English

First Observation Of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering

Nuclear Experiment 2019-04-03 v1

Abstract

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEν\nuNS) has the largest predicted cross-section of all low-energy neutrino couplings. However, as a neutral-current interaction, the only experimental signature of CEν\nuNS is a low-energy nuclear recoil, which made its detection challenging. CEν\nuNS remained unobserved for over four decades. This thesis describes the experiment that resulted in a CEν\nuNS observation at a 6.7-sigma confidence level. A low-background, 14.6-kg CsI[Na] scintillator was exposed to the neutrino emissions from the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Characteristic CEν\nuNS signatures in energy and time, compatible with predictions from the Standard Model, were observed in high signal-to-background conditions. CEν\nuNS provides new opportunities to study neutrino properties, and enables the miniaturization of detectors.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1904.01155,
  title  = {First Observation Of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering},
  author = {Bjorn J. Scholz},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1904.01155},
  year   = {2019}
}

Comments

This dissertation was submitted to the faculty of the Division of Physical Sciences at the University of Chicago in candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. It was successfully defended on October 16, 2017