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DOE OSTI2026

Measuring the neutrino-oxygen neutral current quasielastic cross section using the accelerator neutrino neutron interaction experiment

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is a 26-ton gadolinium-doped water Cherenkov detector located on-axis to Fermilab’s Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB). ANNIE is uniquely positioned to perform high-statistics measurements of neutrino-nucleus interactions in water, benefiting from a large neutrino flux due to a short (100-meter) baseline. A central focus of ANNIE’s physics program is the measurement of both charged current (CC) and neutral current (NC) cross sections on water, including neutral current quasielastic (NCQE) and CC-inclusive channels. The NCQE measurement is particularly critical for constraining uncertainties in rare-event searches such as the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB), where atmospheric $\nu$NCQE interactions constitute a significant and poorly constrained background. This dissertation presents a measurement of the flux-averaged neutrino-oxygen neutral current quasielastic ($\nu$NCQE) cross section using $2.573 \times 10^{20}$~POT of BNB exposure from the 2022 and 2023 beam years. The $\nu$NCQE interaction is identified through the primary $\gamma$-rays produced by nuclear de-excitation of the residual $^{15}$N$^*$ or $^{15}$O$^*$ nucleus following nucleon knockout from $^{16}$O. A dedicated Monte Carlo (MC) re-tuning campaign was conducted using an americium-beryllium (AmBe) calibration source, Michel electrons from stopped muons, and throughgoing dirt muons originating upstream of the detector. This multi-sample approach provided a wide-ranging $\mathcal{O}(\text{MeV})$--$\mathcal{O}(\text{GeV})$ dataset for tuning the simulated detector response, which was subsequently validated against AmBe neutron and Michel electron data for use in the $\nu$NCQE analysis. A dedicated laser calibration campaign was carried out to reduce timing uncertainties across the PMT system, enabling reconstruction of the BNB bunch substructure with sufficient resolution to serve as a background rejection tool. By selecting events in-time with individual neutrino bunches, beam-correlated $\nu$NCQE events are separated from diffuse and accelerator-induced backgrounds, notably skyshine neutrons and externally-originating events, that would otherwise dominate traditional charge-based selections within a small-scale, surface-level, short-baseline detector. A data-driven estimation of the skyshine neutron and external background rates was performed and incorporated into the systematic uncertainty budget. The flux-averaged $\nu$NCQE cross section on oxygen is measured to be $1.57 \pm 0.06\,(\text{stat.})$ $^{+0.91}_{-0.67}\,(\text{syst.})$ $\times 10^{-38}\ \text{cm}^{2}$. A full systematic budget is constructed by propagating uncertainties in the secondary hadronic interaction modeling, background cross section normalizations, detector response, neutrino flux, and the primary $\gamma$-ray emission probabilities from oxygen nuclear de-excitation. An idealized de-excitation model, constructed from existing measurements in the literature is developed to benchmark the predictions of the \textsc{GENIE} event generator. A comparison reveals that \textsc{GENIE} systematically overpredicts the primary $\gamma$-ray emission probability from oxygen de-excitation by a factor of $1.49\times$ for $E_\gamma > 6$~MeV and $3.07\times$ in the $3$--$6$~MeV band. This comparison motivates the dominant systematic uncertainty in this analysis, where a conservative uncertainty of $^{+39.9\%}_{-0\%}$ on the primary $\gamma$-ray signal prediction is assigned. The ANNIE result is consistent with and complementary to existing flux-averaged $\nu$NCQE cross section measurements from T2K and Super-Kamiokande, providing an independent measurement with a different detector, neutrino beam, and analysis methodology. Looking ahead, an upgrade to the ANNIE DAQ infrastructure enabling continuous extended readout will allow a complementary $\nu$NCQE neutron multiplicity measurement, directly relevant to constraining the NCQE background in DSNB searches, competitive with the recent T2K measurement at SK-Gd. The planned Super-SANDI upgrade, deploying a large Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS) volume, will further extend ANNIE's reach to hadronic final states and exclusive NC channels, and enable joint measurements with liquid argon detectors sharing the BNB beamline ahead of DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande.

