Supernova neutrino detection in NOvA

The NOvA long-baseline neutrino experiment uses a pair of large, segmented, liquid-scintillator calorimeters to study neutrino oscillations, using GeV-scale neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI beam. These detectors are also sensitive to the flux of neutrinos which are emitted during a core-collapse supernova through inverse beta decay interactions on carbon at energies of O(10 MeV). This signature provides a means to study the dominant mode of energy release for a core-collapse supernova occurring in our galaxy. We describe the data-driven software trigger system developed and employed by the NOvA experiment to identify and record neutrino data from nearby galactic supernovae. This technique has been used by NOvA to self-trigger on potential core-collapse supernovae in our galaxy, with an estimated sensitivity reaching out to 10 kpc distance while achieving a detection efficiency of 23% to 49% for supernovae from progenitor stars with masses of 9.6 M☉ to 27 M☉, respectively

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for DUNE at LBNF

The Physics Program for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Fermilab Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is described

Search for flavor-changing non-standard neutrino interactions by MINOS

We report new constraints on flavor-changing non-standard neutrino interactions from the MINOS experiment, in which neutrino versus antineutrino interactions can be distinguished on an event-by-event basis. We analyzed a combined set of beam neutrino and antineutrino data from the well-understood NuMI beam, and found no evidence for deviations from standard neutrino mixing. The observed energy spectra constrain the non-standard neutrino interactions parameter to the range -0.20<εμτ<0.07(90%C.L.). © 2013 American Physical Society

Measurements of atmospheric neutrinos and antineutrinos in the MINOS far detector

This paper reports measurements of atmospheric neutrino and antineutrino interactions in the MINOS Far Detector, based on 2553 live-days (37.9kton-years) of data. A total of 2072 candidate events are observed. These are separated into 905 contained-vertex muons and 466 neutrino-induced rock-muons, both produced by charged-current ν μ and ν ̄μ interactions, and 701 contained-vertex showers, composed mainly of charged-current ν e and ν ̄e interactions and neutral-current interactions. The curvature of muon tracks in the magnetic field of the MINOS Far Detector is used to select separate samples of ν μ and ν ̄μ events. The observed ratio of ν ̄μ to ν μ events is compared with the MonteCarlo (MC) simulation, giving a double ratio of Rν̄/νdata/ Rν̄/νMC=1.03±0.08(stat)±0.08(syst). The ν μ and ν ̄μ data are separated into bins of L/E resolution, based on the reconstructed energy and direction of each event, and a maximum likelihood fit to the observed L/E distributions is used to determine the atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters. This fit returns 90% confidence limits of |Δm2|=(1.9±0.4)×10 -3eV2 and sin22θ>0.86. The fit is extended to incorporate separate ν μ and ν ̄μ oscillation parameters, returning 90% confidence limits of |Δm2|-|Δm ̄2|=0.6- 0.8+2.4×10 -3eV2 on the difference between the squared-mass splittings for neutrinos and antineutrinos. © 2012 American Physical Society

Improved search for muon-neutrino to electron-neutrino oscillations in MINOS

We report the results of a search for νe appearance in a νμ beam in the MINOS long-baseline neutrino experiment. With an improved analysis and an increased exposure of 8.2×1020 protons on the NuMI target at Fermilab, we find that 2sin2(θ23) sin2(2θ13)<0.12(0.20) at 90% confidence level for δ=0 and the normal (inverted) neutrino mass hierarchy, with a best-fit of 2sin2(θ23)sin2(2θ13)=0. 041-0.031+0.047(0.079-0.053+0.071). The θ13=0 hypothesis is disfavored by the MINOS data at the 89% confidence level. © 2011 American Physical Society