Optimization of a neutrino factory oscillation experiment

2006/06/30 by Patrick Huber, P. Huber, M. Lindner +4 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Detector #Electron neutrino #Energy (signal processing) #Measurements of neutrino speed #Muon #Neutrino #Neutrino Factory #Neutrino Physics Research #Neutrino detector #Neutrino oscillation #Nuclear physics #Optics #Oscillation (cell signaling) #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Solar neutrino #Solar neutrino problem #hep-ex #hep-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.74.073003

published as Phys.Rev.D74:073003,2006 · 51 pages, 25 figures, 6 tables, references corrected, final version to appear in Phys. Rev. D

arxiv created 2006/09/29 · openalex publication_date 2006/10/06 · arxiv updated 2014/11/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We discuss the optimization of a neutrino factory experiment for neutrino oscillation physics in terms of muon energy, baselines, and oscillation channels (gold, silver, platinum). In addition, we study the impact and requirements for detector technology improvements, and we compare the results to beta beams. We find that the optimized neutrino factory has two baselines, one at about 3000 to 5000 km, the other at about 7500 km (``magic'' baseline). The threshold and energy resolution of the golden channel detector have the most promising optimization potential. This, in turn, could be used to lower the muon energy from about 50 GeV to about 20 GeV. Furthermore, the inclusion of electron neutrino appearance with charge identification (platinum channel) could help for large values of sin²2\ensuremathθ₁₃. Though tau neutrino appearance with charge identification (silver channel) helps, in principle, to resolve degeneracies for intermediate sin²2\ensuremathθ₁₃, we find that alternative strategies may be more feasible in this parameter range. As far as matter density uncertainties are concerned, we demonstrate that their impact can be reduced by the combination of different baselines and channels. Finally, in comparison to beta beams and other alternative technologies, we clearly can establish a superior performance for a neutrino factory in the case sin²2\ensuremathθ₁₃\ensuremath\lesssim0.01.

Citations

• Solar Neutrinos Before and After Neutrino 2004
• Synergies between the first-generation JHF-SK and NuMI superbeam experiments
• Simulation of long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments with GLoBES
• Present and future bounds on non-standard neutrino interactions
• Status of global fits to neutrino oscillations
• Tests of three-flavor mixing in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments
• Damping signatures in future neutrino oscillation experiments
• Neutral currents and tests of three-neutrino unitarity in long-baseline experiments
• Signature of the minimal supersymmetric standard model with right-handed neutrinos in long baseline experiments
• Physics and optimization of beta beams: From low to very high gamma
• Neutrino oscillation physics with a neutrino factory
• CP-violation in neutrino oscillations
• Evidence for neutrino oscillations from the observation ofν¯eappearance in aν¯μbeam

Cited by

• From Unified Theories to Precision Neutrino Experiments