Speaker: Prabhjot Singh, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract: Neutrino-nucleus interactions are one of the major systematics in neutrino oscillation experiments. In this high-precision era of neutrino oscillation measurements, the neutrino oscillation experiments need to have a good understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions to reduce uncertainties in the oscillation measurements. NOvA is a long-baseline accelerator-based internationally-collaborated neutrino experiment based in the USA. NOvA uses an intense neutrino beam produced at Fermilab’s accelerator complex to make physics measurements of neutrino oscillations, neutrino cross sections, and other exotic and beyond the Standard Model neutrino analyses. For its physics goals, NOvA uses two functionally identical detectors. The Near Detector (ND) is situated at Fermilab, 1 km from the neutrino target and the Far Detector (FD) is located at Ash River, MN, 810 km from the neutrino source. The ND sees a high intensity of the neutrino beam due to its proximity to the neutrino target. This gives us a unique opportunity for high-precision neutrino cross-section measurements. In this seminar, we will talk about the motivations for doing neutrino cross-section measurements. We will also discuss different aspects of the NOvA experiment, and detectors. Finally, we present our latest muon antineutrino charge current inclusive cross-section measurement results in the NOvA ND. The new measurement is a triple differential cross section in antimuon kinematic phase-space and in the total energy of all observable final state hadrons, also known as the available energy. We also compare our data results to various neutrino generator predictions, for example, comparisons to GENIE, NuWro, NEUT, and GiBUU neutrino generators are presented.