Improving ICARUS track reconstruction algorithms

Abstract

The ICARUS experiment is part of the Short-Baseline Neutrino program at Fermilab. Its primary objective is to explore the possible existence of sterile neutrinos in the O(1 eV) mass range and to clarify the anomalies observed in the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector and MiniBooNE experiments. The ICARUS-T600 detector is a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber, capable of producing high-resolution 3D images and precise calorimetric measurements of ionizing particles. This technology allows for a detailed study of neutrino interactions across a broad energy range, from a few keV to several hundred GeV. The track reconstruction is achieved through a software framework that applies a series of pattern recognition algorithms, transforming raw detector signals into fully reconstructed event topologies. This process involves identifying interaction vertices, particle tracks, and electromagnetic showers within the TPC. However, in certain cases, these algorithms may mistakenly break a single particle track into several shorter segments, interpreting each as a distinct particle. Since track length is used to estimate the particle's energy, such fragmentation can result in an energy underestimation of several hundred MeV. Furthermore, when a track is split into multiple segments, the particle identification (which relies on analyzing the energy loss as a function of the residual range) may fail, potentially leading to the loss of the entire event. To mitigate this problem, we have developed a dedicated algorithm designed to identify and reconnect (“stitch”) the tracks that were erroneously divided into multiple segments.