Single Neutral Pion Production in Charged Current and Neutral Current Neutrino Interactions

Nienaber, Paul Joseph

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/77420 Copy

Description

Title

Single Neutral Pion Production in Charged Current and Neutral Current Neutrino Interactions

Author(s)

Nienaber, Paul Joseph

Issue Date

1988

Department of Study

Physics

Discipline

Physics

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Physics, Elementary Particles and High Energy

Language

eng

Abstract

An experiment run in the $\nu\sb\mu$ line of the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory is described, examining production of single $\pi\sp0$ final states in charged-current ($\nu\sb\mu n \to \mu\sp{-}p\pi\sp0$) and neutral-current ($\nu\sb\mu p \to \nu\sb\mu p\pi\sp0$ and $\nu\sb\mu n \to \nu\sb\mu n\pi\sp0$) reactions, observed in a $5{1\over2}$ ton (fiducial volume) detector consisting of aluminum spark chamber modules and plastic scintillation counters. The data sample contains approximately 470,000 beam pulses. The analysis selected for two-shower final states; the $\gamma\gamma$ and $p\gamma\gamma$ mass distributions are shown. The ratio of neutral- to charged-current single $\pi\sp0$ production is examined; and after corrections for efficiency, misidentification, and contamination from higher technology states are made, a value of R$\sp\prime$ = ${\sigma(\nu\sb\mu\ T \to \nu\sb\mu\ T\sp\prime\ \pi\sp0)}\over{2\sigma(\nu\sb\mu\ T \to \mu\sp{-} T\sp{\prime\prime} \pi\sp0)}$ = 0.248 $\pm$ 0.085 (where T is the target nucleus (for this experiment, aluminum) and T$\sp\prime$ and T$\sp{\prime\prime}$ are final target states), is obtained. The value of this ratio can be related to the Weinberg weak-mixing angle $\theta\sb{w}$, yielding a value of sin$\sp2\theta\sb{w}$ = 0.256 $\pm$ 0.156.

Graduation Semester

1988

Type of Resource

text

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/77420

Owning Collections