Search for a Sterile Neutrino in a 3+1 Framework using Wire-Cell Inclusive Charged-Current nue Selection with the BNB and NuMI beamlines in MicroBooNE

UNSPECIFIED (2024) Search for a Sterile Neutrino in a 3+1 Framework using Wire-Cell Inclusive Charged-Current nue Selection with the BNB and NuMI beamlines in MicroBooNE. Other. UNSPECIFIED.

Abstract

A search for a sterile neutrino is being carried out in the MicroBooNE experiment within the 3+1 (three flavors of active neutrinos + one flavor of sterile neutrino) framework using neutrinos from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) and the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI). The sensitivity of this search is built upon high performance inclusive charged-current electron neutrino and muon neutrino event selections. The previous 3+1 sterile neutrino search using only BNB data, the cancellation between νeνe​ disappearance and νeνe​ appearance oscillations led to a reduced oscillation effect in the νeνe​ energy spectrum resulting in a degeneracy of the oscillation parameters. Such a degeneracy is shown to be mitigated by including the neutrino events from the NuMI beam. In this note, the prospect of a 3+1 oscillation analysis using both BNB and NuMI is reported, considerably improving the sensitivity to 3+1 neutrino oscillations.