The first JSNS\(^2\) measurement of electron neutrino flux using \(^{12}C(\nu_{e},e^{-}) ^{12}N_{g.s.}\) reaction

• Published in: arXiv.org 2024-12
• Main Authors: Dodo, T, Cheoun, M K, Choi, J H, Choi, J Y, Goh, J, Haga, K, Harada, M, Hasegawa, S, Hwang, W, Jang, H I, Jang, J S, Joo, K K, Jung, D E, Kang, S K, Kasugai, Y, Kawasaki, T, Kim, E M, Kim, S Y, Kim, S B, Kinoshita, H, Konno, T, Lee, D H, Little, C, Maruyama, T, Marzec, E, Masuda, S, Meigo, S, Moon, D H, Nakano, T, Niiyama, M, Nishikawa, K, Pac, M Y, Park, B J, Park, H W, Park, J B, Park, J S, Park, R G, Peeters, S J M, Ryu, J W, Sakai, K, Sakamoto, S, Shima, T, Shin, C D, Spitz, J, Suekane, F, Sugaya, Y, Suzuya, K, Yamaguchi, Y, Yeo, I S, I Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Measuring instruments; Muons; Neutrinos; Pions; Spallation
• ISSN: 2331-8422

JSNS\(^2\) (J-PARC Sterile Neutrino Search at J-PARC Spallation Neutron Source) is an experiment searching for sterile neutrinos through the observation of \(\bar{\nu}_{\mu} \rightarrow \bar{\nu}_e\) appearance oscillations, using neutrinos produced by muon decay-at-rest. A key aspect of the experiment involves accurately understanding the neutrino flux and the quantities of pions and muons, which are progenitors of (anti-)neutrinos, given that their production rates have yet to be measured. We present the first electron-neutrino flux measurement using \(^{12}\mathrm{C}(\nu_{e},e^{-}) ^{12}\mathrm{N}_{g.s.}\) reaction in JSNS\(^2\), yielding a flux of (6.7 \(\pm\) 1.6 (stat.) \(\pm\) 1.7 (syst.)) \(\times\) 10\(^{-9}\) cm\(^{-2}\) proton\(^{-1}\) at the JSNS\(^2\) detector location, located at 24 meters distance from the mercury target. This flux measurement is consistent with predictions from simulations based on hadron models.