Single Charged Pion Production by Muon Neutrinos in the MINERvA Detector Using the NuMI Beam

The next generation of long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments (DUNE, Hyper-K) aims to conclusively answer the outstanding questions in neutrino oscillation physics, including the nature of lepton CP-symmetry violation and the validity of the three-neutrino paradigm. The success of this program relies on excellent beam flux simulation and precisely-known cross sections for all neutrino-nucleus scattering processes. Currently, uncertainties on these models are large, and experiments such as MINERvA, located in the NuMI neutrino beamline at Fermilab, are dedicated to reducing them. This thesis makes improvements both to flux simulation models—via reduction in hadron focusing uncertainties in the G4NuMI simulation—and to cross section knowledge—via a pion production cross section measurement in the critical “transition region” between resonance and deep inelastic scattering. The cross section measurement performed is of muon neutrino charged current single charged pion production on hydrocarbon in the MINERvA detector and at mean neutrino energy of 6 GeV. The cross section is high-statistics, minimally-model dependent, and measured as a function of several muon, pion, and event-wide variables, including the first measurement of an invariant hadronic mass-like variable in the positive pion channel. Results are compared to the GENIE event generator, and found to broadly agree, though outstanding discrepancies remain in low four-momentum transfer squared and pion kinematics

Current developments in laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for use in geology, forensics, and nuclear nonproliferation research

Applications of laser ablation - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) were investigated. Chapter 1 is a general introduction. Chapter 2 describes the use of LA-ICP-MS to determine rare earth elements (REE) in garnets. The chondrite normalized REE plots of garnets show variations based on how the garnets were formed. Garnets also showed positive or negative Eu anomalies. The plots and data showed what garnets could be used for indication of ore bodies.;Chapter 3 was a study of the possible use of caulk and automotive filler for forensics purposes. Many samples of each material were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS. The 186 masses monitored during ablation were used in principal components analysis (PCA). PCA scores plots were produced containing samples from different manufacturers and lot numbers. The automotive filler samples were distinguishable by both manufacturer and lot number. The caulk samples were only distinguishable by manufacturer.;New methods for the ablation of individual particle ensembles were investigated in Chapter 4. Gelatin was used as a substrate to capture and hold particles for analysis by LA-ICP-MS. The ablation shockwave was absorbed by the gelatin, and no other particles were disturbed. Analysis of uranium oxides was performed with a precision of up to 2.9%. The particle ensembles on filter paper were fixed there for ablation by coating the paper with a collodion solution. An attempt to improve the ablation characteristics of these methods was also attempted. Vanillic acid was added to the collodion and sprayed onto the particles fixed on gelatin. The results of the vanillic acid addition are discussed. Chapter 5 is a general conclusion

Data Preservation at MINERvA

Over the past ten years, MINERvA has collected an accelerator neutrino interaction dataset that is uniquely relevant to the energy range of DUNE. These are the only currently available data at intermediate and high momentum transfers for multiple nuclear targets in the same beam. MINERvA is undertaking a campaign to preserve these data and make them publicly available so that they may be analyzed beyond the end of the MINERvA collaboration. We encourage the community to consider the development of centralized resources to enable long-term access to these data and analysis tools for the entire HEP community.Comment: Snowmass 2021 Letter of Interes

High Average Power, High Energy Short Pulse Fiber Laser System

Recently continuous wave fiber laser systems with output powers in excess of 500W with good beam quality have been demonstrated [1]. High energy, ultrafast, chirped pulsed fiber laser systems have achieved record output energies of 1mJ [2]. However, these high-energy systems have not been scaled beyond a few watts of average output power. Fiber laser systems are attractive for many applications because they offer the promise of high efficiency, compact, robust systems that are turn key. Applications such as cutting, drilling and materials processing, front end systems for high energy pulsed lasers (such as petawatts) and laser based sources of high spatial coherence, high flux x-rays all require high energy short pulses and two of the three of these applications also require high average power. The challenge in creating a high energy chirped pulse fiber laser system is to find a way to scale the output energy while avoiding nonlinear effects and maintaining good beam quality in the amplifier fiber. To this end, our 3-year LDRD program sought to demonstrate a high energy, high average power fiber laser system. This work included exploring designs of large mode area optical fiber amplifiers for high energy systems as well as understanding the issues associated chirped pulse amplification in optical fiber amplifier systems

Drone Technology for Monitoring and Mapping in the Grasslands of Eastern Montana

The Nature Conservancy in Montana has been working to protect wildlife habitat and enhance conservation in the Northern Great Plains for several decades.  The foundation of our work has been the Matador Grassbank in south Phillips County. Through the grassbank, ranchers implement conservation practices on their home ranches in exchange for discounted grazing on the Conservancy’s Matador Ranch. One of the conservation practices is the retention of black-tailed prairie dog towns. The southern portion of Phillips County supports among the most acres and largest prairie dog towns in the state. The prairie dog towns in this region of Montana support species of high conservation concern, including two black-footed ferret reintroduction sites, the largest population of mountain plovers, and large numbers of burrowing owls. Discounts for retaining prairie dog towns on grassbank ranches is tiered, based on the size of the town and potential for supporting species of concern. However, precisely mapping towns is challenging when using handheld GPS units and ATV’s to traverse the perimeters. Currently, The Nature Conservancy is using drone technology to create more precise and detailed maps. Drones yield detailed imagery which can be incorporated into a GIS, allowing precise mapping of town boundaries. Using drones will enable ranchers and the Conservancy to better understand the expansion or contraction of towns over time. The Matador ranch successfully implemented drone technology as a tool for more efficient and accurate monitoring, and plans to continue incorporating its use in all aspects of conservation and management

Rigorous sufficient conditions for index-guided mode in microstructured dielectric waveguides

We derive a sufficient condition for the existence of index-guided modes in a very general class of dielectric waveguides, including photonic-crystal fibers (arbitrary periodic claddings, such as ``holey fibers''), anisotropic materials, and waveguides with periodicity along the propagation direction. This condition provides a rigorous guarantee of cutoff-free index-guided modes in any such structure where the core is formed by increasing the index of refraction (e.g. removing a hole). It also provides a weaker guarantee of guidance in cases where the refractive index is increased ``on average'' (precisely defined). The proof is based on a simple variational method, inspired by analogous proofs of localization for two-dimensional attractive potentials in quantum mechanics.Comment: 15 page

Emotional triggering and low socio-economic status as determinants of depression following acute coronary syndrome

Background The determinants of depression following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are poorly understood. Triggering of ACS by emotional stress and low socio-economic status (SES) are predictors of adverse outcomes. We therefore investigated whether emotional triggering and low SES predict depression and anxiety following ACS. Method This prospective observational clinical cohort study involved 298 patients with clinically verified ACS. Emotional stress was assessed for the 2 h before symptom onset and compared with the equivalent period 24 h earlier using case-crossover methods. SES was defined by household income and education. Depression was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and anxiety with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale 3 weeks after ACS and again at 6 and 12 months. Age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score, duration of hospital stay and history of depression were included as covariates. Results Emotional stress during the 2-h hazard period was associated with increased risk of ACS (odds ratio 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.01-3.61). Both low income and emotional triggering predicted depression and anxiety at 3 weeks and 6/12 months independently of covariates. The two factors interacted, with the greatest depression and anxiety in lower income patients who experienced acute emotional stress. Education was not related to depression. Conclusions Patients who experience acute emotional stress during their ACS and are lower SES as defined by current affluence and access to resources are particularly vulnerable to subsequent depression and anxiet