Seminario CUICBAS: The NuMI Off-Axis νe Appearance (NOvA) Experiment at Fermilab

Seminario CUICBAS: The NuMI Off-Axis $latex \nu_e$ Appearance (NOvA) Experiment at Fermilab, por Jonathan Paley, del Laboratorio Nacional Argonne. Viernes, 22 de julio, 4:00pm, auditorio de la Facultad de Ciencias.

Abstract: The past 15 years has seen a revolution in our understanding of one of nature's most elusive particle, the neutrino. We now understand that the neutrino changes flavor from one type to another, indicating that they are massive particles. However, there is much we have to learn about the neutrino, in particular whether or not muon-neutrinos oscillate to electron-neutrinos. The primary goal of the NuMI Off-Axis $latex \nu_e$ Appearance (NOvA) experiment at Fermilab is to extend the search for $latex \nu_\mu\to\nu_e$ oscillations by approximately an order of magnitude beyond the current upper limit. Secondary goals of the NOvA experiment are to use matter effects and running in both neutrino and anti-neutrino mode to study the mass ordering of the three neutrino flavors and search for CP violation in the neutrino sector. In this presentation, I will outline our current understanding of neutrino oscillations, give an overview of the NOvA experiment, present the status of the prototype NOvA detector currently operating on the surface at Fermilab, and discuss the future of both NOvA and the world-wide experimental neutrino program.