Doran, Steven [Iowa State U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of the light yield response of the Gd-compatible water-based liquid scintillator with the Brookhaven one-ton testbed

The water-based liquid scintillator (WbLS) enables hybrid detection by combining scintillation and Cherenkov signals, providing superior event reconstruction capabilities compared to conventional neutrino detectors. For this work, we measured the light yield of Gd-compatible WbLS at varying concentrations from 0.35% to 1% by mass, using cosmic-ray muons in a 1-ton scale detector at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The light yield is measured as (69.2 ± 6.9) ph/MeV at 0.35% concentration, which increased to (87.3 ± 8.7) ph/MeV at 1%. These results establish a quantitative basis for optimizing future WbLS-based detectors in neutrino physics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

End-to-end jet classification of boosted top quarks with the CMS open data

Here we describe a novel application of the end-to-end deep learning technique to the task of discriminating top quark-initiated jets from those originating from the hadronization of a light quark or a gluon. The end-to-end deep learning technique uses low-level detector representation of high-energy collision event as inputs to deep learning algorithms. In this study, we use low-level detector information from the simulated Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) open data samples to construct the top jet classifiers. To optimize classifier performance we progressively add low-level information from the CMS tracking detector, including pixel detector reconstructed hits and impact parameters, and demonstrate the value of additional tracking information even when no new spatial structures are added. Relying only on calorimeter energy deposits and reconstructed pixel detector hits, the end-to-end classifier achieves an area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) score of 0.975 ± 0.002 for the task of classifying boosted top quark jets. After adding derived track quantities, the classifier AUC score increases to 0.9824 ± 0.0013, serving as the first performance benchmark for these CMS open data samples.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Search for Electron Neutrino Anomalies with the MicroBooNE Detector

The Micro Booster Neutrino Experiment (MicroBooNE) is a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) located in the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The experiment was devised to investigate a series of observed anomalies concerning short-baseline neutrino oscillation physics. The LArTPC technology enables the experiment to study neutrino-argon scattering with unprecedented detail.This thesis presents a cosmic-ray characterisation and rate measurement. The understanding of cosmic activity in the detector - MicroBooNE's dominant background - is then used to develop cosmic rejection tools. A flavour-agnostic neutrino selection is constructed, which forms the cornerstone of this and further analyses. Inclusive muon and electron charged-current neutrino interaction selections with unprecedented purity and efficiency are presented.The first fully-automated characterisation of electron neutrinos in a muon neutrino beam with the LArTPC detector technology is performed. The Booster Neutrino Beam has an energy peaking around 1GeV and an intrinsic electron content of approximately 0.5%. The analysis investigates electrons produced in charged-current electron neutrino interactions. The kinematics of the electrons are measured along with comparisons to simulation. Most of the systematic uncertainties are constrained using a data-driven sample of charged-current muon neutrino events. The measurement of electron neutrinos originating from the Booster Neutrino Beam is a crucial component towards understanding the nature of the observed excess of low-energy electromagnetic-like events at its predecessor, MiniBooNE.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multimuons in cosmic-ray events as seen in ALICE at the LHC

ALICE is a large experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Located 52 meters underground, its detectors are suitable to measure muons produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the atmosphere. In this paper, the studies of the cosmic muons registered by ALICE during Run 2 (2015–2018) are described. The analysis is limited to multimuon events defined as events with more than four detected muons (N μ > 4) and in the zenith angle range 0° < θ < 50°. The results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations using three of the main hadronic interaction models describing the air shower development in the atmosphere: QGSJET-II-04, EPOS-LHC, and SIBYLL 2.3d. The interval of the primary cosmic-ray energy involved in the measured muon multiplicity distribution is about 4 × 10 15 < E prim < 6 × 10 16 eV. In this interval none of the three models is able to describe precisely the trend of the composition of cosmic rays as the energy increases. However, QGSJET-II-04 is found to be the only model capable of reproducing reasonably well the muon multiplicity distribution, assuming a heavy composition of the primary cosmic rays over the whole energy range, while SIBYLL 2.3d and EPOS-LHC underpredict the number of muons in a large interval of multiplicity by more than 20% and 30%, respectively. The rate of high muon multiplicity events (N μ > 100) obtained with QGSJET-II-04 and SIBYLL 2.3d is compatible with the data, while EPOS-LHC produces a significantly lower rate (55% of the measured rate). For both QGSJET-II-04 and SIBYLL 2.3d, the rate is close to the data when the composition is assumed to be dominated by heavy elements, an outcome compatible with the average energy E prim ∼ 10 17 eV of these events. This result places significant constraints on more exotic production mechanisms.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Modeling the Effect of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field on Cosmic Ray Muon Shadows

