Study of neutrino physics in MicroBooNE

Lead Research Organisation: UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Department Name: Oxford Physics

Abstract

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Studentship Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Student Name
ST/N504233/1 30/09/2015 30/03/2021
1793776 Studentship ST/N504233/1 30/09/2016 30/03/2020 Wouter Van De Pontseele
 
Description This award enabled me to characterise different spurious signals in the MicroBooNE experiment. Being located near the surface, MicroBooNe is subject to a continuous bombardment of cosmic originating particles, especially muons. For the first time, I combined the different detector sub-systems to arrive at a muon rate measurement.
This measurement is essential for the second part of the result. During my award, significant progress was made by me, supported by the larger collaboration to select electron neutrinos. These particles hold the key to the fundamental question the MicroBooNE experiment is trying to address: Are there additional degrees of freedom in the neutrino sector of the Standard Model. This question is closely related to the existence of a sterile neutrino.
Exploitation Route A set of high-profile liquid argon time projection chamber neutrino experiments is being built. This is the exact same technology as was developed by MicroBooNE, The results I obtained supported with this award are already and will help the collaborations of these near-future experiments to correctly estimate and model their background signals.
Sectors Education

Other
URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.14324
 
Description Clarendon Scholarship (3.5 year living expenses)
Amount £44,000 (GBP)
Funding ID Ref. GAF1617_CB2_ MPLS_1035944_VAR 
Organisation Oxford University Press 
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2016 
End 04/2020
 
Description Jesus College Graduacte Research Allowance
Amount £2,400 (GBP)
Organisation University of Oxford 
Department Jesus College
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2016 
End 04/2020
 
Description MicroBooNE Collaboration 
Organisation Fermilab - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Department MicroBooNE Experiment
Country United States 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Oxford group is an important part of the MicroBooNE collaboration. COntributions were made towards the main analyses of the experiment: - Muon neutrino charged current inclusive cross-section measurement. - Low energy electron neutrino appearance study to resolve the MiniBooNE low energy excess.
Collaborator Contribution The collaboration consists of 179 scientists from 31 institutions. This is essential to build, fund and monitor the detector and analyse the gathered data. The collaboration publishes around 3-8 paper a year currently in world leading journals and members presents at important particle physics conferences all over the world.
Impact The output of the collaboration can be found at: https://microboone.fnal.gov/documents-publications/
Start Year 2008
 
Description Visiting Research Fellow of the Department of Physics at Harvard University 
Organisation Harvard University
Department Department of Physics
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My supervisor, Prof Roxanne Guenette moved to Harvard after the first year of my PhD. I spend most of my time located at Harvard while maintaining close connections with the University of Oxford.
Collaborator Contribution The University of Harvard and the research group of Prof. Guenette supports my research and assist me with guidance and advise.
Impact Being member of the Harvard community enables me to have access to additional travel funding and attend a wide scala of colloquiums and seminars.
Start Year 2017