Browsing by Author "Buchanan, Norm, advisor"
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Item Open Access A framework for simultaneous photon detector readout system simulations for the deep underground neutrino experiment(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Christensen, Anne R., author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Ross, Kate, committee member; Bangerth, Wolfgang, committee memberThis thesis will discuss the changes to the coding framework for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). DUNE is simulated in a coding framework, called Liquid Argon Software (LArSoft). The framework simulates the particle event, the photons produced due to interactions and the electronics. The electronic simulation framework for DUNE has been changed to improve functionality and ease of use. The electronics simulation has been modularized so electronic readout models can be directly compared. The changes to the framework will be described and validated in this thesis.Item Open Access A measurement of muon neutrino charged-current interactions with a charged pion in the final state using the NOνA near detector(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Rojas, Paul Nelson, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Lee, Siu Au, committee member; Harton, John, committee member; Kokoszka, Piotr, committee memberThe NOνA experiment is a long-baseline neutrino experiment hosted by Fermilab. The intense NuMI neutrino beam, combined with NOνA Near Detector, provides the opportunity to study neutrino interactions at an unprecedented level. The goal of this analysis is to measure the rate of muon-neutrino charged-current interactions in the NOνA near detector resulting in the production of one muon and at least one charged pion. This thesis will present the result of the double differential cross section measurement of this process in muon kinematics of energy and angle. Excesses in the extracted signal (greater than 25%), relative to the simulation, were found at large scattering angles. These excesses were greater than the estimated uncertainties (∼15%).Item Open Access A measurement of the double-differential electron antineutrino charged-current inclusive cross section in the NOvA near detector(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Doyle, Derek, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Gelfand, Martin, committee member; Harton, John, committee member; Norman, Andrew, committee member; Pouchet, Louis-Noël, committee memberThe neutrino is a fundamental particle of the universe that was first hypothesized in 1930 by Wolfgang Pauli to explain the observed energy distribution of outgoing electrons produced from beta-decay. Since then, it has been discovered that there are at least three types, or flavors, of neutrinos and that they oscillate between these flavors as they travel through space and time. This discovery proved that neutrinos have a non-zero mass and positioned neutrino oscillations to provide a window into understanding the matter/antimatter asymmetry in the universe. Principle to all neutrino measurements is an accurate and robust interaction model over a large range of energies, and measurements to support the model. Of particular importance to the NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance (NOvA) neutrino oscillation experiment is the energy range from 1 to 10 GeV, where Quasi-Elastic (QE), Meson-Exchange Current (MEC), and Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) interactions all contribute significantly. Using neutrinos from the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam and the NOvA near detector, the first double-differential electron antineutrino charged-current inclusive cross section is measured and compared to various interaction models implemented within the genie Generator framework, version 3. Good agreement is observed between measurement and a genie model tuned to NOvA data.Item Open Access A study of simulated neutrons in the NOνA near detector(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Jarosz, Jessica, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Wilson, Robert, committee member; Eilertson, Kirsten, committee memberThis thesis explores how neutron interactions can be studied in the NOνA near detector, and the potential use of a deuterium-tritium neutron source. Understanding neutron kinematics within the near detector could aid in constraining antineutrino properties in charged-current quasi-elastic interactions. Refining our knowledge of such an interaction decreases systematic uncertainties, which is crucial for precise neutrino oscillation measurements. Monte-Carlo simulations of mono- energetic neutrons were performed to examine energy deposition, scattering, and neutron energy loss mechanisms.Item Open Access A study of the feasibility of detecting primordial microscopic black hole remnants with the NOvA far detector(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Wrobel, Megan, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Berger, Josh, committee member; Adams, Henry, committee memberSeveral papers have argued that microscopic black holes may be stable against complete evaporation and may be a viable dark matter candidate [1–3]. This paper assesses the practicality of detecting these objects using long-baseline neutrino facilities, such as the NuMI Off-Axis νe Appearance (NOvA) experiment and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The origin, stability, properties, and energy loss mechanism of such objects are examined. The signals produced from the detectors should allow for discrimination between these microscopic black holes and other particles traversing the detector. Potential challenges that could arise and next steps are also identified and considered.Item Open Access Accelerating NOvA's Feldman-Cousins procedure using high performance computing platforms(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Doyle, Derek, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Harton, John, committee member; Pouchet, Loius-Noël, committee memberIn order to assess the compatibility between models containing physically