Measurements of muon multiple scattering in MICE

Neutrino factories have been identified as the best facility for making precision measurements of neutrino oscillation physics. To fully realize this technology, a demonstration of the reduction of the phase space of a muon beam must be presented. The Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) is tasked with providing such a demonstration. Ionization cooling uses the energy loss in a low Z material followed by acceleration in RF cavities to reduce the phase space of a beam on a time scale many times less than the time scale of muon decay. Multiple coulomb scattering (MCS) simultaneously inflates the muon beam and so the interplay between energy loss and MCS must be well understood. Unfortunately MCS is not well simulated in the materials of interest in the GEANT Monte Carlo program. A programme has commenced for MICE to measure MCS in several materials of interest including lithium hydride, liquid hydrogen, and gaseous xenon. The experimental methods and early results will be presented

Detectors for leptonic CP violation at the neutrino factory

Studies carried out in the framework of the International Design Study for the Neutrino Factory (the IDS-NF) show that the sensitivity to the CP violating phase and the last unknown mixing angle θ13 is maximised when two far detectors optimized to detect the sub-leading νe to νμ oscillation are combined. Several technologies are being discussed for these detectors: magnetised iron calorimeters; giant liquid argon TPCs; and totally active scintillating detectors. The IDS-NF baseline option, a compromise between feasibility, cost, and performance, is documented in the Interim Design Report (IDR) that has recently been completed. It consists of two magnetised iron sampling calorimeters, similar to the existing MINOS detector, but with 10-20 times more mass and improved performance. A detector of mass 100 kton is assumed at the intermediate baseline (between 2500 km and 5000 km) and a 50 kton detector at the long baseline (between 7000 km and 8000 km). The other far-detector options, which have better granularity, may be able to detect additional oscillation channels, thus improving the overall performance of the facility. However, these options are likely to be more expensive and require significant R&D

Recent Results from MICE on Multiple Coulomb Scattering and Energy Loss

Multiple coulomb scattering and energy loss are well known phenomena experienced by charged particles as they traverse a material. However, from recent measurements by the MuScat collaboration, it is known that the available simulation codes (GEANT4, for example) overestimate the scattering of muons in low Z materials. This is of particular interest to the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) collaboration which has the goal of measuring the reduction of the emittance of a muon beam induced by energy loss in low Z absorbers. MICE took data without magnetic field suitable for multiple scattering measurements in the fall of 2015 with the absorber vessel filled with Xenon and in the spring of 2016 using a lithium hydride absorber. The scattering data are compared with the predictions of various models, including the default GEANT4 model. In the fall of 2016 MICE took data with magnetic fields on and measured the energy loss of muons in a lithium hydride absorber. These data are also compared with model predictions and with the Bethe-Bloch formula

Recent Results from MICE on Multiple Coulomb Scattering and Energy Loss

Multiple coulomb scattering and energy loss are well known phenomena experienced by charged particles as they traverse a material. However, from recent measurements by the MuScat collaboration, it is known that the available simulation codes (GEANT4, for example) overestimate the scattering of muons in low Z materials. This is of particular interest to the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) collaboration which has the goal of measuring the reduction of the emittance of a muon beam induced by energy loss in low Z absorbers. MICE took data without magnetic field suitable for multiple scattering measurements in the fall of 2015 with the absorber vessel filled with Xenon and in the spring of 2016 using a lithium hydride absorber. The scattering data are compared with the predictions of various models, including the default GEANT4 model. In the fall of 2016 MICE took data with magnetic fields on and measured the energy loss of muons in a lithium hydride absorber. These data are also compared with model predictions and with the Bethe-Bloch formula

Effectiveness of a mindfulness-based childbirth education pilot study on maternal self-efficacy and fear of childbirth

Introduction: This pilot study tested the feasibility and effectiveness of using Mindfulness-Based Childbirth Education (MBCE), a novel integration of mindfulness meditation and skills-based childbirth education, for mental health promotion with pregnant women. The MBCE protocol aimed to reduce fear of birth, anxiety, and stress and improve maternal self-efficacy. This pilot study also aimed to determine the acceptability and feasibility of the MBCE protocol. Methods: A single-arm pilot study of the MBCE intervention using a repeated-measures design was used to analyze data before and after the MBCE intervention to determine change trends with key outcome variables: mindfulness; depression, anxiety, and stress; childbirth self-efficacy; and fear of childbirth. Pregnant women (18-28 weeks’ gestation) and their support companions attended weekly MBCE group sessions over 8 weeks in an Australian community setting.Results: Of the 18 women who began and completed the intervention, missing data allowed for complete data from12 participants to be analyzed. Statistically significant improvements and large effect sizes were observed for childbirth self-efficacy and fear of childbirth. Improvements in depression, mindfulness, and birth outcome expectations were underpowered. At postnatal follow-up significant improvements were found in anxiety, whereas improvements in mindfulness, stress, and fear of birth were significant at a less conservative alpha level. Discussion: This pilot study demonstrated that a blended mindfulness and skills-based childbirth education intervention was acceptable to women and was associated with improvements in women’s sense of control and confidence in giving birth. Previous findings that low self-efficacy and high childbirth fear are linked to greater labor pain, stress reactivity, and trauma suggest the observed improvements in these variables have important implications for improving maternal mental health and associated child health outcomes. Ways in which these outcomes can be achieved through improved childbirth education are discussed

