We have searched for proton decay via p→e+π0 and p→μ+π0 using Super-Kamiokande data from April 1996 to March 2015, 0.306 megaton·years exposure in total. The atmospheric neutrino background rate in ...Super-Kamiokande IV is reduced to almost half that of phase I-III by tagging neutrons associated with neutrino interactions. The reach of the proton lifetime is further enhanced by introducing new signal criteria that select the decay of a proton in a hydrogen atom. No candidates were seen in the p→e+π0 search. Two candidates that passed all of the selection criteria for p→μ+π0 have been observed, but these are consistent with the expected number of background events of 0.87. Lower limits on the proton lifetime are set at τ/B(p→e+π0)>1.6×1034 years and τ/B(p→μ+π0)>7.7×1033 years at 90% confidence level.
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We have searched for proton decay via p → e+π0 and p → μ+π0 modes with the enlarged fiducial volume data of Super-Kamiokande from April 1996 to May 2018, which corresponds to 450 kton ⋅ years ...exposure. We have accumulated about 25% more livetime and enlarged the fiducial volume of the Super-Kamiokande detector from 22.5 kton to 27.2 kton for this analysis, so that 144 kton ⋅ years of data, including 78 kton ⋅ years of additional fiducial volume data, has been newly analyzed. No candidates have been found for p → e+π0 and one candidate remains for p → μ+π0 in the conventional 22.5 kton fiducial volume and it is consistent with the atmospheric neutrino background prediction. We set lower limits on the partial lifetime for each of these modes: τ/B(p → e+π0) > 2.4 × 1034 years and τ/B(p → μ+π0) > 1.6 × 1034 years at 90% confidence level.
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Used for both proton decay searches and neutrino physics, large water Cherenkov (WC) detectors have been very successful tools in particle physics. They are notable for their large masses and charged ...particle detection capabilities. While current WC detectors reconstruct charged particle tracks over a wide energy range, they cannot efficiently detect neutrons. Gadolinium (Gd) has the largest thermal neutron capture cross section of all stable nuclei and produces an 8 MeV gamma cascade that can be detected with high efficiency. Because of the many new physics opportunities that neutron tagging with a Gd salt dissolved in water would open up, a large-scale R&D program called EGADS was established to demonstrate this technique’s feasibility. EGADS features all the components of a WC detector, chiefly a 200-ton stainless steel water tank furnished with 240 photo-detectors, DAQ, and a water system that removes all impurities from water while keeping Gd in solution. In this paper we discuss the milestones towards demonstrating the feasibility of this novel technique, and the features of EGADS in detail.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A search for the relic neutrinos from all past core-collapse supernovae was conducted using 1496 days of data from the Super-Kamiokande detector. This analysis looked for electron-type antineutrinos ...that had produced a positron with an energy greater than 18 MeV. In the absence of a signal, 90% C.L. upper limits on the total flux were set for several theoretical models; these limits ranged from 20 to 130 macro nu(e) cm(-2) s(-1). Additionally, an upper bound of 1.2 macro nu(e) cm(-2) s(-1) was set for the supernova relic neutrino flux in the energy region E(nu)>19.3 MeV.
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Super-Kamiokande (SK) can search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) by detecting neutrinos produced from WIMP annihilations occurring inside the Sun. In this analysis, we include ...neutrino events with interaction vertices in the detector in addition to upward-going muons produced in the surrounding rock. Compared to the previous result, which used the upward-going muons only, the signal acceptances for light (few-GeV/c^{2}-200-GeV/c^{2}) WIMPs are significantly increased. We fit 3903 days of SK data to search for the contribution of neutrinos from WIMP annihilation in the Sun. We found no significant excess over expected atmospheric-neutrino background and the result is interpreted in terms of upper limits on WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering cross sections under different assumptions about the annihilation channel. We set the current best limits on the spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross section for WIMP masses below 200 GeV/c^{2} (at 10 GeV/c^{2}, 1.49×10^{-39} cm^{2} for χχ→bbover ¯ and 1.31×10^{-40} cm^{2} for χχ→τ^{+}τ^{-} annihilation channels), also ruling out some fraction of WIMP candidates with spin-independent coupling in the few-GeV/c^{2} mass range.
