experimental views. Then we focus on these quantities in
different reaction channels. We start with the quasielastic and
quasielastic-like cross section, putting a special emphasis on multinucleon
emission channel which attracted a lot of attention in the last few years. We
review the main aspects of the different microscopic models for this channel by
discussing analogies and differences among them.The discussion is always driven
by a comparison with the experimental data. We then consider the one pion
production channel where data-theory agreement remains very unsatisfactory. We
describe how to interpret pion data, then we analyze in particular the puzzle
related to the impossibility of theoretical models and Monte Carlo to
simultaneously describe MiniBooNE and MINERvA experimental results. Inclusive
cross sections are also discussed, as well as the comparison between the
and cross sections, relevant for the CP violation
experiments. The impact of the nuclear effects on the reconstruction of
neutrino energy and on the determination of the neutrino oscillation parameters
is reviewed. A window to the future is finally opened by discussing projects
and efforts in future detectors, beams, and analysis
The LAGUNA design study- towards giant liquid based underground detectors for neutrino physics and astrophysics and proton decay searches
The feasibility of a next generation neutrino observatory in Europe is being considered within the LAGUNA design study. To accommodate giant neutrino detectors and shield them from cosmic rays, a new very large underground infrastructure is required. Seven potential candidate sites in different parts of Europe and at several distances from CERN are being studied: Boulby (UK), Canfranc (Spain), Fr\'ejus (France/Italy), Pyh\"asalmi (Finland), Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The design study aims at the comprehensive and coordinated technical assessment of each site, at a coherent cost estimation, and at a prioritization of the sites within the summer 2010