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At least 271 records · Page 15

First Evidence of Solar Neutrino Interactions on 13 C

The SNO+ Collaboration reports the first evidence of 8 B solar neutrinos interacting on 13 C nuclei. The charged current interaction proceeds through 13 C +𝜈 𝑒 → 13 N+𝑒 − which is followed, with a 10 minute half life, by 13 N → 13 C +𝑒 + +𝜈 𝑒 . The detection strategy is based on the delayed coincidence between the electron and the positron. Evidence for the charged current signal is presented with a significance of 4.2⁢𝜎. Using the natural abundance of 13 C present in the scintillator, 5.7 metric tons of 13 C over 231 days of data were used in this analysis. The 5.6$^{+3.0}_{−2.3}$ observed events in the data set are consistent with the expectation of 4.7$^{+0.6}_{−1.3}$ events. This result is the second real-time measurement of CC interactions of 8 B neutrinos with nuclei and constitutes the lowest energy observation of neutrino interactions on 13 C generally. This enables the first direct measurement of the CC 𝜈 𝑒 reaction to the ground state of 13 N , yielding an average cross section of (16.1$^{+8.5}_{−6.7}$⁢(stat.)$^{+1.6}_{−2.7}$⁢(syst.))×10 −43 cm 2 over the relevant 8 B solar neutrino energies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at SNO+

SNO+ Collaboration reports its second spectral analysis of reactor antineutrino oscillation using 286 ton-yr of new data. The measured energies of reactor antineutrino candidates were fitted to obtain the second-most precise determination of the neutrino mass-squared difference Δ⁢𝑚$^{2}_{21}$=⁢(7.96$^{+0.48}_{ −0.42}$) × 10 −5 eV2. Constraining Δ⁢𝑚$^{2}_{21}$ and sin 2 ⁡𝜃 12 with measurements from long-baseline reactor antineutrino and solar neutrino experiments yields Δ⁢𝑚$^{2}_{21}$=(7.58$^{+0.18}_{−0.17}$) × 10 −5 eV 2 and sin 2 ⁡𝜃 12 = 0.308 ± 0.013. This fit also yields a first measurement of the flux of geoneutrinos in the Western Hemisphere, with 73$^{+47}_{−43}$ TNU at SNO+.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Searches for CE ν NS and physics beyond the standard model using Skipper-CCDs at CONNIE

The Coherent Neutrino-Nucleus Interaction Experiment (CONNIE) aims to detect the coherent scattering ( CE ν NS ) of reactor antineutrinos off silicon nuclei using thick fully depleted high-resistivity silicon CCDs. Two Skipper-CCD sensors with subelectron readout noise capability were installed at the experiment next to the Angra-2 reactor in 2021, making CONNIE the first experiment to employ Skipper-CCDs for reactor neutrino detection. We report on the performance of the Skipper-CCDs, the new data processing, data quality, and event selection for CE ν NS interactions, which enable CONNIE to reach a record low detection threshold of 15 eV. The data were collected over 300 days in 2021–2022 and correspond to exposures of 14.9 g-days with the reactor-on and 3.5 g-days with the reactor-off. The difference between the reactor-on and off event rates shows no excess and yields upper limits for the neutrino interaction rates, comparable with previous CONNIE limits from standard CCDs and higher exposures. Searches for new neutrino interactions beyond the Standard Model improve the previous CONNIE limit on a simplified model with light vector mediators. A first dark matter (DM) search by diurnal modulation by CONNIE obtains the best limits on the DM-electron scattering cross section by a surface-level experiment. These promising results, obtained using a very small-mass sensor, illustrate the potential of Skipper-CCDs to probe rare neutrino interactions and motivate the plans to increase the detector mass in the near future.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Application of deep learning methods for beam size control during user operation at the Advanced Light Source

Past research at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) provided a proof-of-principle demonstration that deep learning methods could be effectively employed to compensate for the significant perturbations to the transverse electron beam size induced by user-controlled adjustments of the insertion devices. However, incorporating these methods into the ALS’ daily operations has faced notable challenges. The complexity of the system’s operational requirements and the significant upkeep demands has restricted their sustained application during user operation. Here, we introduce the development of a more robust neural network (NN)-based algorithm that utilizes a novel online fine-tuning approach and its systematic integration into the day-to-day machine operations. Our analysis emphasizes the process of NN model selection, demonstrates the superior performance of the NN-based method over traditional feedback methods, and examines the effectiveness and resilience of the new algorithm during user-operation scenarios. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Photoluminescence, photophysics, and photochemistry of the V B - defect in hexagonal boron nitride

