No Arabic abstract
NUISANCE is an open source C++ framework which facilitates detailed studies of neutrino interaction cross-section models implemented in Monte Carlo neutrino event generators. It provides a host of automated methods to perform comparisons of multiple generators to published cross-section measurements and each other. External reweighting libraries are used to allow the end-user to evaluate the impact of model parameters variations in the generators with data, or to tune the generator predictions to arbitrary dataset combinations. The design is modular and focusses on ease-of-use to allow new datasets and more generators to be added without requiring detailed understanding of the entire NUISANCE package. We discuss the motivation for the NUISANCE framework and suggested usage cases, alongside a description of its core structure.
Next generation neutrino oscillation experiments utilize details of hadronic final states to improve the precision of neutrino interaction measurements. The hadronic system was often neglected or poorly modeled in the past, but they have significant effects on high precision neutrino oscillation and cross-section measurements. Among the physics of hadronic systems in neutrino interactions, the hadronization model controls multiplicities and kinematics of final state hadrons from the primary interaction vertex. For relatively high invariant mass events, many neutrino experiments rely on the PYTHIA program. Here, we show a possible improvement of this process in neutrino event generators, by utilizing expertise from the HERMES experiment. Finally, we estimate the impact on the systematics of hadronization models for neutrino mass hierarchy analysis using atmospheric neutrinos such as the PINGU experiment.
Our knowledge of neutrino cross sections at the GeV scale, instrumental to test CP symmetry violation in the leptonic sector, has grown substantially in the last two decades. Still, their precision and understanding are far from the standard needed in contemporary neutrino physics. Nowadays, the knowledge of the neutrino cross-section at $O(10%)$ causes the main systematic uncertainty in oscillation experiments and jeopardizes their physics reach. In this paper, we envision the opportunities for a new generation of cross section experiments to be run in parallel with DUNE and HyperKamiokande. We identify the most prominent physics goals by looking at the theory and experimental limitations of the previous generation of experiments. We highlight the priorities in the theoretical understanding of GeV cross-sections and the experimental challenges of this new generation of facilities.
Kr83m with a short lifetime is an ideal calibration source for liquid xenon or liquid argon detector. The 83mKr isomer can be generated through the decay of Rb83 isotope, and Rb83 is usually produced by proton beams bombarding natural krypton atoms. In this paper, we report a successful production of Rb83/Kr83m with 3.4 MeV proton beam energy and measure the production rate with such low proton energy for the first time. Another production attempt was performed with newly available 20 MeV proton beam in China, the production rate is consistent with our expectation. The produced Kr83m source has been successfully injected into PandaX-II liquid xenon detector and yielded enough statistics for detector calibration.
In order to measure the total cross section for thermal neutrons, a photoneutron source (PNS, phase 1) has been developed for the acquisition of nuclear data for the Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP). PNS is an electron LINAC pulsed neutron facility that uses the time-of-flight (TOF) technique. It records the neutron TOF and identifies neutrons and $gamma$-rays by using a digital signal processing technique. The background is obtained by using a combination of employing 12.8 cm boron-loaded polyethylene(PEB) (5$%$ w.t.) to block the flight path and Monte Carlo methods. The neutron total cross sections of natural beryllium are measured in the neutron energy region from 0.007 to 0.1 eV. The present measurement result is compared with the fold Harvey data with the response function of PNS.
We provide a quantitative description of a method to measure neutron-induced fission cross sections in ratio to elastic hydrogen scattering in a white-source neutron beam with the fission Time Projection Chamber. This detector has measured precision fission cross section ratios using actinide references such as $^{235}$U(n,f) and $^{238}$U(n,f). However, by employing a more precise reference such as the H(n,el) cross section there is the potential to further reduce the evaluation uncertainties of the measured cross sections. In principle the fissionTPC could provide a unique measurement by simultaneously measuring both fission fragments and proton recoils over a large solid angle. We investigate one method with a hydrogenous gas target and with the neutron energy determined by the proton recoil kinematics. This method enables the measurement to be performed in a white-source neutron beam and with the current configuration of the fissionTPC. We show that while such a measurement is feasible in the energy range of 0.5 MeV to $sim$10 MeV, uncertainties on the proton detection efficiency and the neutron energy resolution do not allow us to preform a fission ratio measurement to the desired precision. Utilizing either a direct measurement of the neutron time-of-flight for the recoil proton or a mono-energetic neutron source or some combination of both would provide a path to a sub-percent precision measurement.