A Study of Muon Neutrino Disappearance in the MINOS Detectors and the NuMI Beam

<p>There is now substantial evidence that the proper description of neutrino involves two representations related by the PMNS matrix characterized by either distinct mass or flavor. The parameters of this mixing matrix, three angles and a phase, as well as the mass differences between the three mass eigenstates must be determined experimentally. The Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search experiment is designed to study the flavor composition of a beam of muon neutrinos as it travels between the Near Detector at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory at 1km from the target, and the Far Detector in the Soudan iron mine in Minnesota at 735km from the target. From the comparison of reconstructed neutrino energy spectra at the near and far location, precise measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters from muon neutrino disappearance and electron neutrino appearance are expected. It is very important to know the neutrino flux coming from the source in order to achieve the main goal of the MINOS experiment: precise measurements of the atmospheric mass splitting and mixing angle. The goal of my thesis is to accurately predict the neutrino flux for the MINOS experiment and measure the neutrino mixing angle and atmospheric mass splitting.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Campus Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics and Astronomy

Year

2010

Author dc:creator

• Ling, Jiajie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sanjib R. Mishra

• Physical Sciences and Mathematics
• Physics
• flux
• MINOS
• Neutrino
• NuMI
• oscillation

Statement dc:rights

• © 2010, Jiajie Ling

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/362

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarcommons.sc.edu:etd-1363