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NU 4 ν: nuclear ab initio methods for neutrino physics

Project description

Laying the groundwork to interpret cutting-edge neutrino experiments

We are entering an era of high-precision neutrino oscillation experiments. Their scientific programme requires precise knowledge of neutrino-nucleus interactions. At the same time, ab initio many-body theory has made great advances in recent years and is able to give relevant predictions for medium-mass nuclei. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NU 4 nu project pushes nuclear structure calculations towards new applications and higher energy regions. It develops tools for Monte Carlo event generators based on the coupled cluster framework that will enhance understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions for better interpretation of future neutrino experiments.

Objective

We are entering an era of high-precision neutrino oscillation experiments (T2HK, DUNE), which potentially hold answers to some of the most exciting questions in particle physics. These future scientific discoveries require a precise knowledge of neutrino-nucleus interactions for a wide range of energies and nuclear targets, mainly medium-mass nuclei like oxygen and argon. Presently, this goal is far from being reached due to the simplistic nuclear models used in experimental analyses performed with the Monte Carlo (MC) event generators. In view of these needs, “NU 4 ν: nuclear ab initio methods for neutrino physics” gives an insight from more fundamental nuclear studies and delivers consistent theoretical predictions.

“NU 4 ν” is an interdisciplinary endeavour which pushes nuclear structure calculations towards new applications and higher energy regions. We propose to employ the coupled cluster (CC) framework to deliver and benchmark a set of tools that will be implemented in the MC event generators. For the first time we want to employ a fundamental many-body theory to give results on various steps of simulation done within the MC generators. Not only we encapsulate the physics of the nuclear ground state through an established formalism of spectral functions, but we also account for the effects of nuclear correlations in the intra-nuclear cascade, an integral part of the MC generators, leading to an unprecedented theoretical consistency.

The CC theory is perfectly suited to describe systems as large as oxygen and argon, pivotal for the neutrino experiments. Recently it has been combined with Lorentz integral transform (LIT-CC) method opening the door to calculate neutrino-nucleus cross-sections from first principles. The concurrent planned research of the host group using the LIT-CC method will give a unique chance to compare both approaches and perform an analysis of theoretical uncertainties.

Coordinator

JOHANNES GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITAT MAINZ
Net EU contribution
€ 162 806,40
Address
SAARSTRASSE 21
55122 Mainz
Germany

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Region
Rheinland-Pfalz Rheinhessen-Pfalz Mainz, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
€ 162 806,40