NOνA Experiment Research Articles

Synchronization of the 14 kTon NOνA neutrino detector with the Fermilab NuMI beam

The NOνA experiment is a neutrino oscillation experiment designed to measure parameters related to the neutrino mixing matrix, mass hierarchy and CP violation. The experiment measures neutrino and anti-neutrino interactions from the NuMI beam line at Fermilab in a Near Detector and a Far Detector located 810 kilometers away. Making these measurements requires precise synchronization of 344,064 channels in the Far Detector to an absolute wall time with a channel to channel variation of less then 10 ns. The experiment must correlate the presence of the relatively narrow neutrino beam in the detector with data readout. This paper will discuss the performance of the NOνA timing system during the first few months of operation at the Far Detector.

The NOνA Far Detector Data Acquisition System

The NOνA experiment is a long-baseline neutrino experiment designed to make measurements to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, neutrino mixing parameters and CP violation in the neutrino sector. In order to make these measurements the NOνA collaboration has designed a highly distributed, synchronized, continuous digitization and readout system that is able to acquire and correlate data from the Fermilab accelerator complex (NuMI), the NOνA near detector at the Fermilab site and the NOνA far detector which is located 810 km away at Ash River, MN. This system has unique properties that let it fully exploit the physics capabilities of the NOνA detector. The design of the NOνA DAQ system and its capabilities are discussed in this paper.

A new slip stacking RF system for a twofold power upgrade of Fermilab׳s Accelerator Complex

Fermilab׳s Accelerator Complex has been recently upgraded, in order to increase the 120GeV proton beam power on target from about 400kW to over 700kW for NOνA and other future intensity frontier experiments. One of the key ingredients of the upgrade is the offloading of some Main Injector synchrotron operations – beam injection and RF manipulation called “slip stacking” – to the 8GeV Recycler Ring, which had until recently been used only for low-intensity antiproton storage and cooling. This required construction of two new 53MHz RF systems for the slip-stacking manipulations. The cavities operate simultaneously at Vpeak≲150kV, but at slightly different frequencies (Δf=1260Hz). Their installation was completed in September 2013. This paper describes the novel solutions used in the design of the new cavities, their tuning system, and the associated high power RF system. First results showing effective operation of the RF system, beam capture and successful slip-stacking in the Recycler Ring are presented.

Evidence for leptonic CP phase from NOνA, T2K and ICAL: A chronological progression

We study the synergy between the long-baseline (LBL) experiments NOνA and T2K and the atmospheric neutrino experiment ICAL@INO for obtaining the first hint of CP violation in the lepton sector. We also discuss how precisely the leptonic CP phase (δCP) can be measured by these experiments. The CP sensitivity is first described at the level of oscillation probabilities, discussing its dependence on the parameters – θ13, mass hierarchy and θ23. In particular, we discuss how the precise knowledge or lack thereof of these parameters can affect the CP sensitivity of LBL experiments. We follow a staged approach and analyze the δCP sensitivity that can be achieved at different points of time over the next 15 years from these LBL experiments alone and/or in conjunction with ICAL@INO. We find that the CP sensitivity of NOνA/T2K is enhanced due to the synergies between the different channels and between the two experiments. On the other hand the lack of knowledge of hierarchy and octant makes the CP sensitivity poorer for some parameter ranges. Addition of ICAL data to T2K and NOνA can exclude these spurious wrong-hierarchy and/or wrong-octant solutions and cause a significant increase in the range of δCP values for which a hint of CP violation can be achieved. In fact in parameter regions unfavourable for NOνA/T2K, we may get the first evidence of CP violation by adding the ICAL data to these. Similarly the precision with which δCP can be measured also improves with inclusion of ICAL data.

NOνA neutrino experiment status

The primary goal of the NOνA neutrino oscillation experiment is to study the probabilities of transformation of muonic-neutrinos into electron-neutrinos. The experiment is currently under construction and will use a 700 kW accelerator-based NuMI beam (Neutrinos at the Main Injector) and two detectors. The Near Detector (329 t at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Illinois) and the Far Detector (14 kt, Ash River, Minnesota) are aligned to 14 mrad off-axis and separated by 810 km. They are made of active liquid scintillator and readout by avalanche photo-diodes. Recent results from world-wide neutrino experiments indicate that NOνA is in the position to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy as it is also searching for the first hints of CP violation in neutrino sector. The design, the goals and the current status of the NOνA experiment are presented here with the current estimates of its sensitivity to the mass hierarchy measurement.

