CP violation in the neutrino sector: The new frontier

The discovery of neutrino masses has revealed a new flavour sector in the Standard Model. Just like the quark flavour sector, it contains a seed of CP violation, resulting in an asymmetric behaviour of matter and antimatter. It is argued that this new source of leptonic CP violation may be discovered in more precise neutrino oscillation experiments involving neutrino beams with energies in the GeV range that will be sent to distances of a few thousand kilometres.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">θ</Emphasis><Subscript>13</Subscript> measurements at accelerators

The θ₁₃ mixing angle measurements in the neutrino oscillation experiments at accelerators are presented with the perspectives for futures of neutrino beam facilities. Particular emphasis is devoted to near-term new neutrino beam options, such low energy beams and the off-axis technique.     

Matter effects and CP-violation at neutrino factories

Neutrino factories allow precise measurements of neutrino masses, leptonic mixing angles, leptonic CP-violation and matter effects. Some aspects of matter effects and their role in the disentanglement of parameters in very long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments are discussed.     

HARP: a hadron production experiment for the neutrino factory and for the atmospheric neutrino flux

The HARP experiment will carry out, at the CERN PS, a large programme of measurements of secondary hadron production, over the full solid angle, produced on thin and thick nuclear targets by beams of protons and pions with momenta in the range 2 to 15 GeV/c. The first aim of the experiment is to acquire adequate knowledge of pion yields for an optimal design of the recently proposed neutrino factory. The second aim is to reduce substantially the existing 30% uncertainty in the calculation of absolute atmospheric neutrino fluxes and the 7% uncertainty in the ratio of neutrino flavours.     

History of accelerator neutrino beams

Neutrino beams obtained from proton accelerators were first operated in 1962. Since then, neutrino beams have been intensively used in particle physics and evolved in many different ways. We describe the characteristics of various neutrino beams, relating them to the historical development of the physics studies and discoveries. We also discuss some of the ideas still under consideration for future neutrino beams.

     

Neutrino hierarchy from CP-blind observables with high density magnetized detectors

High density magnetized detectors are well suited to exploit the outstanding purity and intensities of novel neutrino sources like neutrino factories and beta beams. They can also provide independent measurements of leptonic mixing parameters through the observation of atmospheric muon-neutrinos. In this paper, we discuss the combination of these observables from a multi-kT iron detector and a high energy beta beam; in particular, we demonstrate that even with moderate detector granularities the neutrino mass hierarchy can be determined for θ₁₃ values greater than 4°. PACS 14.60.Pq; 14.60.Lm     

Measurement of charged particle production from 450 GeV/c protons on beryllium

This paper presents the results on charged particle yields and production ratios as measured by the NA56/SPY experiment for 450 GeV/c proton interactions on beryllium targets. The data cover a secondary momentum range from 7 GeV/c to 135 GeV/c and values up to 600 MeV/c. An experimental accuracy on the measured yields in the range from 5% to 10%, depending on the beam momentum, and around 3% for the particle production ratios has been achieved. These measurements are relevant for a precise evaluation of fluxes and composition of neutrino beams at accelerators. Results on the target thickness and shape dependence are also reported. Inclusive invariant cross sections in the forward direction have been derived. Received: 12 January 1999 / Published online: 8 September 1999     

Accelerator neutrino beams

Neutrino beams at from high-energy proton accelerators have been instrumental discovery tools in particle physics. Neutrino beams are derived from the decays of charged π$\pi$ and K   mesons, which in turn are created from proton beams striking thick nuclear targets. The precise selection and manipulation of the π/K$\pi /K$ beam control the energy spectrum and type of neutrino beam. This article describes the physics of particle production in a target and manipulation of the particles to derive a neutrino beam, as well as numerous innovations achieved at past experimental facilities.     

Precise determination of the unperturbed 8B neutrino spectrum

A measurement of the final state distribution of the (8)B β decay, obtained by implanting a (8)B beam in a double-sided silicon strip detector, is reported here. The present spectrum is consistent with a recent independent precise measurement performed by our collaboration at the IGISOL facility, Jyv?skyl? [O. S. Kirsebom et al., Phys. Rev. C 83, 065802 (2011)]. It shows discrepancies with previously measured spectra, leading to differences in the derived neutrino spectrum. Thanks to a low detection threshold, the neutrino spectrum is for the first time directly extracted from the measured final state distribution, thus avoiding the uncertainties related to the extrapolation of R-matrix fits. Combined with the IGISOL data, this leads to an improvement of the overall errors and the extension of the neutrino spectrum at high energy. The new unperturbed neutrino spectrum represents a benchmark for future measurements of the solar neutrino flux as a function of energy.     

