RUI: Neutrino Physics Research at the University of Minnesota Duluth

该奖项支持理解中微子的工作：中微子是宇宙中最小但最常见的大质量粒子。尽管每一个更著名的电子或质子对应10亿个中微子，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，甚至是为研究它们而设计的探测器。这意味着它们也是最不为人所知的基本粒子。明尼苏达大学德卢斯分校的工作是研究中微子与正常物质的相互作用，中微子在传播过程中如何变化或“振荡”，以及中微子的天体物理来源。这一提议的智力价值在于，这些实验将使我们进一步了解了解中微子所需的三个关键参数：中微子质量层次的确定，或者三种中微子的质量如何相互关联，改进了三种质量的质量平方差和混合参数的测量，这些参数决定了三种中微子如何相互交替，以及极大地改进了中微子横截面的测量。从事新星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电子设备自我探测来自潜在星系超新星的中微子爆发的能力，并与世界范围的超新星探测网络共享警报。中微子相互作用的测量继续使用MINERvA实验中现有的和传入的数据。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苏丹+新星外展计划来支持更广泛的影响，该计划包括定期夏季参观苏丹地下实验室和位于明尼苏达州阿什河的新星探测器。

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.