Combined three flavour oscillation analysis of the T2K neutrino beam and atmospheric neutrinos in Super-Kamiokande

超级神冈探测器中 T2K 中微子束和大气中微子的三味振荡组合分析

• 批准号: 405703-2011
• 负责人: DePerio, PatrickRey
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=515579
• 关键词: Combined; three; flavour; oscillation; analysis

Understanding of our existence is the greatest question of humanity. The neutrino is a useful probe of our universe and our origins from the Big Bang. They are the most abundant elementary particle. However, they have no electric charge and pass almost unhindered through matter. Some are as old as the Universe itself, but we mostly observe those created in the sun, our atmosphere and nuclear reactors. More mysterious sources include supernovae and the unknown interior of our planet. The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics includes 3 types of neutrinos. The last 20 years of experiments have shown a strange behaviour of neutrinos known as oscillation, where one type transforms into another as it propagates through space. This phenomenon requires neutrinos to have mass, not included in the SM. Grand Unified Theories, attempt to explain the origin of neutrino mass in addition to unifying the fundamental forces. A theory, Leptogenesis, can link neutrino oscillation to why there is more matter than anti-matter in the universe. These theories require input from difficult experiments, and thus are the focus of intense study worldwide. The Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) experiment uses a proton accelerator for producing a neutrino beam. My work includes a proton beam monitor, critical for understanding the neutrino beam. Accelerator technology developed for particle physics is also used in the medical field for isotope production and radiotherapy, and in materials science. The neutrinos are measured at two detectors: a Canadian-led near detector and Super-Kamiokande, 295 km away. Here we attempt to complete the neutrino oscillation model and pave the way towards confirming Leptogenesis, bringing us closer to understanding our existence. Neutrino detectors can also be used for nuclear reactor monitoring, understanding nuclear processes in our sun, proton decay searches and supernovae early detection notification systems for astrophysicists and amateur astronomers.

理解我们的存在是人类最大的问题。中微子是一个有用的探测器，它可以探测我们的宇宙以及我们起源于大爆炸。它们是最丰富的基本粒子。然而，它们不带电荷，几乎不受阻碍地通过物质。有些和宇宙本身一样古老，但我们主要观察在太阳、我们的大气层和核反应堆中产生的那些。更神秘的来源包括超新星和未知的地球内部。 粒子物理的标准模型包括三种类型的中微子。过去20年的实验显示了中微子的一种奇怪行为，称为振荡，当中微子在太空中传播时，一种类型的中微子会转变为另一种类型。这种现象需要中微子有质量，而不是包括在SM中。大统一理论，除了统一基本作用力外，还试图解释中微子质量的起源。一种名为细起源的理论可以将中微子振荡与宇宙中为什么有更多的物质而不是反物质联系起来。这些理论需要从困难的实验中输入，因此是全世界密集研究的焦点。 东海至神冈(T2K)实验使用质子加速器来产生中微子束。我的工作包括一个质子束监测器，这对理解中微子束至关重要。为粒子物理开发的加速器技术也被用于同位素生产和放射治疗的医疗领域，以及材料科学。 中微子是在两个探测器上测量的：一个是加拿大主导的近距离探测器，另一个是295公里外的超级神冈。在这里，我们试图完成中微子振荡模型，并为确认细微成因铺平道路，使我们更接近理解我们的存在。中微子探测器还可用于核反应堆监测、了解太阳的核过程、质子衰变搜索以及为天体物理学家和业余天文学家提供的超新星早期探测通知系统。