Liquid scintillation detectors for high energy neutrinos

Large liquid scintillation detectors have been generally used for low energy neutrino measurements, in the MeV energy region. We describe the potential employment of large detectors (>1 kiloton) for studies of higher energy neutrino interactions, such as cosmic rays and long baseline experiments. When considering the physics potential of new large instruments the possibility of doing useful measurements with higher energy neutrino interactions has been overlooked. Here we take into account Fermat’s principle, which states that the first light to reach each PMT will follow the shortest path between that PMT and the point of origin. We describe the geometry of this process, and the resulting wavefront, which we call the “Fermat surface”, and discuss methods of using this surface to extract directional track information and particle identification. This capability may be demonstrated in the new long baseline neutrino beam from Jaeri accelerator to the KamLAND detector in Japan. Other exciting applications include the use of Hanohano as a movable long baseline detector in this same beam, and LENA in Europe for future long baseline neutrino beams from CERN. Also, this methodology opens up the question as to whether a large liquid scintillator detector should be given consideration for use in a future long baseline experiment from Fermilab to the DUSEL underground laboratory at Homestake.     

Solar neutrino results (from radio-chemical and water cherenkov detectors)

Recent results on solar neutrino measurements are discussed. The results from radio-chemical experiments are briefly summarized. The new data from 1117 effective days of Super-Kamiokande shows that the spectrum shape agrees with that expected from the convoluted effect of the ⁸B-neutrino spectrum, the recoil electron spectrum of neutrino electron scattering and the detector responses and that there is a 3.4% difference between the day- and night-time fluxes, but statistically not significant. There is no strong smoking gun evidence for oscillation yet, however those precise measurements of the spectrum shape and day/night fluxes have given a constraint on the oscillation parameters, indicating at 95% confidence level that the large mixing angles solutions (MSW LMA and LOW) are preferable.     

Hadroproduction experiments for precise neutrino beam calculations

The discovery of the neutrino oscillation pattern with solar and atmospheric neutrinos has stimulated systematic studies with long-baseline accelerator experiments. Precise neutrino beamline calculations have demonstrated the importance and paucity of existing hadroproduction data needed to shape the primary meson production in targets and tune available Monte Carlo codes for hadronic shower simulation. After a brief introduction to the physics of neutrino beams, available hadron production data will be reviewed with regards to their parametrization. Fast simulations based on such parameterizations and full Monte Carlo simulations of neutrino beamlines will then be illustrated. The prospective impact of new hadroproduction experiments, such as HARP at CERN and MIPP at Fermilab, will be shown together with some neutrino beamline simulations.     

The potential for neutrino physics at muon colliders and dedicated high current muon storage rings

Conceptual design studies are underway for muon colliders and other high-current muon storage rings that have the potential to become the first true “neutrino factories”. Muon decays in long straight sections of the storage rings would produce precisely characterized beams of electron and muon type neutrinos of unprecedented intensity. This article reviews the prospects for these facilities to greatly extend our capabilities for neutrino experiments, largely emphasizing the physics of neutrino interactions.     

Comments on the determination of the neutrino mass ordering in reactor neutrino experiments

We consider the problem of determination of the neutrino mass ordering via precise study of the vacuum neutrino oscillations in the JUNO and other future medium baseline reactor neutrino experiments. We are proposing to resolve neutrino mass ordering by determination of the neutrino oscillation parameters from analysis of the data of the reactor experiments and comparison them with the oscillation parameters obtained from analysis of the solar and KamLAND experiments.     

Neutrino mass and mixing implied by underground deficit of low energy muon-neutrino events

Recent observations of a deficit of cosmic ray muon-neutrino interactions in underground detectors suggest that the muon neutrinos may have oscillated to another state. We examine possible neutrino mass and mixing patterns, and their implications for vacuum and matter effects on solar neutrinos, on neutrinos passing through the earth, and on terrastrial neutrino beams. By invoking the see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation, we draw inferences on closure of the universe with neutrino masses, on the number of generations, on t-quark and fourth generation masses, and on the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking scale. Testable predictions are suggested.     

利用超新星爆发测量电子中微子静止质量

综述了中微子静止质量ｍυｅ的测量方法与结果,侧重介绍了超新星ＳＮ８７Ａ中微子测量的结果,即得到具有能量为８ＭｅＶ和３６ＭｅＶ的中微子飞行时间差,对于Ｋａｍｉｏｋａｎｄｅ,ＩＭＢ,Ｂａｋｓｏｎ分别为１．９ｓ,６ｓ和９ｓ,由此给出电子中微子静止质量上限为１４ｅＶ「９５％置信水平（Ｃ．Ｌ．）」,并且描述了计划建造的新型太阳中微子能谱仪,该谱仪在观测太阳中微子能谱的同时,将兼测超新星中微子,提供了在ｍυｅ〈１ｅＶ范围内测量中微子静止质量的可能性。