Bridging grant application for T2K/-Canada: Improved measurements of neutrino oscillations and interactions

T2K/-加拿大的过渡拨款申请：改进中微子振荡和相互作用的测量

• 批准号: SAPPJ-2020-00040
• 负责人: Harris, Deborah
• 金额: $ 5.1万
• 依托单位: York University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Project
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=718449
• 关键词: Bridging; grant; application; T2K; Canada

The fact that neutrinos have mass and can change flavors has a profound impact on our understanding of the universe: from how galaxies evolved to why today there is only matter and no antimatter. To learn more about this phenomenon, the T2K experiment measures how neutrinos can change flavors when they travel from the J-PARC laboratory in Tokai Japan to the Super-Kamiokande detector in Toyama, a distance of 295km. The long-term goal of T2K is to measure precisely any difference between neutrino and antineutrino propagation to search for matter-antimatter differences. To make progress on this measurement the experiment must reduce its systematic uncertainties. The most important uncertainties today have to do with our incomplete understanding of how neutrinos interact with the nuclei in T2K's detectors. The short term-goals of this program are: 1. Work to improve the neutrino event generator that T2K uses to simulate neutrino interactions. This model is currently the state of the art, and a version is in use by the DUNE experiment. 2. Make cross section measurements with the T2K Near Detector, focusing on neutrino interactions that produce pions. These measurements will be key for both the current and next generation experiments. 3. Extend the reach of T2K by working on the joint fits using both T2K and NOvA, a similar experiment based in the US. Because of the statistical precision of both, the treatment of the correlations in systematic effects is crucial. 4. Work with the existing York group to measure coherent pion production and to maintain the Optical Transition Monitor for T2K, in preparation for the new OTR installation in 2021. This is an application for a bridging grant to support Harris's research program for two years, until the renewal of the T2K-Canada Project Grant in 2021. In July 2019 Harris started as a Professor at York University and was admitted to the T2K collaboration. The proposed research program on T2K will expand the important role that Canada already plays in the experiment by leveraging Harris's experience with neutrino beamlines and with neutrino interaction measurements and modeling. This proposal requests funding to support a postdoc at 50% and two graduate students (Rowan Zaki and Damandeep Kaur), also at 50%. The impact of this work will extend far beyond that of the T2K experiment. The neutrino interaction measurements and model improvements produced will be inputs to other current and future neutrino propagation experiments. The Optical Transition Monitor is a promising technology for future high power proton beam measurements. Finally, the group supported here will learn simulation techniques, statistics, coding in a complex software environment, data analysis, and working in large international collaborations. This will serve the group well in whatever steps they take next.

中微子具有质量并且可以改变口味的事实对我们对宇宙的理解有深远的影响：从星系的演变到今天为什么只有物质而没有反物质。为了了解有关这种现象的更多信息，T2K实验衡量了中微子从日本Tokai的J-PARC实验室到Toyama的Super-Kamiokande探测器时如何改变口味，距离Toyama的距离为295公里。 T2K的长期目标是精确衡量中微子和抗肿瘤传播之间的任何差异，以寻找物质 - 抗后光差异。 为了在这项测量上取得进展，实验必须减少其系统的不确定性。 当今最重要的不确定性与我们对中微子如何与T2K探测器中的核相互作用的不完全理解有关。 该计划的短期目标是： 1。努力改善T2K用于模拟中微子相互作用的中微子事件发生器。该模型当前是最新的，而Dune实验正在使用一个版本。 2。与检测器附近的T2K进行横截面测量，重点是产生亲的中微子相互作用。 这些测量值将是当前和下一代实验的关键。 3。通过使用T2K和NOVA处理关节拟合，扩展了T2K的范围，这是一个基于美国的类似实验。 由于两者的统计精度，对系统效应的相关性处理至关重要。 4。与现有的约克组合作，测量连贯的触发生产并维护T2K的光学转变监视器，以准备2021年新的OTR安装。 这是一项桥接赠款的申请，以支持哈里斯的研究计划已有两年了，直到2021年T2K-Canada Project Grant续签。2019年7月，哈里斯（Harris）在约克大学（York University）担任教授，并接受了T2K合作。提出的关于T2K的研究计划将通过利用Harris在中微子束线以及中微子相互作用的测量和建模的经验来扩大加拿大已经在实验中发挥的重要作用。 该提案要求资助以50％的50％和两名研究生（Rowan Zaki和Damandeep Kaur）的资金为50％。 这项工作的影响将远远超出T2K实验的影响。 中微子相互作用的测量和产生的模型改进将是其他当前和未来中微子传播实验的输入。 光学过渡监视器是未来高功率质子束测量的有前途的技术。 最后，这里支持的小组将学习模拟技术，统计信息，在复杂的软件环境中，数据分析以及在大型国际合作中工作。 这将在接下来采取的任何步骤中为小组提供良好的服务。