Study of atmospheric neutrino interactions and search for nucleon decay in Soudan 2
- Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States)
Contained event samples, including 30 single-track muon-like events, 35 single-shower electron-like events, and 34 multiprong events, have been obtained from a 1.0 kiloton-year exposure of the Soudan 2 detector. A sample of 15 multiprong events which are partially contained has also been isolated. Properties of these events are used to examine the verity of the atmospheric neutrino flavor ratio anomaly as reported by the Kamiokande and IMB-3 water Cherenkov experiments. The compatibility of the Soudan data with each of two `new physics` explanations for the anomaly, namely proton decay and neutrino oscillations, is investigated. We examine background processes which have not been explicitly treated by the water Cherenkov detectors. Chapters discuss underground non-accelerator particle physics, the atmospheric neutrino anomaly and its interpretation, the Soudan 2 detector and event selection, reconstruction of neutrino events, rock event contamination in Soudan `quasi-elastic` samples, contained multiprong events in Soudan 2, neutrino flavor composition of the multiprong sample, partially contained events in Soudan 2, nucleon decay in Soudan 2, and a summary and discussion.
- Research Organization:
- Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-92ER40702; AC22-92PC92118
- OSTI ID:
- 204073
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/40702-12; ON: DE96007020; TRN: 96:008774
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: TH: Thesis (Ph.D.); PBD: 14 Dec 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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