Study of atmospheric neutrino interactions and search for nucleon decay in Soudan 2

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Dec 14 04:00:00 EST 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/204073· OSTI ID:204073

Leeson, William R. ^[1]

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1. 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
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
IONIZATION CHAMBERS
IRON
NEUTRINO OSCILLATION
NEUTRINO REACTIONS
NEUTRINO-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
NUCLEONS
PARTICLE DECAY
PROTONS