SIMULATION OF A WIDE-BAND LOW-ENERGY NEUTRINO BEAM FOR VERY LONG BASELINE NEUTRINO OSCILLATION EXPERIMENTS.

Abstract

We present simulations of a wide-band low-energy neutrino beam for a future very long baseline neutrino oscillation (VLBNO) program using the proton beam from the Main Injector (MI) proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). The target and horn designs previously developed for Brookhaven Laboratory's Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) VLBNO program are used without modifications. The neutrino flux distributions for various MI proton beam energies and new high-intensity neutrino beam-line designs possible at Fermilab are presented. The beam-line siting and design parameters are chosen to match the requirements of an on-axis beam from Fermilab to one of the two possible sites for the future Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). A preliminary estimate of the observable event rates and spectra at a detector located in DUSEL for different beam configurations has been performed. Our preliminary conclusions are that a 40-60 GeV 0.5 to 1 MW beam from the Fermilab Main Injector to a DUSEL site has the potential to reach the desired intensity for the next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments. Recent studies indicate that the Fermilab MI can reach a beam power of 0.5 MW at 60 GeV with incremental upgrades to the existing accelerator complex.