0000000000953736
AUTHOR
V. T. Nguyen
Event Excess in the MiniBooNE Search forν¯μ→ν¯eOscillations
The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports results from a search for {nu}{sub {mu}{yields}{nu}e} oscillations, using a data sample corresponding to 5.66x10{sup 20} protons on target. An excess of 20.9{+-}14.0 events is observed in the energy range 475<E{sub {nu}}{sup QE}<1250 MeV, which, when constrained by the observed {nu}{sub {mu}} events, has a probability for consistency with the background-only hypothesis of 0.5%. On the other hand, fitting for {nu}{sub {mu}{yields}{nu}e} oscillations, the best-fit point has a {chi}{sup 2} probability of 8.7%. The data are consistent with {nu}{sub {mu}{yields}{nu}e} oscillations in the 0.1 to 1.0 eV{sup 2} {Delta}m{sup 2} range and with the evidence…
Neutrino flux prediction at MiniBooNE
The booster neutrino experiment (MiniBooNE) searches for nu(mu)->nu(e) oscillations using the O(1 GeV) neutrino beam produced by the booster synchrotron at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory). The booster delivers protons with 8 GeV kinetic energy (8.89 GeV/c momentum) to a beryllium target, producing neutrinos from the decay of secondary particles in the beam line. We describe the Monte Carlo simulation methods used to estimate the flux of neutrinos from the beam line incident on the MiniBooNE detector for both polarities of the focusing horn. The simulation uses the Geant4 framework for propagating particles, accounting for electromagnetic processes and hadronic interactions in the…
Unexplained Excess of Electronlike Events from a 1-GeV Neutrino Beam
The MiniBooNE Collaboration observes unexplained electronlike events in the reconstructed neutrino energy range from 200 to 475 MeV. With 6.46 x 10(20) protons on target, 544 electronlike events are observed in this energy range, compared to an expectation of 415.2 +/- 43.4 events, corresponding to an excess of 128.8 +/- 20.4 +/- 38.3 events. The shape of the excess in several kinematic variables is consistent with being due to either nu(e) and (nu) over bar (e) charged-current scattering or nu(mu) neutral-current scattering with a photon in the final state. No significant excess of events is observed in the reconstructed neutrino energy range from 475 to 1250 MeV, where 408 events are obse…