A proposed search for sterile neutrinos with the ICARUS detector at the CERN-PS

Abstract

An experiment to search for sterile neutrinos beyond the Standard Model with the CERN-PS 19.2 GeV beam and the technology of imaging in ultra-pure cryogenic liquid Argon is proposed. The superior quality of the LAr-TPC, now widely demonstrated experimentally and in particular its unique e/π0 discrimination allows a full rejection of backgrounds, offers the possibility to explore the neutrino conversion into sterile components as recently suggested by the analysis of different observed neutrino anomalies.The experiment is based on two identical LAr-TPC detectors observing the electron-neutrino signal in the Near and Far positions, the first of about 150 tons at 127 m from the proton target, the second one of about 600 tons placed 850 m away. This project will exploit the largest LAr-TPC ever built, ICARUS T600 now running underground at LNGS exposed to CNGS neutrino beam, by moving it from Gran Sasso to the CERN Far position. An additional 150 t detector will be constructed in the Near position. The intrinsic νE beam spectra are expected practically identical in the two positions; in addition all cross-sections and experimental biases cancel out in the comparison of the two detector signals allowing to perform a sensitive search for neutrino oscillations in the presence of sterile neutrinos.