The Search for Theta_13 with Double Chooz

par Dr Jaime DAWSON (APC)

lundi 22 févr. 2010, 14:30 → 15:30 Europe/Paris

Batiment 25 - Salle Kandinsky (IPHC/DRS)

Seminar by Jaime Dawson (APC) __________________________________ Neutrino oscillation has been clearly established via the study of solar, atmospheric, reactor and beam neutrinos. Combination of these results requires the existence of (at least) three-neutrino mixing. Great progress has been made in measuring the mixing angles (theta_12, theta_23) and the two mass squared differences. However, the mixing angle theta_13, the mass hierarchy and the delta_cp phase are still currently unknown. Whilst a measurement of theta_13 would complete the knowledge of the mixing angles, even a more stringent upper limit would be useful since the size of theta_13 has a great bearing on the possibility to observe CP violation in the leptonic sector with upcoming neutrino experiments. The Double Chooz experiment is the first of the next wave of reactor experiments searching for a non-vanishing value of the mixing angle theta_13. The experiment is due to start in April of this year. I will present the experimental concept, detector design and current status. I will discuss the most pertinent backgrounds, and the expected sensitivity.