Progress with the Off-axis Experiment

LoI and PAC Response Ongoing detectors R&D Simulation efforts Sites UCL meeting Next steps

Recent Developments

A Letter of Intent has been submitted to Fermilab in June expressing interest in a new effort using off-axis detector in the NuMI beam

This would most likely be a ~15 year long, 2 phase effort, culminating in study of CP violation

The LOI was considered by the Fermilab PAC at its Aspen July, 2002, meeting

PAC response: I

Given the exciting recent results, the eagerly anticipated results from the present and near future program, and the worldwide interest in future experiments, it is clear that the field of neutrino physics is rapidly evolving. Fermilab is already well positioned to contribute through its investment in MiniBooNE and NuMI/ MINOS. Beyond this, the significant investment made by the Laboratory in NuMI could be further exploited to play an important role in the elucidation of 13 and the exciting possibility of observing CP violation in the neutrino sector. The Committee encourages the Laboratory to continue to engage with the neutrino community through workshops and colloquia in an ongoing exploration of the experimental possibilities utilizing Fermilab's unique resources. The Committee anticipates that the Laboratory may want to issue a Call for Proposals in a year or two if a compelling role for Fermilab is identified.

PAC Response II: (Good) Questions

1. Can one confidently pick a location of the off-axis experiment today? What is the flexibility in optimizing the location of the detector once m2

23 is known better?

2. What is the optimum detector technology, for a fixed cost, to measure 13?

3. What is the discovery reach (as well as the 90%CL limit) in 13 and the achievable precision in such a measurement?

4. What supporting measurements are critical to understand the background? In particular, can the nature and magnitude of all important backgrounds be determined experimentally?

5. If the MINOS on-axis near detector is the only one available to characterize the beam, how well can the flux at the off-axis far detector be understood?

6. How does the detector proposed fit into a longer term program to measure CP violation? Should one adopt in the first stage the technology most appropriate for the later stages?

7. In view of the low signal rates, how significant are the cosmic-ray backgrounds, and is it convincing that the detector can be on or near the surface? Is there other compelling physics that an underground version of the same detector could do?

8. Are there other important measurements that a 20 kton detector optimized for electron ID could perform?

Current Efforts

R&D effort on light Z detectors is ongoing: RPC testing: Fermilab/Argonne Cosmic rays background measurement: Fermilab Liquid scintillator: engineering, CCD readout: Minnesota Electron ID studies: Stanford Containerized detector simulation: Fermilab RPC glass workshop (joint with the NLC

calorimeter R&D at Argonne) planned in November

Workshop on detector technology issues planned for January, 2003

Two Most Attractive Sites

Closer site, in Minnesota About 711 km from Fermilab Close to Soudan Laboratory Unused former mine Utilities available Flexible regarding exact location Detailed studies, including building construction, initiated by

UM Further site, in Canada, along Trans-Canada

highway About 985 km from Fermilab There are two possibilities:

About 3 km to the west, south of Stewart Lodge About 2 km to the east, at the gravel pit site, near compressor

station

Location of Canadian Sites (S. Menary + Ontario Ministry of Mines)

Schedule

Proposal to DOE/NSF in early 2003 for support of R&D and subsequent construction of a Near Detector in NuMI beam to be taking data by early 2005

Proposal for construction of a 25 kt detector in late 2004

Site selection, experiment approval, and start of construction in late 2005

Start of data taking in the Far Detector in late 2007

UCL Meeting

Monday, September 16, 10 am-5 pm UCL London,

Massey Lecture Theater

‘All about NuMI off-axis’.

Welcome…