Messerly, Benjamin
(2020)
Single Charged Pion Production by Muon Neutrinos in the MINERvA Detector Using the NuMI Beam.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
This is the latest version of this item.
Abstract
The next generation of long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments (DUNE, Hyper-K) aims to conclusively answer the outstanding questions in neutrino oscillation physics, including the nature of lepton CP-symmetry violation and the validity of the three-neutrino paradigm. The success of this program relies on excellent beam flux simulation and precisely-known cross sections for all neutrino-nucleus scattering processes. Currently, uncertainties on these models are large, and experiments such as MINERvA, located in the NuMI neutrino beamline at Fermilab, are dedicated to reducing them. This thesis makes improvements both to flux simulation models—via reduction in hadron focusing uncertainties in the G4NuMI simulation—and to cross section knowledge—via a pion production cross section measurement in the critical “transition region” between resonance and deep inelastic scattering. The cross section measurement performed is of muon neutrino charged current single charged pion production on hydrocarbon in the MINERvA detector and at mean neutrino energy of 6 GeV. The cross section is high-statistics, minimally-model dependent, and measured as a function of several muon, pion, and event-wide variables, including the first measurement of an invariant hadronic mass-like variable in the positive pion channel. Results are compared to the GENIE event generator, and found to broadly agree, though outstanding discrepancies remain in low four-momentum transfer squared and pion kinematics.
Share
| Citation/Export: |
|
| Social Networking: |
|
Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
|
| Date: |
16 January 2020 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
3 December 2019 |
| Approval Date: |
16 January 2020 |
| Submission Date: |
4 December 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
250 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Physics |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
numi
pion
minerva
nucleus
neutrino
cross section |
| Date Deposited: |
16 Jan 2020 19:13 |
| Last Modified: |
16 Jan 2020 19:13 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/38098 |
Available Versions of this Item
Metrics
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}