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Title: Energy and flavor discrimination using precision time structure in on-axis neutrino beams

Journal Article · · Physical Review D
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States). Enrico Fermi Inst.
  2. Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States). Enrico Fermi Inst.; Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)

We propose to use a higher-frequency rf bunch structure for the primary proton beam on target and precision timing to select different energy and flavor spectra from a wide-band neutrino beam, based on the relative arrival times of the neutrinos with respect to the rf bunch structure. This “stroboscopic” approach is complementary to techniques that select different neutrino energy spectra based on the angle with respect to the beam axis. A timing-based approach allows for the selection of varying energy spectra from the same on-axis detector, and applies equally to both the near and far detectors in an oscillation experiment. Energy and flavor discrimination of neutrinos produced by hadrons in-flight will require proton bunch lengths on the order of 100 ps and commensurate time resolution in the detector. Correlating neutrino events with the parent proton interaction is currently limited by the nanosecond-scale width of the proton bunches impinging on the target. We show that these limitations can be addressed by using a superconducting rf cavity to rebunch the present 53.1 MHz rf bunch structure with a factor of 10 higher rf frequency, thus attaining the required shorter bunch length.

Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359; SC-0008172; SC0017946
OSTI ID:
1568844
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1558831
Report Number(s):
arXiv:1904.01611; FERMILAB-FN-1068-DI; PRVDAQ; oai:inspirehep.net:1727972; TRN: US2100134
Journal Information:
Physical Review D, Vol. 100, Issue 3; ISSN 2470-0010
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 1 work
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (16)

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Neutrino–nucleus interactions and the determination of oscillation parameters journal July 2017
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Topological track reconstruction in unsegmented, large-volume liquid scintillator detectors journal July 2018
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  • Abe, K.; Abgrall, N.; Aihara, H.
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journal December 2011
Dark tridents at off-axis liquid argon neutrino detectors journal January 2019
Neutrino–nucleus cross sections for oscillation experiments journal December 2017
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Neutrino versus antineutrino oscillation parameters at DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande experiments journal November 2017
Supernova neutrinos can tell us the neutrino mass hierarchy independently of flux models journal June 2005
Precision measurement of the speed of propagation of neutrinos using the MINOS detectors journal September 2015
Measurement of the neutrino velocity with the OPERA detector in the CNGS beam journal October 2012

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