RUI: Neutrino Physics Research at the University of Minnesota Duluth

该奖项支持理解中微子的工作：宇宙中最小但最常见的大质量粒子。 虽然每一个众所周知的电子或质子都有十亿个中微子，但中微子只通过所谓的“弱”力相互作用：所以它们很少撞到任何东西，甚至是用来研究它们的探测器。 这意味着它们也是基本粒子中了解最少的。在明尼苏达大学工作的杜卢斯研究中微子与正常物质的相互作用，它们在沿着行进时如何变化或“振荡”，以及中微子的天体物理来源。这个提议的智力价值在于，这些实验将使我们进一步了解理解中微子所需的三个关键参数：中微子质量等级的确定，或者三个中微子的质量如何相互关联，改进了对三个质量的质量平方差的测量，以及确定三个质量如何相互交替的混合参数，并极大地改进了中微子截面的测量。从事NOvA实验的教师和学生将进一步进行振荡测量，并致力于获得第一个天体物理学结果。 这项工作包括增强NOvA电子设备自我检测来自潜在银河系超新星的中微子爆发的能力，并与全球超新星检测网络共享警报。 中微子相互作用测量继续与现有的和传入的数据从MINERvA实验。 最后，该小组正在进行下一代实验DUNE的工作，包括在数据采集系统中的作用，近探测器的设计，以及中微子相互作用的不确定性在实验设计灵敏度中的作用。这笔赠款还通过参与和领导Soudan + NOvA外联计划来支持更广泛的影响，该计划包括定期夏季图尔斯参观Soudan地下实验室和明尼苏达州阿什河的NOvA探测器。

This award supports work to understand neutrinos: the smallest but most common massive particle in the universe. Although there are a billion neutrinos for every more well-known electron or proton, neutrinos interact only via the so-called "weak" force: so they rarely bump into anything, even the detectors designed to study them. That means they are also the least well understood of the fundamental particles. Work at Univ. of Minnesota Duluth studies neutrino interactions with normal matter, how they change or "oscillate" as they travel along, and the astrophysical sources of neutrinos. The intellectual merit for this proposal is the that these experiments will bring us to further knowledge of three critical parameters needed to understand neutrinos: the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy, or how the masses of the three neutrinos relate to each other, improved measurements of the mass-squared difference of the three masses and mixing parameters that determine how the three alternate with each other, and vastly improved measurements of neutrino cross sections. Faculty and students working on the NOvA experiment will further the oscillation measurements and are working toward first astrophysics results. The effort includes enhancing the ability for NOvA electronics to self-detect the neutrino burst from a potential galactic supernova and share that alert with the world-wide supernova detection network. Neutrino interaction measurements continue with existing and incoming data from the MINERvA experiment. Finally, the group is pursuing work toward the next generation experiment, DUNE, including roles in the data acquisition system, design of the near detectors, and the role of neutrino interaction uncertainties in the design sensitivity of the experiment. This grant also supports broader impacts via participation and leadership of the Soudan + NOvA outreach program, which includes regular summer tours of the Soudan Underground Laboratory and the NOvA detector at the Ash River, MN site.