Muon Antineutrino Disappearance in the MINOS Experiment

Abstract

Antineutrinos from the set of 7.09×10 20 Protons-on-target (POT) of ν µ-dominant and 3.40×10 20 POT ofν µ-enhanced MINOS beam data is analysed to extract the antineutrino atmospheric-scale oscillation parameters |∆m 2 | and sin 2 2θ. Using the Feldman-Cousins statistical technique to account for systematic and statistical errors, |∆m 2 | = 2.58 +0.26 −0.17 ×10 −3 eV 2 and sin 2 2θ = 0.96 +0.04 −0.10 were measured. This measurement of |∆m 2 | improves on the previous world limits from Super-K by a factor of five. Any observed difference between the neutrino and antineutrino oscillation parameters could be an indication of CPT violation, or otherwise physics beyond the standard model. This measurement is consistent with the global limits on |∆m 2 | and sin 2 (2θ) for neutrinos. The list of people who have helped me to accomplish this thesis is long and varied-and should probably involve almost everybody I have interacted with during the process. Here is a small subset. Foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor Jeff Hartnell for his endless patience, encouragement and support throughout the (somewhat more turbulent than expected) process of writing this thesis.

Measurement of the Antineutrino Double-Differential Charged-Current Quasi-Elastic Scattering Cross Section at MINERvA

“…The track's path is the estimated using a Kalman filter; unlike in MINERvA, MINOS tracks curve due to the detector's magnetic field. The track fitting algorithm outputs an estimates of the track's momentum calculated from its curvature, and an estimate calculated from its range [86]. be matched if the point of closest approach between the two tracks is within 40cm.…”