Extensive photochemical and spectroscopic properties of the V B - defect in hexagonal boron nitride are calculated, concluding that the observed photoemission associated with recently observed optically detected magnetic resonance is most likely of (1) 3 E'' → (1) 3 A' 2 origin. Rapid intersystem crossing from the defect's triplet to singlet manifolds explains the observed short excited-state lifetime and very low quantum yield. New experimental results reveal smaller intrinsic spectral bandwidths than previously recognized, interpreted in terms of spectral narrowing and zero-phonon-line shifting induced by the Jahn-Teller effect. Different types of computational methods are applied to map out the complex triplet and singlet defect manifolds, including the doubly ionized formulation of the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster theory that is designed to deal with the open-shell nature of defect states, and mixed quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics schemes enabling 5763-atom simulations. Finally, two other energetically feasible spectral assignments from among the singlet and triplet manifolds are considered, but ruled out based on inappropriate photochemical properties.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Measurement of neutron-proton capture in the $\mathrmSNO+ water phase

The SNO+ experiment collected data as a low-threshold water Cherenkov detector from September 2017 to July 2019. Measurements of the 2.2-MeV γ 's produced by neutron capture on hydrogen were made using an Am-Be calibration source, for which a large fraction of emitted neutrons are produced simultaneously with a 4.4-MeV γ. Analysis of the delayed coincidence between the 4.4-MeV γ and the 2.2-MeV capture γ revealed a neutron detection efficiency that is centered around 50% and varies at the level of 1% across the inner region of the detector, which to our knowledge is the highest efficiency achieved among pure water Cherenkov detectors. Finally, in addition, the neutron capture time constant was measured and converted to a thermal neutron-proton capture cross section of $336.3^{+1.2}_{-1.5}$ mb .

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Updated MiniBooNE neutrino oscillation results with increased data and new background studies

The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports a total excess of $638.0 \pm 132.8$ electron-like events ($4.8 \sigma$) from a data sample corresponding to $18.75 \times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target in neutrino mode, which is a 46% increase in the data sample with respect to previously published results, and $11.27 \times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target in antineutrino mode. The additional statistics allow several studies to address questions on the source of the excess. First, we provide two-dimensional plots in visible energy and cosine of the angle of the outgoing lepton, which can provide valuable input to models for the event excess. Second, we test whether the excess may arise from photons that enter the detector from external events or photons exiting the detector from $\pi^0$ decays in two model independent ways. Beam timing information shows that almost all of the excess is in time with neutrinos that interact in the detector. The radius distribution shows that the excess is distributed throughout the volume, while tighter cuts on the fiducal volume increase the significance of the excess. We conclude that models of the event excess based on entering and exiting photons are disfavored.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Event-by-event direction reconstruction of solar neutrinos in a high light-yield liquid scintillator

The direction of individual B 8 solar neutrinos has been reconstructed using the SNO + liquid scintillator detector. Prompt, directional Cherenkov light was separated from the slower, isotropic scintillation light using time information, and a maximum likelihood method was used to reconstruct the direction of individual scattered electrons. A clear directional signal was observed, correlated with the solar angle. The observation was aided by a period of low primary fluor concentration that resulted in a slower scintillator decay time. This is the first time that event-by-event direction reconstruction in high light-yield liquid scintillator has been demonstrated in a large-scale detector. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of the B 8 solar neutrino flux using the full SNO + water phase dataset

The SNO+ detector operated initially as a water Cherenkov detector. The implementation of a sealed cover gas system midway through water data taking resulted in a significant reduction in the activity of 222 Rn daughters in the detector and allowed the lowest background to the solar electron scattering signal above 5 MeV achieved to date. This paper reports an updated SNO+ water phase 8 B solar neutrino analysis with a total livetime of 282.4 days and an analysis threshold of 3.5 MeV. The 8 B solar neutrino flux is found to be (2.3⁢2$^{+0.18}_{-0.17}⁢$(stat)$^{+0.07}_{-0.05}$⁢(syst))×10 6 cm -2 s -1 assuming no neutrino oscillations, or (5.3⁢6$^{+0.41}_{-0.39}⁢$(stat)+$^{0.17}_{-0.16}$⁢(syst))×10 6 cm -2 s -1 assuming standard neutrino oscillation parameters, in good agreement with both previous measurements and standard solar model calculations. The electron recoil spectrum is presented above 3.5 MeV.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