Cosmic ray (CR) muon shadows were located using muon data from the MINOS Far Detector in Northern Minnesota. The shadows were located independently across 3 time periods; near solar minimum, solar maximum, and over the entire 13 year span of the data. A muon distribution for each shadow was then sampled to simulate CR motions near the Sun using the Parker Spiral model of the Sun’s IMF and a dipole model of the Earth’s GMF. The resulting particle distributions were then compared to their position with respect to the Sun. An analytical relationship between the primary CR cutoff energy E0 and the associated shadow deflections was observed. The minimum cutoff energy of the primary CR energy spectrum consistent with the Parker Spiral model was determined to be $E_0 = 22.8 \pm 1.2$~TeV. This value is 2-3 times higher than the experimentally determined value. Complexities that can be added to the Parker Spiral Model and affect the overall shift of the the Sun’s cosmic ray shadow are discuss ed to explain discrepancies. Results show that the Parker Spiral model is most consistent with the the solar minimum shadow and least consistent with the solar maximum shadow, as expected.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pandora-based muon neutrino disappearance search in the SBN program with 1muonNp quasi-elastic like channel

The Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab aims to perform a definitive search for light sterile neutrinos using multiple liquid argon time projection chamber detectors. We present the status of an analysis of muon neutrino charged-current interactions in two SBN detectors (SBND and ICARUS), selecting fully contained events with one muon and at least one proton in the final state, inspired by the recent ICARUS standalone results. This topology-driven selection reduces dependence on neutrino interaction cross-section modeling while preserving high statistics and good neutrino energy resolution, enabled by robust reconstruction and particle identification. Fully contained events enable precise kinematic reconstruction and support relative measurements between detectors, directly addressing the core goals of the SBN program. A detailed evaluation of systematic uncertainties is currently underway, with the objective of reducing the dominant systematics to the percent level. The current status of this analysis, with a particular focus on the event selection performance, will be presented in this poster.

Artero Pons, Maria [Padua U.; INFN, Padua]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of the Z boson invisible width at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the invisible width of the Z boson using events with jets and missing transverse momentum is presented using 37 fb -1 of 13 TeV proton–proton data collected by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. The ratio of Z → inv to Z → ℓℓ events, where inv refers to non-detected particles and ℓ is either an electron or a muon, is measured and corrected for detector effects. Events with at least one energetic central jet with p T ≥ 110 GeV are selected for both the Z → inv and Z → ℓℓ final states to obtain a similar phase space in the ratio. The invisible width is measured to be 506 ± 2 (stat.) ± 12 (syst.) MeV and is the single most precise recoil-based measurement. The result is in agreement with the most precise determination from LEP and the Standard Model prediction based on three neutrino generations.

13000 GeV-cms↗
DOE OSTI2024

Single channel PICOSEC Micromegas detector with improved time resolution

This paper presents design guidelines and the experimental verification of a single-channel PICOSEC Micromegas (MM) detector with an improved time resolution. The design encompasses the detector board, vessel, auxiliary mechanical parts, and electrical connectivity for high voltage (HV) and signals, focusing on improving the stability, reducing noise, and ensuring signal integrity to optimize timing performance. A notable feature is the simple and fast reassembly procedure, facilitating quick replacement of the detector internal components that allows for an efficient measurement strategy involving different detector components. The paper also examines the influence of parasitic capacitance and inductance on the output signal integrity. To validate the design, a prototype assembly and three interchangeable detector boards with varying readout pad diameters were manufactured. Detectors were initially tested in the laboratory. Finally, the timing performance of the detectors with different pad sizes was verified using 150 GeV muons. Notably, a record time resolution for a PICOSEC Micromegas detector technology with a CsI photocathode of 12.5 ± 0.8 ps was achieved for a detector with 10 mm diameter readout pad size.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Υ production and nuclear modification at forward rapidity in Pb–Pb collisions at $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV

