Exploring Neutrino Interactions with MicroBooNE

TL;DR

MicroBooNE uses a liquid argon detector to investigate low-energy electromagnetic excesses observed in neutrino experiments, aiming to distinguish photon and electron interactions and advance neutrino physics research.

Contribution

This paper introduces MicroBooNE's design and capabilities for discriminating photons from electrons, addressing longstanding anomalies in neutrino experiments and paving the way for future large-scale detectors.

Findings

MicroBooNE can effectively differentiate photons from electrons in neutrino interactions.

The detector provides detailed imaging of neutrino events at low energies.

MicroBooNE supports a broader short-baseline neutrino physics program.

Abstract

Recently, MiniBooNE observed an electromagnetic excess at low energy. What is the nature of this excess? What about the nature of the low-energy excess at LSND 20 years ago? The MicroBooNE detector will see neutrinos from the same Booster beam at Fermilab as used by MiniBooNE. MicroBooNE's design will enable us to discriminate photons from electrons elucidating the MiniBooNE and LSND low-energy electromagnetic excesses. MicroBooNE is a 170 ton liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) capable of imaging neutrino interactions with the detail of a bubble chamber, but with electronic data acquisition and processing. In addition to shining light on the low-energy excesses and measuring low-energy neutrino cross sections, MicroBooNE is leading the way for a more extensive short-baseline neutrino physics program at Fermilab and it also serves as a R&D project towards a long-baseline multi-kiloton scale LArTPC detector.