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The previously published atmospheric neutrino data did not distinguish whether muon neutrinos were oscillating into tau neutrinos or sterile neutrinos, as both hypotheses fit the data. Using data ...recorded in 1100 live days of the Super-Kamiokande detector, we use three complementary data samples to study the difference in zenith angle distribution due to neutral currents and matter effects. We find no evidence favoring sterile neutrinos, and reject the hypothesis at the 99% confidence level. On the other hand, we find that oscillation between muon and tau neutrinos suffices to explain all the results in hand.
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We present the results of searches for nucleon decay via n→νover ¯π0 and p→νover ¯π+ using data from a combined 172.8 kt·yr exposure of Super-Kamiokande-I,-II, and-III. We set lower limits on the ...partial lifetime for each of these modes: τn→νover ¯π0>1.1×10(33) years and τp→νover ¯π+>3.9×10(32) years at a 90% confidence level.
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First gadolinium loading to Super-Kamiokande Hiraide, K.; Imaizumi, S.; Moriyama, S. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
03/2022, Volume:
1027
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
In order to improve Super-Kamiokande’s neutron detection efficiency and to thereby increase its sensitivity to the diffuse supernova neutrino background flux, 13 tons of Gd2(SO4)3⋅8H2O (gadolinium ...sulfate octahydrate) was dissolved into the detector’s otherwise ultrapure water from July 14 to August 17, 2020, marking the start of the SK-Gd phase of operations. During the loading, water was continuously recirculated at a rate of 60 m3/h, extracting water from the top of the detector and mixing it with concentrated Gd2(SO4)3⋅8H2O solution to create a 0.02% solution of the Gd compound before injecting it into the bottom of the detector. A clear boundary between the Gd-loaded and pure water was maintained through the loading, enabling monitoring of the loading itself and the spatial uniformity of the Gd concentration over the 35 days it took to reach the top of the detector. During the subsequent commissioning the recirculation rate was increased to 120 m3/h, resulting in a constant and uniform distribution of Gd throughout the detector and water transparency equivalent to that of previous pure-water operation periods. Using an Am–Be neutron calibration source the mean neutron capture time was measured to be 115±1 μs, which corresponds to a Gd concentration of 111±2 ppm, as expected for this level of Gd loading. This paper describes changes made to the water circulation system for this detector upgrade, the Gd loading procedure, detector commissioning, and the first neutron calibration measurements in SK-Gd.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A search for boosted dark matter using 161.9 kt yr of Super-Kamiokande IV data is presented. We search for an excess of elastically scattered electrons above the atmospheric neutrino background, with ...a visible energy between 100 MeV and 1 TeV, pointing back to the Galactic center or the Sun. No such excess is observed. Limits on boosted dark matter event rates in multiple angular cones around the Galactic center and Sun are calculated. Limits are also calculated for a baseline model of boosted dark matter produced from cold dark matter annihilation or decay. This is the first experimental search for boosted dark matter from the Galactic center or the Sun interacting in a terrestrial detector.
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Solar neutrino measurements from 1258days of data from the Super-Kamiokande detector are presented. The measurements are based on recoil electrons in the energy range 5.0{endash}20.0MeV. The measured ...solar neutrino flux is 2.32{+-}0.03(stat){sup +0.08}{sub {minus}0.07}(syst){times}10{sup 6} cm{sup {minus}2}s{sup {minus}1} , which is 45.1{+-}0.5(stat ){sup +1.6}{sub {minus}1.4}(syst) % of that predicted by the BP2000 SSM. The day vs night flux asymmetry ({Phi}{sub n}{minus}{Phi}{sub d})/ {Phi}{sub average} is 0.033{+-}0.022(stat){sup +0.013}{sub {minus}0.012}(syst) . The recoil electron energy spectrum is consistent with no spectral distortion. For the hep neutrino flux, we set a 90% C.L.upper limit of 40{times}10{sup 3} cm{sup {minus}2}s{sup {minus}1} , which is 4.3times the BP2000 SSM prediction.
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