The production of Υ mesons in Pb–Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV is measured with the muon spectrometer of the ALICE detector at the LHC. The yields as well as the nuclear modification factors are determined in the forward rapidity region 2.5 < y < 4.0, as a function of rapidity, transverse momentum and collision centrality. The results show that the production of the Υ(1S) meson is suppressed by a factor of about three with respect to the production in proton– proton collisions. For the first time, a significant signal for the Υ(2S) meson is observed at forward rapidity, indicating a suppression stronger by about a factor 2–3 with respect to the ground state. The measurements are compared with transport, hydrodynamic, comover and statistical hadronisation model calculations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for a Hidden Sector Scalar from Kaon Decay in the Dimuon Final State at ICARUS

We present a search for long-lived particles (LLPs), produced in kaon decays, that decay to two muons inside the ICARUS neutrino detector. This channel would be a signal of hidden sector models that can address outstanding issues in particle physics such as the strong CP problem and the microphysical origin of dark matter. The search is performed with data collected in the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam at Fermilab corresponding to 2.41 × 10 20 protons-on-target. No new physics signal is observed, and we set world leading limits on heavy QCD axions, as well as for the Higgs portal scalar among dedicated searches. Limits are also presented in a model-independent way applicable to any new physics model predicting the process 𝐾 → 𝜋 + 𝑆⁡(→ 𝜇⁢𝜇), for a LLP 𝑆. This result is the first search for new physics performed with the ICARUS detector at Fermilab. It paves the way for the future program of LLP searches at ICARUS.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Towards a muon collider

A muon collider would enable the big jump ahead in energy reach that is needed for a fruitful exploration of fundamental interactions. The challenges of producing muon collisions at high luminosity and 10 TeV centre of mass energy are being investigated by the recently-formed International Muon Collider Collaboration. This Review summarises the status and the recent advances on muon colliders design, physics and detector studies. The aim is to provide a global perspective of the field and to outline directions for future work.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

The performance of missing transverse momentum reconstruction and its significance with the ATLAS detector using 140 $\hbox {fb}^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV pp collisions

This paper presents the reconstruction of missing transverse momentum ($p_{\text {T}}^{\text {miss}}$ ) in proton–proton collisions, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. This is a challenging task involving many detector inputs, combining fully calibrated electrons, muons, photons, hadronically decaying $\tau$ -leptons, hadronic jets, and soft activity from remaining tracks. Possible double counting of momentum is avoided by applying a signal ambiguity resolution procedure which rejects detector inputs that have already been used. Several $p_{\text {T}}^{\text {miss}}$ ‘working points’ are defined with varying stringency of selections, the tightest improving the resolution at high pile-up by up to 39% compared to the loosest. The $p_{\text {T}}^{\text {miss}}$ performance is evaluated using data and Monte Carlo simulation, with an emphasis on understanding the impact of pile-up, primarily using events consistent with leptonic Z decays. The studies use $140~\text {fb}^{-1}$ of data, collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018. The results demonstrate that $p_{\text {T}}^{\text {miss}}$ reconstruction, and its associated significance, are well understood and reliably modelled by simulation. Finally, the systematic uncertainties on the soft $p_{\text {T}}^{\text {miss}}$ component are calculated. After various improvements the scale and resolution uncertainties are reduced by up to 76% and 51%, respectively, compared to the previous calculation at a lower luminosity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Beam-Based Diagnostics of Electric Guide Fields and Lattice Parameters for Run-1 of the Muon g-2 Storage Ring at Fermilab

A portion of the Muon g-2 Storage Ring electric system, which provides vertical beam focusing, exhibited an unexpected time dependence that produced a characteristic evolution of the stored beam during Run-1 of the Muon g-2 Experiment at Fermilab (E989). A method to reconstruct the Run-1 electric guide fields has been developed, which is based on a numerical model of the muon storage ring and optimization algorithms supported by COSY INFINITY. This method takes beam profile measurements from the Muon g-2 straw tracking detectors as input, and it produces a full reconstruction of the time-dependent fields. The fields can then be used for the reproduction of detailed beam tracking simulations and the calculation of ring lattice parameters for acceptance studies and systematic error evaluations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Determination of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters through the Feldman-Cousins Method by the NOvA Experiment

