Physics (Internal)

NEUTRINO SEMINAR: Scintillating Science with Long-Baseline Neutrino Detectors

This event is part of the Departmental Seminars.

Neutrinos are perhaps the least understood members of the Standard Model of particle physics, but that is rapidly changing. Precision measurements from state-of-the-art detectors placed in long-baseline neutrino beams are revealing details about their masses and mixing. The NOvA experiment uses a 14 kiloton liquid scintillator detector to identify neutrinos which travel across an 810 km baseline. The collaboration recently reported its first observations of neutrino oscillation effects, and data collected over the next few years will provide insight into questions about neutrino mass and violation of CP symmetry. With a 1300 km baseline and wide-band neutrino beam, the planned Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will probe even further to make definitive measurements of these neutrino mixing parameters. The DUNE far detector will house 40 kilotons of liquid argon, instrumented with a time projection chamber and scintillation photon detectors. I will discuss recent and future physics results from NOvA, as well as the design and capabilities of DUNE. I will focus on the role and performance of the DUNE light detection system and share recent results from our investigations into the detailed structure of the liquid argon scintillation signal.