Neutrinos provide a promising window to probe a wide range of fundamental physics. Neutrino related discoveries in the last two decades indicate that the answer to the most sought after question of why we live in a matter-dominated universe maybe within reach. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment at Fermilab and South Dakota with primary goals of resolving the neutrino mass hierarchy and measuring the charge-parity violating phase, the indicator of a possible explanation for our matter dominated universe. DUNE will use the promising liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) technology as it provides high-resolution imaging of the particles produced by neutrino interactions. However, the path to DUNE is technologically very challenging as it will be the biggest, most intense neutrino experiment ever to be built. The MicroBooNE experiment, which is currently taking data with the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermilab, is providing valuable experience in operating and calibrating large LArTPC detectors. The two main physics goals of MicroBooNE are addressing the low-energy electromagnetic anomaly observed by the MiniBooNE experiment and measuring low-energy (~1 GeV) neutrino-argon cross-sections. MicroBooNE is also leading the way for an extensive Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) physics program at Fermilab to definitively address the sterile neutrino question where there are existing hints. This talk will describe the MicroBooNE, SBN and DUNE experiments and present some recent results from MicroBooNE. The DUNE prototype program is also described along with highlighting some of the technological and measurement challenges involved in realizing the DUNE experiment.
Miriam Diamond