The NOvA experiment presents new measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters obtained through a fit to data from the one megawatt NuMI neutrino beam in the NOvA detectors. The analysis uses muon-neutrino disappearance and electron-neutrino appearance in both neutrino and antineutrino beam polarities. With the addition of $\sim$ 100%\) more neutrino-mode beam exposure over the previously reported results, this analysis employs the unified approach of Feldman and Cousins to determine the confidence level intervals for the oscillation parameters $\theta_{23}, \delta_{CP}$, and $\Delta m_{32}^2$ for both neutrino mass orderings.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Techniques for TPC Calibration: Application to Liquid Ar-TPCs

Large liquid argon TPCs are playing an increasingly important role in neutrino physics, and their calibration will be an essential component of their capability to reach the required performance and precision. Natural sources are extensively used but present limitations, since natural radioactivity from 39 Ar is of low energy, and the rate of cosmic ray muons is low when the detectors are placed deep underground. Argon gas TPCs have been calibrated with ionizing laser beams for several decades, and more recently the technique has been further developed for use in liquid TPCs. Other recent ideas include the use of external neutron generators creating pulses that propagate into the detector. This paper reviews the development of the laser and neutron methods for the calibration of argon TPCs and describes their planned implementation in the upcoming DUNE experiment.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2012

Neutrino Analysis of the September 2010 Crab Nebula Flare and Time-Integrated Constraints on Neutrino Emission from the Crab Using IceCube

We present the results for a search of high-energy muon neutrinos with the IceCube detector in coincidence with the Crab nebula flare reported on September 2010 by various experiments. Due to the unusual flaring state of the otherwise steady source we performed a prompt analysis of the 79-string configuration data to search for neutrinos that might be emitted along with the observed gamma-rays. We performed two different and complementary data selections of neutrino events in the time window of 10 days around the flare. One event selection is optimized for discovery of E(sub v)(sup -2) neutrino spectrum typical of 1st order Fermi acceleration. A similar event selection has also been applied to the 40-string data to derive the time-integrated limits to the neutrino emission from the Crab [35]. The other event selection was optimized for discovery of neutrino spectra with softer spectral index and TeV energy cut-offs as observed for various galactic sources in gamma-rays. The 90% CL best upper limits on the Crab flux during the 10 day flare are 4.73 x 10(exp -11) per square centimeter per second TeV(sup -1) for an E(sub v)(sup -2) neutrino spectrum and 2.50 x 10(exp -10) per square centimeter per second TeV(sup -1) for a softer neutrino spectra of E(sub v)(sup -2.7), as indicated by Fermi measurements during the flare. IceCube has also set a time-integrated limit on the neutrino emission of the Crab using 375.5 days of livetime of the 40-string configuration data. This limit is compared to existing models of neutrino production from the Crab and its impact on astrophysical parameters is discussed. The most optimistic predictions of some models are already rejected by the IceCube neutrino telescope with more than 90% CL.

Abbasi, R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Neutrino Analysis of the September 2010 Crab Nebula Flare and Time-integrated Constraints on Neutrino Emission From the Crab Using IceCube

We present the results for a search of high-energy muon neutrinos with the IceCube detector in coincidence with the Crab nebula flare reported on September 2010 by various experiments. Due to the unusual flaring state of the otherwise steady source we performed a prompt analysis of the 79-string configuration data to search for neutrinos that might be emitted along with the observed gamma-rays. We performed two different and complementary data selections of neutrino events in the time window of 10 days around the flare. One event selection is optimized for discovery of E(sub nu)(sup -2) neutrino spectrum typical of 1st order Fermi acceleration. A similar event selection has also been applied to the 40-string data to derive the time-integrated limits to the neutrino emission from the Crab [35]. The other event selection was optimized for discovery of neutrino spectra with softer spectral index and TeV energy cut-offs as observed for various galactic sources in gamma-rays. The 90% CL best upper limits on the Crab flux during the 10 day flare are 4.73 x 10(exp -11) per square centimeter per second TeV (sup -1) for an E(sub nu) (sup -2) neutrino spectrum and 2.50 x 10(exp -10) per square centimeter per second TeV(sup -1) for a softer neutrino spectra of E(sub nu)(sup -2.7), as indicated by Fermi measurements during the flare. IceCube has also set a time-integrated limit on the neutrino emission of the Crab using 375.5 days of livetime of the 40-string configuration data. This limit is compared to existing models of neutrino production from the Crab and its impact on astrophysical parameters is discussed. The most optimistic predictions of some models are already rejected by the IceCube neutrino telescope with more than 90% CL.

Stamatikos, M.↗