Tentative Schedule
January 20
Speaker: Colin Anderson, Yale University
Title: "Measuring Neutral Current Single $\pi^0$ Cross Sections at MiniBooNE"
Abstract:
Many current generation and planned oscillation experiments are
searching for electron neutrino appearance. These experiments must
contend with the background posed by neutral current single $\pi^0$ (NC
1$\pi^0$) production. If one the two photons from the $\pi^0$ decay
fails to be detected, the $\pi^0$ may be misidentified as a single
electron--the sought after signal in such oscillation searches. In
order to maximize their sensitivity to such parameters as the mixing
angle $\theta_{13}$ or the CP-violating phase $\delta_{CP}$, rigorous
constraints on the $\pi^0$ background will have to be established.
However, the predictions of the myriad models of single pion production
vary widely and previous measurements are relatively scant. A
measurement of the absolute NC 1$\pi^0$ cross section will prove
valuable in constraining both models of production as well as the
background to $\nu_e$ appearance searches. Since releasing the results
of its principal oscillation analysis, the MiniBooNE experiment has
focused on using its enormous set of recorded neutrino and antineutrino
interactions to produce multiple cross section measurements. Among
these measurements are absolute differential cross sections for NC
1$\pi^0$ production for both neutrinos and antineutrinos, which will be
presented here. These cross sections are the first absolute and first
differential cross sections for NC 1$\pi^0$ production and they
encompass samples of neutrino and antineutrino events that are roughly
an order of magnitude larger than any other sample at O(1 GeV). Liquid
Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPCs), an emerging neutrino detector
technology with robust particle identification capabilities, will also
be discussed.
January 27
Speaker: Georgia Karagiorgi, MIT
Title: "MiniBooNE Oscillation Results and the Sterile Neutrino Mystery"
Abstract:
MiniBooNE is a short-baseline experiment located at Fermilab, sensitive
to neutrino oscillations for large neutrino mass-squared splittings.
These oscillation searches have been motivated by the 3.8 sigma excess
of electron antineutrino events in a muon antineutrino beam, observed
by the LSND experiment in 1995. This talk will present recent
oscillation results from MiniBooNE. The implications for the LSND
excess will be discussed within the context of sterile neutrino
oscillation models.
February 24
Speaker: Yoshinori Kurimoto, Kyoto University
Title: "Measurement of Neutral Current Neutral Pion Production in the
SciBooNE
experiment"
Abstract:
It is essential for the neutrino oscillation experiments to understand
the neutral pion production via neutrino-nucleus neutral current
interaction in the neutrino energy region of a few GeV. In the seminar,
we present the study of neutral current neutral pion production from
muon neutrinos scattering on a polystyrene (C8H8) target in the
SciBooNE experiment. We measure the inclusive cross section of neutral
current neutral pion production and pion kinematics distribution. The
results agree with the Rein-Sehgal model, which is generally used for
the Monte Carlo simulation by many neutrino oscillation experiments. In
addition, we also present recent study about the coherent pion
production.
March 3
Speaker: Ryan Patterson, Caltech
Title: "Probing the neutrino sector at MINOS and NOvA"
Abstract:
The confirmation of non-zero neutrino mass has opened up a host of
questions about the neutrino sector. After a brief review of what we
know and don't know, I describe current and upcoming experimental
efforts, in particular those directed at measuring a possible non-zero
value for the mixing angle theta_13. I present in detail the latest
results from MINOS and the design and physics potential of the NOvA long-baseline neutrino
experiment currently under construction at Fermilab (near site) and Ash
River (far site).
March 10
Speaker: Teppei Katori, MIT
Title: "First Measurement of Muon Neutrino Charged Current Quasielastic (CCQE) Double Differential Cross Section"
Abstract:
Using high-statistics MiniBooNE CCQE data, the muon-neutrino CCQE
differential cross section on carbon is measured. This is the first
measurement for the double differential cross section in CCQE
interaction, and is the most complete information one can obtain from
muon-kinematics-based CCQE cross section measurements. Our measurement
can be used to study nuclear effects in neutrino interactions, which is
critical input for future long baseline neutrino oscillation
experiments.
March 24
Speaker: Toby Marriage, Princeton University
Title: "CMB at Arcminute Scales: First Results from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope"
Abstract:
The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) project represents a new class of
millimeter-wave surveys that probe cosmology from inflation to
late-time structure formation. ACT's arcminute-scale temperature
measurements, corresponding to spatial frequencies up to ell ~ 10000,
will improve constraints on the form of the inflationary potential
(n_s), the sum of neutrino masses, primordial helium abundance, and the
rms of the cosmological matter distribution (sigma_8). Many constraints
result from complementary probes within the ACT dataset: CMB power
spectra, CMB lensing, galaxy clusters, etc. In this talk I will present
the first results from ACT on the CMB power spectrum, galaxy clusters
discovered through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, and extragalactic
sources. I will also describe future polarization measurements in the
Atacama which will extend primary CMB measurements into the post-Planck
era.
March 31
Speaker: Bo Jayatilaka, Duke University
Title: "Searching for a low-mass Higgs Boson at CDF"
Abstract:
Confirming or excluding the existence of a standard model (SM) Higgs boson remains one of the highest priorities of experimental particle physics. Indirect constraints indicate the most likely mass of a SMHiggs boson is lower than 150 GeV. The Fermilab Tevatron has delivered more than 8/fb of integrated luminosity to the CDF and D0 experiments and prospects for seeing evidence or excluding the existence of alow-mass Higgs boson remain good. In this talk I will introduce the main search channels at CDF as well as discussing the tools and strategies in place, focusing on the ZH->llbb channel. I will conclude by summarizing the status of these searches as well as the most current combination of Higgs boson search results from both CDF and D0.
April 14
Speaker: Scott Wakely, University of Chicago
Title: "Hunting the Cosmic Electron"
Abstract:
Accurately measuring the primary cosmic-ray electron flux at high
energies is one of the trickier activities in cosmic-ray astrophysics.
I'll discuss some of the issues involved with making these
measurements, briefly review some of the most recent results in the
field, and describe future instruments currently under construction for
the purpose of further hunting these vexing particles.
April 28
Speaker: Jodi Cooley, Southern Methodist University
Title: "Results from the Final Runs of the CDMS II Experiment"
Abstract:
The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) collaboration has pioneered the
use of ionization and athermal phonon signals to discriminate between
signal (nuclear recoil) and background (electron recoil) events in
germanium crystals cooled to ~50 mK. Timing, ionization yield, and
position information allow us to maximize discovery potential by
achieving a background expectation of less than one event. The final
runs of the CDMS II experiment in the Soudan Underground Laboratory
located in northern Minnesota include an additional ~600 kg-days of raw
exposure of our germanium detectors. I will present results from the
recently unblinded analysis of this data, report on the significance of
these new results, and discuss the implications for future dark matter
direct detection experiments.
