Experimental Seminar
Exploring ν Territory: Using LArTPC Technology
by
→
US/Pacific
Madrone (SLAC)
Madrone
SLAC
Description
The discovery of neutrino oscillation, which implies that neutrinos have non-zero masses, doesn't fit naturally into the Standard Model of particle physics. The fruitful results from neutrino experiments in the past two decades have opened a window into new territory, where some of the unanswered questions in the current theory, such as the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry, may be addressed by the upcoming precision measurements. Furthermore, the intense neutrino beam and massive ultra-sensitive detectors used for the precision measurements of neutrino physics are also ideal for searches for other weakly interacting particles and rare processes, such as dark matter candidates and nucleon decays.
In this talk, I will briefly introduce the core topics of neutrino physics, including the detection of neutrinos from supernova explosions, and examples of searches for weakly interacting particles and rare processes. All of these efforts will be aided by the use of the technology of the liquid-argon time-projection chamber (LArTPC), which provides outstanding spatial and energy resolution. I will describe the MicroBooNE experiment, the first large LArTPC in the U.S., its recent results, and future LArTPC experiments.