Project description
Improved neutrino models could more shed light on long-standing problems in physics
Funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NEUTON project seeks to increase understanding of neutrino oscillations through developing innovative neutrino interaction models in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. The new models should help reduce experimental uncertainties, while also shorten experiment running times and operation costs. Specific objectives include the implementation of realistic neutrino-nucleus reaction models into experimental event generators, and the discovery and measurement of a CP-symmetry violation in the neutrino field. If successful, the project should further understanding of open questions in physics, such as the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe, the search for dark matter through sterile neutrinos, why protons do not decay, and what causes supernovae explosions.
Objective
NEUTON is an interdisciplinary project aimed at getting a better knowledge of the NEUTrino OscillatioN phenomenon through the development and implementation of innovative neutrino interaction models in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, while reducing experimental uncertainties, and shortening running time and experimental operation costs. This proposal will be jointly developed in collaboration with the renowned Super-Kamiokande and T2K experiments, the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR, University of Tokyo) and the University of Seville. The research objectives are focused on: 1) the implementation of realistic neutrino-nucleus reactions models into experimental event generators to improve the determination of neutrino oscillation parameters and mass hierarchy, and 2) the discovery and measurement of CP-symmetry violation in the neutrino sector. The achievement of these objectives will be a crucial input towards understanding the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe and other open questions in Physics, such as the search for dark matter through sterile neutrinos, the proton decay and the analysis of supernovae explosions. The precise knowledge of these properties in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments largely depends on an accurate description of neutrino interactions, which constitutes one of the largest experimental uncertainties. Accordingly, in NEUTON we will improve and implement the sophisticated SuSAv2-MEC neutrino interaction model in event generators (NEUT and GENIE), which has proved its capability to describe neutrino data in a wide energy range, being a promising candidate to reduce the experimental systematics needed to answer the above mentioned open questions in Physics as well as to significantly shorten the required running time and the experimental costs of current and next-generation neutrino experiments.
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Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
41004 Sevilla
Spain