MeV Scale Physics in Microboone
Date of Award
Summer 7-16-2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Physics
Advisor(s)
Soderberg, Mitchell
Keywords
de-excitation gammas, energy threshold, MeV, neutrino, neutrons, Supernovae
Subject Categories
Astrophysics and Astronomy | Physical Sciences and Mathematics | Physics
Abstract
This thesis presents the reconstruction and measurement of low-energy electromagnetic activity associated with beam neutrino interactions within the MicroBooNE Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC). LArTPCs have proven to be excellent detectors to measure neutrino interaction cross sections and are being used to perform precision measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters. The work presented in this thesis has demonstrated unprecedentedly low, sub-MeV energy thresholds that have increased sensitivity of LArTPCs to detect neutrino interactions from core collapse supernovae and Muon Decay at Rest (μDAR). In addition, such low thresholds have also increased measurement sensitivity for interactions from Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) candidates such as millicharged particles and nuclear and electron recoils from dark matter candidate particles. On the reconstruction side, this work has established an energy resolution of 6.3% for electromagnetic activity in the 0-5 MeV energy range within the MicroBooNE LArTPC. Additionally this work presents the quantitative analysis of the low-energy activity emanating from G-10 support ribs in MicroBooNE and discusses how such activity could be a problematic source of background for low-energy physics analyses in future neutrino detectors such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).
Access
SURFACE provides description only. Full text may be available to ProQuest subscribers. Please ask your Librarian for assistance.
Recommended Citation
Bhat, Avinay, "MeV Scale Physics in Microboone" (2021). Dissertations - ALL. 1429.
https://surface.syr.edu/etd/1429