Tau neutrinos at DUNE: new strategies, new opportunities

Abstract

We propose a novel analysis strategy, that leverages the unique capabilities of the DUNE experiment, to study tau neutrinos. We integrate collider physics ideas, such as jet clustering algorithms in combination with machine learning techniques, into neutrino measurements. Through the construction of a set of observables and kinematic cuts, we obtain a superior discrimination of the signal (S) over the background (B). In a single year, using the nominal neutrino beam mode, DUNE may achieve S/ √ B of 3.3 and 2.3 for the hadronic and leptonic decay channels of the tau respectively. Operating in the tau-optimized beam mode would increase S/ √ B to 8.8 and 11 for each of these channels. We premier the use of the analysis software Rivet, a tool ubiquitously used by the LHC experiments, in neutrino physics. For wider accessibility, we provide our analysis code.

Model-Independent Constraints on Non-Unitary Neutrino Mixing from High-Precision Long-Baseline Experiments

“…However, the DUNE neutrino spectra will have peak at around 2.5 GeV (differently from the T2HKK where E ν 0.6 GeV) and the most energetic neutrinos of the beam will have enough energy to produce τ leptons. Recently, different studies [50,[84][85][86] take into account the possibility of including the ν τ (ν τ ) sample in the DUNE analysis. The recognition of such events could be in principle possible due to the imaging capabilities of LArTPC detectors.…”

Hyperon production in quasielastic $\barν_τ-$nucleon scattering

“…Since then, a few τ − production events have been observed by the OPERA collaboration at CERN [3][4][5] using accelerator neutrinos and by the SuperKamiokande [6,7] as well as the IceCUBE [8] collaborations using the atmospheric neutrinos where the ν τ s are assumed to be produced through the ν µ −→ ν τ oscillation. Since these experiments have observed very few events of the τ lepton production, new experiments for producing larger number of τ leptons have been proposed by the SHiP [9][10][11], DsTau [12], DUNE [13][14][15] and FASERν [16] collaborations in which the number of τ lepton events are expected to reach a few hundreds during the running time of 3-5 years of the experiment. The results from these experiments would provide the desired data with reasonable statistics on the total and differential scattering cross sections as well as on the polarization components of the τ lepton, which would enable a reliable study of the various aspects and properties of ν τ and τ leptons.…”

Quasielastic production of polarized $τ$ leptons in $ν_τ$ and $\barν_τ$ scattering from nucleons

“…The observation of a few τ lepton events in the recent experiments by the DONUT [1,2] and the OPERA [3][4][5] collaborations using accelerator neutrinos and by the Super-Kamiokande [6,7] and IceCUBE [8] collaborations using the atmospheric neutrinos have established the existence of ν µ −→ ν τ oscillations. In view of the small number of τ -lepton events in these experiments, new experiments have been proposed by the SHiP [9][10][11], DsTau [12] and DUNE [13][14][15] collaborations in which the number of lepton events produced in the ν τ −nucleon interaction are expected to be of the order of a few thousands during the running time of 3-5 years. In the ν τ −nucleon interactions, the tau (τ ) leptons are produced by the quasielastic (QE), inelastic (IE) and deep inelastic scattering (DIS) processes.…”

“…The relative importance of these processes depends upon the energy of the τ neutrinos (ν τ ). These τ neutrinos are produced either through the ν µ −→ ν τ oscillations in the accelerator [1][2][3][4][5][13][14][15], atmospheric [6][7][8] and astrophysical sources [16] or through the decay of D s particles produced in the very high energy proton-hadron collisions [9][10][11].…”