A search for heavy neutral leptons has been performed with the ArgoNeuT detector exposed to the NuMI neutrino beam at Fermilab. We search for the decay signature N → νμ+ μ−, considering decays ...occurring both inside ArgoNeuT and in the upstream cavern. In the data, corresponding to an exposure to 1.25 × 1020 POT , zero passing events are observed consistent with the expected background. This measurement leads to a new constraint at 90% confidence level on the mixing angle |UτN|2 of tau-coupled Dirac heavy neutral leptons with masses mN = 280–970 MeV, assuming |UeN|2 = |UμN|2 = 0.
We report the first electron neutrino cross section measurements on argon, based on data collected by the ArgoNeuT experiment running in the GeV-scale NuMI beamline at Fermilab. A flux-averaged νe + ...νe total and a lepton angle differential cross section are extracted using 13 νe and νe events identified with fully automated selection and reconstruction. We employ electromagnetic-induced shower characterization and analysis tools developed to identify νe / νe-like events among complex interaction topologies present in ArgoNeuT data ( ⟨ E νe ⟩ = 4.3 GeV and ⟨ E νe ⟩ = 10.5 GeV ). The techniques are widely applicable to searches for electron-flavor appearance at short and long baseline using liquid argon time projection chamber technology. Notably, the data-driven studies of GeV-scale νe / νe interactions presented here probe an energy regime relevant for future DUNE oscillation physics.
We present the results of a search for heavy QCD axions performed by the ArgoNeuT experiment at Fermilab. We search for heavy axions produced in the NuMI neutrino beam target and absorber decaying ...into dimuon pairs, which can be identified using the unique capabilities of ArgoNeuT and the MINOS near detector. This decay channel is motivated by a broad class of heavy QCD axion models that address the strong CP and axion quality problems with axion masses above the dimuon threshold. We obtain new constraints at a 95% confidence level for heavy axions in the previously unexplored mass range of 0.2-0.9 GeV, for axion decay constants around tens of TeV.
We report on the first measurement of flux-integrated single differential cross sections for charged-current (CC) muon neutrino (νμ) scattering on argon with a muon and a proton in the final state, ...Ar40 (νμ,μp)X. The measurement was carried out using the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber detector with an exposure of 4.59×1019 protons on target. Events are selected to enhance the contribution of CC quasielastic (CCQE) interactions. The data are reported in terms of a total cross section as well as single differential cross sections in final state muon and proton kinematics. We measure the integrated per-nucleus CCQE-like cross section (i.e., for interactions leading to a muon, one proton, and no pions above detection threshold) of (4.93±0.76stat±1.29sys)×10−38 cm2, in good agreement with theoretical calculations. The single differential cross sections are also in overall good agreement with theoretical predictions, except at very forward muon scattering angles that correspond to low-momentum-transfer events.
We present an analysis of MicroBooNE data with a signature of one muon, no pions, and at least one proton above a momentum threshold of 300 MeV/c(CC0πNp). This is the first differential cross-section ...measurement of this topology in neutrino-argon interactions. We achieve a significantly lower proton momentum threshold than previous carbon and scintillator-based experiments. Using data collected from a total of approximately 1.6 × 1020 protons on target, we measure the muon neutrino cross section for the CC0πNp interaction channel in argon at MicroBooNE in the Booster Neutrino Beam which has a mean energy of around 800 MeV. We present the results from a data sample with estimated efficiency of 29% and purity of 76% as differential cross sections in five reconstructed variables: the muon momentum and polar angle, the leading proton momentum and polar angle, and the muon-proton opening angle. We include smearing matrices that can be used to "forward fold" theoretical predictions for comparison with these data. We compare the measured differential cross sections to a number of recent theory predictions demonstrating largely good agreement with this first-ever dataset on argon.
A detailed understanding of inclusive muon neutrino charged-current interactions on argon is crucial to the study of neutrino oscillations in current and future experiments using liquid argon time ...projection chambers. To that end, we report a comprehensive set of differential cross section measurements for this channel that simultaneously probe the leptonic and hadronic systems by dividing the channel into final states with and without protons. Measurements of the proton kinematics and proton multiplicity of the final state are also presented. For these measurements, we utilize data collected with the MicroBooNE detector from 6.4 × 10 20 protons on target from the Fermilab booster neutrino beam at a mean neutrino energy of approximately 0.8 GeV. We present in detail the cross section extraction procedure, including the unfolding, and model validation that uses data to model comparisons and the conditional constraint formalism to detect mismodeling that may introduce biases to extracted cross sections that are larger than their uncertainties. The validation exposes insufficiencies in the overall model, motivating the inclusion of an additional data-driven reweighting systematic to ensure the accuracy of the unfolding. The extracted results are compared to a number of event generators and their performance is discussed with a focus on the regions of phase space that indicate the greatest need for modeling improvements. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
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