Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2022
Volume 67, Number 6
Saturday–Tuesday, April 9–12, 2022; New York
Session T11: Mini-symposium: Neutrino Mass IIIMini-Symposium Recordings Available
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Sponsoring Units: DNP DAP DPF Chair: Or Hen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Room: Majestic |
Monday, April 11, 2022 3:45PM - 3:57PM |
T11.00001: Search for a 3+1 Sterile Neutrino with the MicroBooNE experiment using the Deep-Learning-based reconstruction Katie Mason In this talk I present an appearance search for sterile neutrinos based on the 3+1 model in the MicroBooNE experiment. Recently released results by MicroBooNE show no sign of the MiniBooNE/LSND low-energy-excess anomaly. The 3+1 model examined here expands on the standard model of neutrinos by adding a fourth neutrino flavor and is not necessarily ruled out by the lack of a low energy excess. The search presented relies on Deep-Learning-based reconstruction tools and looks for charged current quasi-elastic (CCQE) events kinematically consistent with 2-body interaction. Using two orthogonal samples of CCQE electron neutrino events and CCQE muon neutrino events, I test this model allowing for electron neutrino appearance, electron neutrino disappearance, and muon neutrino disappearance. I first show the sensitivity to the oscillation parameters using the Feldman-Cousins method. Then, I show the best fit oscillation parameters based on the MicroBooNE data and compare it to the global best fit values. |
Monday, April 11, 2022 3:57PM - 4:09PM |
T11.00002: A disappearance search for a sterile neutrino that also decays in MicroBooNE using the DeepLearning-based Analysis Joshua Mills We test the compatibility of a model including sterile neutrinos that decay with MicroBooNE data. This model in particular, allows for oscillation from the standard model neutrinos into the sterile state, which then decays into a standard model flavored neutrino and a scalar field, which then decays to a neutrino and anti-neutrino pair. To test this model, we modify the expected MicroBooNE neutrino flux, and search for muon neutrino disappearance in the data selection in the Deep-Learning-based analysis. This analysis is built to find two-pronged charged-current quasielastic events in both the electron and muon neutrino channels. We apply the sterile neutrino plus decay model's effects via a grid search along several of the model's parameters identifying the allowable regions according to our fit with MicroBooNE data. |
Monday, April 11, 2022 4:09PM - 4:21PM |
T11.00003: The 3+1 scenario in MicroBooNE Ivan Martinez Soler, Carlos A Arguelles, Matheus Hostert, Kevin J Kelly, Joachim Kopp, Pedro Machado, Ivan Esteban, Yuber Perez-Gonzalez The discovery of an eV sterile neutrino would have a profound impact in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. Motivated by LSND results, and more recently by the Low-Energy Excess (LEE) observed in MiniBooNE, a new generation of experiments is looking for this new fermion. The latest results from MicroBooNE appear to disfavor the interpretation of the LEE just in terms of a new oscillation wavelength. This outcome is based on the non-observation of an electron-neutrino event excess in MicroBooNE compatible with LEE. Following the same procedure, we explore the impact that MiniBooNE's uncertainties on the LEE might have on the exclusion of the excess by MicroBooNE. Our results indicate that a large number of excess templates are still compatible with MiniBooNE results, but they cannot be excluded by MicroBooNE with a large significance. Finally, we perform a complete four-neutrino analysis of the data released, including the energy resolution and the covariance matrix. We explore the sensitivity in the Inclusive and the CCQE channels. Although the present data allow to explore a fraction of the allowed parameter space, it is not completely covered, and therefore the scenario cannot be excluded. |
Monday, April 11, 2022 4:21PM - 4:33PM |
T11.00004: A case to remeasure the $\beta^+$ decay spectra of $^{22}$Na Prajwal T MohanMurthy, Jeff A Winger $^{22}$Na, with a half-life of $2.6018(22)~$y, undergoes an allowed $\beta^+$ decay 99.944(14)\% of the time to the $2_1^+$ state in $^{22}$Ne with a $Q$ value of $1568.79(13)~$keV. This is one of the lowest $Q_{\beta^+}$ values known. We are looking into the feasibility for an experiment where the overarching goals in re-measuring the $\beta^+$ decay spectra of $^{22}$Na are threefold: (i) to set a new limit on the $\nu_e$ mass by direct measurement; (ii) to remeasure the $\beta$-decay Fierz interference term, $b$, to higher precision; and (iii) improve on one input for the test of CKM unitarity. The $\nu_e$ mass is poorly constrained, $m_{\nu_e}<225~$eV (95\% C.L.). The masses of $^{22}$Na and $^{22}$Ne are already well known. An adequately precise measurement near the end point of the $\beta^+$ decay for $^{22}$Na will allow a constraint on the $\nu_e$ mass. By examining the shape for the $\beta^+$ decay spectra of $^{22}$Na, the Fierz interference term was previously measured, but is almost 6 decades old, underestimates the uncertainties, and needs to be updated. Lastly, the precise determination of the $^{22}$Na mass also contributes to the determination of the CKM-matrix element $V_{ud}$, which is in turn used to test CKM unitarity. Simulations are being performed to determine the best method to make the proposed measurement. In particular, a novel technique for measuring the $\beta^+$ decay spectra of $^{22}$Na by embedding it in a semiconductor detector will be compared against the sensitivity of a similar measurement using a magnetic spectrometer. |
