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Raquel Castillo Fernandez (Fermilab) “Searching for Nu Physics with High Resolution Detectors”
February 25, 2020 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Abstract:
Neutrino physics aims to answer some of the most pressing questions in particle physics: why the Universe is dominated by matter, why the neutrino mass is so small and if there are more types of neutrinos. Due to the neutrino’s weakly interacting nature and the complexity of their interactions, this research requires very large detectors able to identify low energy particles. This challenge has pushed the development of new technologies, such as the liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detectors, allowing for unprecedented precision in particle reconstruction, and to expand the scientific program searching for more rare channels are present in some theories of new physics beyond the current standard model. After briefly reviewing the basis of neutrino physics, I will introduce the main principles of the LArTPC detectors and how they can help us addressing some of the most relevant questions in particle physics. I will also describe the scientific achievements and the potential of the LArTPC neutrino program in the U.S., the current short (MicroBooNE/SBN) and the future long-baseline (DUNE) neutrino experiments.