Neutrino Experiments

Recent studies of neutrino oscillations have established the existence of finite neutrino masses and mixing between generations of neutrinos [1]. The combined results from studies of atmospheric neutrinos, solar neutrinos, reactor antineutrinos and neutrinos produced at accelerators paint an intriguing picture that clearly requires modification of the standard model of particle physics. These results also provide clear motivation for future neutrino oscillation experiments as well as searches for direct neutrino mass and nuclear double-beta decay. I will discuss the program of new neutrino oscillation experiments aimed at completing our knowledge of the neutrino mixing matrix

The Jefferson Lab 12 GeV Upgrade

Construction of the 12 GeV upgrade to the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is presently underway. This upgrade includes doubling the energy of the electron beam to 12 GeV, the addition of a new fourth experimental hall, and the construction of upgraded detector hardware. An overview of this upgrade project is presented, along with highlights of the anticipated experimental program.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures,Invited Talk compiled for INPC 201

Parity-violating electron scattering and nucleon structure

The measurement of parity violation in the helicity dependence of electron-nucleon scattering provides unique information about the basic quark structure of the nucleons. This review presents the general formalism of parity-violating electron scattering, with emphasis on elastic electron-nucleon scattering. The physics issues addressed by such experiments are discussed, and the major goals of the presently envisioned experimental program are identified. Results from a recent series of experiments are summarized and the future prospects of this program are discussed

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment

The Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment is designed to study the disappearance of antineutrinos from the Daya Bay nuclear power plant in China. The goal of this experiment is to measure the remaining unknown neutrino mixing parameter theta13 with high precision: sin^2(2Θ_(13))<0.01. The experiment is presently under construction and it is anticipated that data acquisition will begin in 2011

Transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution/fragmentation functions at an electron-ion collider

We present a summary of a recent workshop held at Duke University on Partonic Transverse Momentum in Hadrons: Quark Spin-Orbit Correlations and Quark-Gluon Interactions. The transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs), parton-to-hadron fragmentation functions, and multi-parton correlation functions, were discussed extensively at the Duke workshop. In this paper, we summarize first the theoretical issues concerning the study of partonic structure of hadrons at a future electron-ion collider (EIC) with emphasis on the TMDs. We then present simulation results on experimental studies of TMDs through measurements of single-spin asymmetries (SSA) from semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) processes with an EIC, and discuss the requirement of the detector for SIDIS measurements. The dynamics of parton correlations in the nucleon is further explored via a study of SSA in D (D production at large transverse momenta with the aim of accessing the unexplored tri-gluon correlation functions. The workshop participants identified the SSA measurements in SIDIS as a golden program to study TMDs in both the sea and valence quark regions and to study the role of gluons, with the Sivers asymmetry measurements as examples. Such measurements will lead to major advancement in our understanding of TMDs in the valence quark region, and more importantly also allow for the investigation of TMDs in the unexplored sea quark region along with a study of their evolution

Partial radiogenic heat model for Earth revealed by geoneutrino measurements

The Earth has cooled since its formation, yet the decay of radiogenic isotopes, and in particular uranium, thorium and potassium, in the planet’s interior provides a continuing heat source. The current total heat flux from the Earth to space is 44:2±1.0 TW, but the relative contributions from residual primordial heat and radiogenic decay remain uncertain. However, radiogenic decay can be estimated from the flux of geoneutrinos, electrically neutral particles that are emitted during radioactive decay and can pass through the Earth virtually unaffected. Here we combine precise measurements of the geoneutrino flux from the Kamioka Liquid-Scintillator Antineutrino Detector, Japan, with existing measurements from the Borexino detector, Italy.We find that decay of uranium-238 and thorium-232 together contribute 20.0^(+8.8)_(-8.6)TW to Earth’s heat flux. The neutrinos emitted from the decay of potassium-40 are below the limits of detection in our experiments, but are known to contribute 4TW. Taken together, our observations indicate that heat from radioactive decay contributes about half of Earth’s total heat flux. We therefore conclude that Earth’s primordial heat supply has not yet been exhausted