Potential of optimized NOνA for large [formula omitted] and combined performance with a LArTPC and T2K

NOνA experiment has reoptimized its event selection criteria in light of the recently measured moderately large value of θ13. We study the improvement in the sensitivity to the neutrino mass hierarchy and to leptonic CP violation due to these new features. Addition of 5 years of neutrino data from T2K to NOνA more than doubles the range of δCP for which the leptonic CP violation can be discovered, compared to stand alone NOνA. But for unfavorable values of δCP, the combination of NOνA and T2K are not enough to provide even a 90% C.L. hint of hierarchy discovery. Therefore, we further explore the improvement in the hierarchy and CP violation sensitivities due to the addition of a 10 kt liquid argon detector placed close to NOνA site. The capabilities of such a detector are equivalent to those of NOνA in all respects. We find that combined data from 10 kt liquid argon detector (3 years of ν + 3 years of ν¯ run), NOνA (6 years of ν + 6 years of ν¯ run) and T2K (5 years of ν run) can give a close to 2σ hint of hierarchy discovery for all values of δCP. With this combined data, we can achieve CP violation discovery at 95% C.L. for roughly 60% values of δCP.

The NOνA Neutrino Calorimeter

The NOνA experiment is a long baseline neutrino detector designed to 1) observe oscillations of muon neutrinos to electron neutrinos, 2) determine the ordering of the neutrino mass states, and 3) observe CP violation in neutrinos if it exists. To accomplish this, the NOνA detector is a unique low-Z, high sampling fraction calorimeter capable of precise measurements of the particles produced in a neutrino interaction while also being able to reject particles from background cosmic rays. Some experience has already been obtained with the operation of a prototype near detector on the Fermilab site, and construction of the far detector is just beginning in northern Minnesota. The calorimetric properties of the NOνA detector will be described with emphasis on relevance to the overall experimental goals.

Application of Control System Studio for the NOνA Detector Control System.

In the NOνA experiment, the Detector Controls System (DCS) provides a method for controlling and monitoring important detector hardware and environmental parameters. It is essential for operating the detector and is required to have access to roughly 370,000 independent programmable channels via more than 11,600 physical devices. In this paper, we demonstrate an application of Control System Studio (CSS), developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for the NOνA experiment. The application of CSS for the DCS of the NOνA experiment has been divided into three phases: (1) user requirements and concept prototype on a test-stand, (2) small scale deployment at the prototype Near Detector on the Surface, and (3) a larger scale deployment at the Far Detector. We also give an outline of the CSS integration with the NOνA online software and the alarm handling logic for the Front-End electronics.

Measurement of the off-axis NuMI Neutrinos

An analysis of the off-axis beam is discussed. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has two beam lines that produce neutrinos: the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) and the NuMI beam line. The BNB beam is designed for use by the MiniBooNE experiment. The NuMI beam produces neutrinos for the MINOS experiment and it will be supplying the NOνA experiment with neutrinos. The MiniBooNE detector also observes neutrinos from the NuMI beamline, at an off-axis angle of 6.3 degrees. Samples of charged current quasi-elastic (CCQE) νμ and νe interactions were analyzed.

Status of NOνA

NOνA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment looking for the appearance of electron neutrinos and anti-neutrinos in the NuMI neutrino beam. It is comprised of a near detector located on-site at Fermilab, approximately 1 km from the neutrino source and a far detector located 810 km from the source in northern Minnesota. Both detectors are positioned 14 mrad off the beam axis to observe a narrow range of neutrino energies peaked at 2.2 GeV. Construction of the NOνA experiment has begun and the details are outlined below.

The NOνA Module Factory Quality Assurance System

The NOνA experiment will measure neutrino oscillations using a long-baseline beam, a ∼220-ton near detector and a ∼14-kiloton far detector. Production of ∼12500 modules to build these detectors is an industrial scale operation requiring careful quality assurance to meet the stringent technical specifications. Unlike a typical industrial operation, this project will use primarily a part time labor force of ∼200 University of Minnesota undergraduate students managed by a small team of full time employees. The quality assurance system is involved in nearly every aspect of the production: assembly, scheduling, training, payroll, materials, machine maintenance, test data, and safety compliance. The quality assurance data collected during the assembly process allows us to quickly identify and correct any problems that arise.

