The MiniBooNE Experiment
Neutrino oscillations have been observed in three sectors : solar ({nu}{sub e} disappearance) [1], atmospheric ({nu}{sub {mu}} disappearance) [2], and accelerator ({bar {nu}}{sub {mu}} {yields} {bar {nu}}{sub e}) [3]. The probability for two-neutrino oscillation is a function of four variables : two are determined by the conditions of the experiment, and two are the quantities fit for when performing an oscillation search (sin{sup 2}(2{theta}) and {Delta}m{sup 2}). {Delta}m{sup 2} is the difference in squares of the mass states of the neutrinos ({Delta}m{sub 12}{sup 2} = m{sub 2}{sup 2}-m{sub 1}{sup 2}). If the observed oscillations only occur between neutrinos in the Standard Model a summation law of the {Delta}m{sup 2} is valid ({Delta}m{sub 13}{sup 2} = {Delta}m{sub 12}{sup 2} + {Delta}m{sub 23}{sup 2}). The observed oscillations do not follow this summation law. This implies one of the results is incorrect or there exists physics beyond the Standard Model. While the solar and atmospheric results have been confirmed by several different experiments, the accelerator based result, from the Los Alamos LSND experiment [3], has yet to be fully vetted. The MiniBooNE experiment [4], located at Fermi National Laboratory, is designed to fully explore the LSND result. MiniBooNE is in the final stages of performing a blind oscillation search ({nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub e}) using neutrino data collected through November, 2005. A blind analysis is one in which you may analyze some of the information in all of the data, all of the information in some of the data, but not all of the information in all of the data. As MiniBooNE hasn't yet opened the box, this discussion will focus on the different components of MiniBooNE relevant for the oscillation analysis.
- 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:
- 899710
- Report Number(s):
- SSI-2006-T012; TRN: US200713%%119
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at: 34th SLAC Summer Institute on Particle Physics (SSI 2006): The Next Fronterier: Exploring with the LHC. Menlo Park, California, 17-28 Jul 2006.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Letter of Intent to Build a MiniBooNE Near Detector: BooNE
The MiniBooNE detector technical design report