Single Neutral Pion Production in Charged Current and Neutral Current Neutrino Interactions

An experiment run in the \nu\sbμ line of the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory is described, examining production of single π\sp0 final states in charged-current (\nu\sbμ n \to μ\sp{-}pπ\sp0) and neutral-current (\nu\sbμ p \to \nu\sbμ pπ\sp0 and \nu\sbμ n \to \nu\sbμ nπ\sp0) reactions, observed in a $5{1\over2}$ ton (fiducial volume) detector consisting of aluminum spark chamber modules and plastic scintillation counters. The data sample contains approximately 470,000 beam pulses. The analysis selected for two-shower final states; the γγ and pγγ mass distributions are shown. The ratio of neutral- to charged-current single π\sp0 production is examined; and after corrections for efficiency, misidentification, and contamination from higher technology states are made, a value of R$\sp\prime$ = {σ(\nu\sbμ T \to \nu\sbμ T\sp\prime π\sp0)}\over{2σ(\nu\sbμ T \to μ\sp{-} T\sp{\prime\prime} π\sp0)} = 0.248 $\pm$ 0.085 (where T is the target nucleus (for this experiment, aluminum) and T$\sp\prime$ and T$\sp{\prime\prime}$ are final target states), is obtained. The value of this ratio can be related to the Weinberg weak-mixing angle θ\sb{w}, yielding a value of sin\sp2θ\sb{w} = 0.256 $\pm$ 0.156.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Nienaber, Paul Joseph

• Physics, Elementary Particles and High Energy

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8823214

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/77420