NOvA Data Acquisition System

Abstract The NOνA (NuMI Off-Axis νe Appearance) experiment is a long-baseline neutrino experiment using the NuMI main injector neutrino beam at Fermilab and is designed to search for νμ (oνμ) to νe (oνe) oscillations. The experiment will consist of two detectors; both positioned 14 mrad off the beam axis: a 220 ton Near Detector to be located in an underground cavern at Fermilab and a 14 kton Far Detector to be located in Ash River, MN, 810 km from the beam source. In addition, a prototype Near Detector is currently in operation in a surface building at Fermilab. The detectors have similar design, and consist of planes of PVC extrusion cells containing liquid scintillator and wavelength shifting fibers. The fiber ends are readout by Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs). The primary task for the Data Acquisition (DAQ) system is to concentrate the data from the large number of APD channels (360000 channels at the Far Detector, 16000 channels at the Near Detector), buffer this data long enough to apply an online trigger, and record the selected data. The concentration of data is accomplished through the use of a custom hardware component Data Concentrator Module (DCM). The intermediate buffering of the data is accomplished through a computing buffer farm, in which each node runs software to apply an online trigger to a time slice of data received from the DCMs. Data correlated with the beam spill time as well as random data samples for calibration purposes and events with interesting topology may be selected by the online trigger. In addition to those components involved in managing the data flow, the DAQ system consists of components for control, configuration, monitoring and timing. The design of the DAQ system, with emphasis on the DAQ software, will be discussed as will experience with its deployment on the prototype Near Detector.

Status and Prospects of the NOνA Experiment

NOνA is a proposed experiment to search for ν μ → ν e oscillations using the NuMI neutrino beam, and two detectors separated by a baseline of 810 km. A better signal-to-background ratio than that of current experiments will be achieved by using detectors with a low Z/A ratio, and by situating the far detector off the beam axis. NOνA will have sensitivity to the related physics of the neutrino mass hierarchy and leptonic CP violation depending on the values of the mixing angle θ 13 and the CP violation angle δ.

The NO νA Experiment at FNAL, status and perspectives

The NO ν A experiment is a new long baseline neutrino experiment designed to measure θ 13 through the appearance of ν e in a ν μ beam, at an off-axis angle of 14 mrad. The NO ν A experiment has constructed and instrumented their near detector and has begun taking data in a surface location that places the detector in both the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) neutrino beam and booster neutrino beam at Fermilab. This location provides significant neutrino fluxes for studies of both ν e and ν μ interactions and for understanding of the detector response to both types of interactions.

Current MINOS Oscillation Results and Status of the NO νA Experiment

The MINOS experiment collected 3.36 × 10 20 protons-on-target from May 2005 through July 2007 from Fermilab's NuMI beam. The data are consistent with ν μ → ν τ neutrino oscillation with parameters | Δ m 2 | = ( 2.43 ± 0.13 ) × 10 − 3 eV 2 (68% CL) and sin 2 2 θ > 0.90 (90% CL). An independent analysis of the first 2.46 × 10 20 protons-on-target reveals no indication of sterile neutrino oscillation. A search for ν e appearance is ongoing. The NO ν A experiment is optimized for the detection of ν e appearance off-axis from an upgraded NuMI beam and will be capable of an order-of-magnitude greater precision in ν μ → ν τ oscillation parameters.

Super-NOνA: a long-baseline ν experiment with two off-axis detectors

We consider here the NOνA experiment configuration and propose to place a second off-axis detector, with a shorter baseline, such that the type of neutrino mass hierarchy could be determined, by exploiting matter effects, with only the neutrino run. We show that the determination of this parameter is free of degeneracies, provided the ratio L / E , where L the baseline and E is the neutrino energy, is the same for both detectors.

The MINOS and NO νA Experiments

This document describes two generations of neutrino experiments at Fermilab that use the NuMI beamline: the MINOS experiment, which is scheduled to start running later this year, and the proposed NOνA experiment, which would start running later this decade.