Golden channel at a neutrino factory revisited: improved sensitivities from a magnetized iron neutrino detector

Bayes, R., Laing, A., Soler, F. J. P. , Cervera Villanueva, A., Gómez Cadenas, J. J., Hernández, P., Martín-Albo, J. and Burguet-Castell, J. (2012) Golden channel at a neutrino factory revisited: improved sensitivities from a magnetized iron neutrino detector. Physical Review D, 86(9), 093015. (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevD.86.093015)

Full text not currently available from Enlighten.

Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.86.093015

Abstract

This paper describes the performance and sensitivity to neutrino mixing parameters of a Magnetised Iron Neutrino Detector at a Neutrino Factory with a neutrino beam created from the decay of 10 GeV muons. Specifically, it is concerned with the ability of such a detector to detect muons of the opposite sign to those stored (wrong-sign muons) while suppressing contamination of the signal from the interactions of other neutrino species in the beam. A new, more realistic simulation and analysis, which improves the efficiency of this detector at low energies, has been developed using the GENIE neutrino event generator and the GEANT4 simulation toolkit. Low-energy neutrino events down to 1 GeV were selected, while reducing backgrounds to the 10−4 level. Signal efficiency plateaus of ∼60% for νμ and ∼70% for ν¯¯μ events were achieved starting at ∼5  GeV. Contamination from the νμ→ντ oscillation channel was studied for the first time and was found to be at the level between 1% and 4%. Full response matrices are supplied for all the signal and background channels from 1 GeV to 10 GeV. The sensitivity of an experiment involving a Magnetised Iron Neutrino Detector detector of 100 ktons at 2000 km from the Neutrino Factory is calculated for the case of sin22θ13∼10−1. For this value of θ13, the accuracy in the measurement of the CP-violating phase is estimated to be ΔδCP∼3°–5°, depending on the value of δCP, the CP coverage at 5σ is 85% and the mass hierarchy would be determined with better than 5σ level for all values of δCP.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Laing, Mr Andrew and Bayes, Dr Ryan and Soler, Professor Paul
Authors: Bayes, R., Laing, A., Soler, F. J. P., Cervera Villanueva, A., Gómez Cadenas, J. J., Hernández, P., Martín-Albo, J., and Burguet-Castell, J.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
Journal Name:Physical Review D
Publisher:American Physical Society
ISSN:1550-7998
ISSN (Online):1550-2368

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record