Measurement of the Medium Energy NuMI Flux Using the Low-$$\nu$$ and High-$$\nu$$ Methods at MINERvA
- Rochester U.
As we continue to improve our experimental capabilities, the measurements we make of accelerator-based neutrino phenomena are becoming increasingly limited by systematic, rather than statistical uncertainties. Among these are uncertainties corresponding to our understanding of the neutrino flux and to the models that we use to simulate neutrino interactions. These already are significant for currently-running neutrino experiments, and will become more important for next-generation neutrino experiments such as DUNE. Dedicated efforts at experiments such as MINERvA are pursuing improved comprehensive modeling of neutrino cross sections and improving our understanding of how to precisely measure neutrino fluxes. This thesis discusses these themes in the context of MINERvA, a neutrino scattering experiment which was located on-axis in the NuMI beamline at Fermilab. A pair of \textit{in situ} measurements of the flux are presented which utilize Medium Energy $$\nu_{\mu}$$ data colle cted at MINERvA between 2013 and 2017. The low-$$\nu$$ technique is used to make a direct measurement of the flux from low-inelasticity events, and that flux is used to measure the total charged-current inclusive cross section. The novel ``high-$$\nu$$'' technique is used to make a second direct measurement of the flux from a complementary selection of high-inelasticity events, and that flux is used to measure a double-differential cross section of charged-current quasielastic-like events.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-07CH11359
- OSTI ID:
- 1682274
- Report Number(s):
- FERMILAB-THESIS-2020-14; oai:inspirehep.net:1823712
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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