Monday, April 11, 2022 4:33PM - 4:45PM |
T11.00005: The Project 8 neutrino mass experiment: First tritium results and future prospects Christine Claessens The Project 8 collaboration aims for a direct measurement of the absolute neutrino mass scale from the distortion of the tritium decay spectrum near the endpoint. To this end, the collaboration has successfully established Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES), a frequency-based approach for measuring differential beta decay spectra. By taking advantage of the CRES technique in combination with the use of atomic tritium as a source gas, Project 8 intends to overcome the statistical and systematic limitations of current-generation direct neutrino mass measurement methods and achieve a final sensitivity of 40 meV. To meet this goal, the collaboration has divided the development of the experiment into four phases with Phase II data collection completed in 2020. In this contribution I will report on the status and prospects of the Project 8 experiment, presenting the results of the first tritium spectrum recorded with the Phase II CRES prototype setup. This work is supported by the US DOE Office of Nuclear Physics, the US NSF, the PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellence at the University of Mainz, and internal investments at all institutions. |
Monday, April 11, 2022 4:45PM - 4:57PM |
T11.00006: Antenna Simulation and Validation for the Project 8 neutrino mass experiment Arina B Telles The Project 8 experiment aims to directly measure the neutrino mass down to ∼40 meV/c2 by reconstructing the kinematics of tritium beta decay, using a novel technique called Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES). The operating principle is to put tritium in a uniform magnetic field, causing the emitted electron to undergo cyclotron motion and radiate. Measuring the electron’s radiation frequency yields its energy, and the energy spectrum constrains the mass of the neutrino involved in the decay. This method has been demonstrated in a small waveguide, but must be scaled to a larger volume to improve neutrino mass sensitivity. One of our proposed detection schemes involves an array of antennas viewing trapped electrons inside an MRI magnet. Detection is challenging because a single electron emits <1 fW at ∼26 GHz in a 1 T field, and exhibits complex spectral features due to its motion. This talk will describe the simulation of the source and receivers, as well as experimental validations of the technique. |
Monday, April 11, 2022 4:57PM - 5:09PM |
T11.00007: Developing Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers for Neutrino Mass Measurement Jennifer Wang, Wouter Van De Pontseele, Kyle Serniak, Patrick M Harrington, Jack Qiu, Kaidong Peng, Joseph A Formaggio, William D Oliver, Kevin P O'Brien Determining the neutrino mass can change how we understand the history and composition of the universe. Project 8 is a next-generation neutrino mass experiment utilizing Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy, which measures the electron cyclotron frequency from tritium beta decay to infer the neutrino mass. Inside a 1T magnetic field, the cyclotron frequency at the tritium endpoint is approximately 27GHz. In this frequency range, off-the-shelf amplifiers deliver a noise ratio above the single-photon contribution and the Project 8 needs. Hence, there is a need for low noise, high gain amplifiers, such as Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifiers (JTWPAs), operating in this high frequency regime. These chip-based amplifiers can attain 20 dB of gain over a few GHz of bandwidth with near-ideal quantum efficiency. This talk will cover best practices for simulating the frequency response and parasitics of JTWPA chip designs, as well as the mitigation of package modes for high frequency operation. We also propose steps toward integrating the JTWPA into the Project 8 measurement chain, and highlight that the JTWPA frequency bandwidth can be tailored to a wide range of applications, such as quantum information processing, dark matter searches, and fundamental particle physics. |
Monday, April 11, 2022 5:09PM - 5:21PM |
T11.00008: Calibration with a Kr83m source in Project 8 Phase II Yu-Hao Sun The Project 8 collaboration aims to measure the neutrino mass at a sensitivity ~40 meV with the tritium endpoint method in four phases. To achieve this goal, the Project 8 collaboration has developed the Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) technique to measure the energy of electrons from the decay of radioactive gas sources. In Phase II, we have measured the first CRES spectrum for molecular tritium. Due to its 17.8 keV conversion electron line sitting close to the tritium endpoint at 18.6 keV, we used Kr83m as a calibration source for magnetic field calibration and instrumental response measurement. In this talk, I will present the calibration of the Phase II apparatus with Kr83m, including the linearity of the frequency-energy response and the fit results of the 17.8 keV line in a deep magnetic trap and a shallow magnetic trap. From the fit results in the shallow magnetic trap, we find the instrumental response can be as narrow as ~2 eV. I will also show how the Kr83m calibration datasets can help assess some of the systematics for the tritium data analysis. |
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