constrained parameters and small-signal data, uncertainties often must be calculated by Monte Carlo simulation to account for non-normally distributed errors. This is the case for neutrino oscillation experiments, where neutrino-matter weak interactions are rare and beam intensity at the far site is low. The NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance (NOvA) collaboration attempts to measure the parameters governing neutrino oscillations within the PMNS oscillation model by comparing model predictions to a small data set of neutrino interactions. To account for non-normality, NOvA uses the computationally intensive Feldman-Cousins (FC) procedure, which involves fitting thousands of independent pseudoexperiments to generate empirical distribution functions that are used to calculate the significance of observations. I, along with collaborators on NOvA and Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing: High Energy Physics Data Analytics (SciDAC-4) collaborations, have implemented the FC procedure utilizing the High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC). With this implementation, we have successfully processed NOvA's complete FC corrections for our recent neutrino + antineutrino appearance analysis in 36 hours: a speedup factor of 50 as compared to the methods used in previous analyses.Item Open Access An analysis of noise in the NOvA near detector(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Judah, Matthew, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Ross, Kate, committee member; Pallickara, Sangmi, committee memberThe NOvA (NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance) long-baseline neutrino experiment utilizes neutrino oscillations to gain insight into the unanswered questions in neutrino physics and further our knowledge of particle physics. The answers can only be arrived at through precise and accurate measurements of neutrino properties. To obtain these high precision results using the NOvA experiment background signals and noise must be understood and characterized. The work described is a study of noise characteristics from the electronics and photosensors used in the near detector of the NOvA experiment. A number of methods for the identification and elimination of noise in the electronics are discussed.Item Open Access Design, simulation, and prototyping of wavelength-shifting plate light collector for a large water Cherenkov detector(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Johnston, William Albert, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Wilson, Robert J., committee member; Sites, James, committee member; Menoni, Carmen, committee memberA wavelength-shifting plate light collector has been investigated for a proposed water Cherenkov detector for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment. Experimental prototypes were fabricated from four different wavelength-shifting plastics and tested under uniform illumination as well as with a point source scanner. These laboratory tests were used to study the wavelength and position dependence of the plate's light collection. These results were then used to develop an optical model for the plates that was then used to estimate their effect on measuring neutrino events in the full water Cherenkov detector simulation. These results showed that it was possible to guide between 34% and 49% extra light to a 12" hemispherical PMT. In addition the plates were not found to adversely affect the particle identification abilities of the detector.Item Open Access Measurement of the inclusive electron neutrino charged-current cross section in the NOvA near detector(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Judah, Matthew A., author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Gelfand, Martin, committee member; Harton, John, committee member; Pallickara, Sangmi, committee memberThis thesis describes the methods used to extract the inclusive νₑ charged-current cross section in the NOνA near detector using data collected from November 2014 to February 2017, corresponding to an exposure of $8.09 x 10²⁰ protons-on-target of a primarily neutrino beam. The near detector is located at Fermilab, 800 m from the primary target. The neutrino beam peaks near 2 GeV and is able to probe a variety of different neutrino-nucleus interactions through their final-state characteristics. The flux-integrated double-differential cross section is measured with respect to the final-state electron kinematics, as well as the total cross-section as a function of neutrino energy integrated over the same phase space used for the double-differential measurement.Item Open Access Qualification of silicon photomultipliers and readout boards for use in protoDUNE photon detectors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Johnson, Connor, author; Buchanan, Norm, advisor; Wilson, Robert, committee member; Brandl, Alexander, committee memberThe study of neutrinos is a major component of modern High Energy Physics research. Neutrinos have been shown to have properties not predicted by the Standard Model, such as having non-zero mass. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a project in development which seeks to better understand neutrino physics. Part of the project includes designing a prototype detector for testing at CERN, which has been dubbed protoDUNE. Both DUNE and protoDUNE will consist of liquid argon time projection chambers, and a photon detection system. The photosensors used in the photon detection system will need to be submerged in cryogenic liquid, and will have to undergo thermal cycling as many as 5 times through their lifetime. The design installed in protoDUNE will use SensL C-Series SiPMs as photosensors, which have not been rated to operate below −40°C. This project sought to determine how these devices operate under repeated thermal cycles. Mounting boards were designed to measure the SiPM operation, and a cold test system was built which allows for repeated thermal cycling of these boards and their SiPMs. The data were closely examined to search for any issues arising, in particular searching for any problems consistent with damage to the SiPMs.