Toroidal magnetized iron neutrino detector for a neutrino factory

A neutrino factory has unparalleled physics reach for the discovery and measurement of CP violation in the neutrino sector. A far detector for a neutrino factory must have good charge identification with excellent background rejection and a large mass. An elegant solution is to construct a magnetized iron neutrino detector (MIND) along the lines of MINOS, where iron plates provide a toroidal magnetic field and scintillator planes provide 3D space points. In this paper, the current status of a simulation of a toroidal MIND for a neutrino factory is discussed in light of the recent measurements of large θ13. The response and performance using the 10 GeV neutrino factory configuration are presented. It is shown that this setup has equivalent δCP reach to a MIND with a dipole field and is sensitive to the discovery of CP violation over 85% of the values of δCP

Measurements of quantum yields of bromine atoms in the photolysis of bromoform from 266 to 324 nm

The quantum yield for the formation of bromine atoms in the photolysis of bromoform, CHBr_3, has been measured between 266 and 324 nm. For 303 to 306 nm the quantum yields are unity within the experimental uncertainty of the measurements. At longer wavelengths, where the bromoform cross sections decrease rapidly, an apparent trend to slightly lower quantum yields is probably the result of systematic and random errors or incorrect CHBr_3 absorption cross sections. Support for a unit quantum yield for all wavelengths longer than 300 nm comes from the recent theoretical calculations of Peterson and Francisco. At 266 nm the bromine atom quantum yield is 0.76 (±0.03), indicating that at least one additional dissociation channel becomes important at shorter wavelengths. For modeling of the troposphere, it is recommended that a quantum yield of unity be used for wavelengths of 300 nm and longer

Longitudinal muon spin relaxation in high purity aluminum and silver

The time dependence of muon spin relaxation has been measured in high purity aluminum and silver samples in a longitudinal 2 T magnetic field at room temperature, using time-differential \musr. For times greater than 10 ns, the shape fits well to a single exponential with relaxation rates of \lambda_{\textrm{Al}} = 1.3 \pm 0.2\,(\textrm{stat.}) \pm 0.3\,(\textrm{syst.})\,\pms and \lambda_{\textrm{Ag}} = 1.0 \pm 0.2\,(\textrm{stat.}) \pm 0.2\,(\textrm{syst.})\,\pms

The Golden Channel at a Neutrino Factory revisited: improved sensitivities from a Magnetised Iron Neutrino Detector

This paper describes the performance and sensitivity to neutrino mixing parameters of a Magnetised Iron Neutrino Detector (MIND) at a Neutrino Factory with a neutrino beam created from the decay of 10 GeV muons. Specifically, it is concerned with the ability of such a detector to detect muons of the opposite sign to those stored (wrong-sign muons) while suppressing contamination of the signal from the interactions of other neutrino species in the beam. A new more realistic simulation and analysis, which improves the efficiency of this detector at low energies, has been developed using the GENIE neutrino event generator and the GEANT4 simulation toolkit. Low energy neutrino events down to 1 GeV were selected, while reducing backgrounds to the $10^{-4}$ level. Signal efficiency plateaus of ~60% for $\nu_\mu$ and ~70% for $\bar{\nu}_\mu$ events were achieved starting at ~5 GeV. Contamination from the $\nu_\mu\rightarrow \nu_\tau$ oscillation channel was studied for the first time and was found to be at the level between 1% and 4%. Full response matrices are supplied for all the signal and background channels from 1 GeV to 10 GeV. The sensitivity of an experiment involving a MIND detector of 100 ktonnes at 2000 km from the Neutrino Factory is calculated for the case of $\sin^2 2\theta_{13}\sim 10^{-1}$. For this value of $\theta_{13}$, the accuracy in the measurement of the CP violating phase is estimated to be $\Delta \delta_{CP}\sim 3^\circ - 5^\circ$, depending on the value of $\delta_{CP}$, the CP coverage at $5\sigma$ is 85% and the mass hierarchy would be determined with better than $5\sigma$ level for all values of $\delta_{CP}$

Proposal for SPS beam time for the baby MIND and TASD neutrino detector prototypes

The design, construction and testing of neutrino detector prototypes at CERN are ongoing activities. This document reports on the design of solid state baby MIND and TASD detector prototypes and outlines requirements for a test beam at CERN to test these, tentatively planned on the H8 beamline in the North Area, which is equipped with a large aperture magnet. The current proposal is submitted to be considered in light of the recently approved projects related to neutrino activities with the SPS in the North Area in the medium term 2015-2020