U.S.-Japan Joint Seminar: Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions in the Few GeV Region

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

0135659 Casper This award supports the participation of American scientists in a U.S.-Japan seminar on neutrino-nucleus interactions in the few GeV region to be held in Irvine, California from December 2-4, 2003. The co-organizers are Professor David Casper of the University of California at Irvine and Dr. Makoto Sakuda of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Tsukuba, Japan. The recent discovery of neutrino oscillation represents the first compelling evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model, and has triggered enormous interest in future experiments using intense neutrino sources. Unfortunately, the increased statistical precision afforded by more powerful beams will be of little value without corresponding progress in reducing systematic uncertainties. The very large target masses necessary to detect neutrinos are typically comprised of nuclei (Carbon, Oxygen or Iron), but data on neutrino-nucleus reactions are sparse and the effects of the nuclear target are poorly understood. Moreover, the few-GeV energy regime corresponds to the boundary between quasi-elastic and resonant pion-production processes on one hand, and deep-inelastic scattering on the other, where two qualitatively different pictures of the reaction dynamics must be reconciled. Searches for rare oscillation signals in the K2K, Mini-BOONE and MINOS experiments, as well as possible future studies aimed at probing leptonic CP violation, will rely on an accurate description of exclusive neutrino-nucleus cross-sections at these energies. As partners in these experiments the U.S. and Japan are at the forefront of the exciting and rapidly evolving field of neutrino physics. This workshop will bring together theorists and experimentalists from the particle and nuclear physics communities to lay the groundwork for future progress in understanding neutrino interactions. They will attempt to confront existing models of neutrino scattering and nuclear physics with available data and synthesize them into a coherent description, which can be applied to planned or proposed experiments. Strategies for gleaning new information from near-term experiments will be explored, as well as the prospects for collaboration on future precision measurements. The project advances international human resources through the participation of a number of graduate students. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. The researchers plan to publish proceedings of the workshop on their web sites.