M. Kleifges

Upper limits for neutrino oscillations ν ¯ μ → ν ¯ e from muon decay at rest

The KARMEN experiment at the spallation neutron source ISIS used \numub from \mup--decay at rest in the search for neutrino oscillations \numubnueb in the appearance mode, with p(\nueb,e+)n as detection reaction of \nueb. In total, 15 candidates fulfill all conditions for the \nueb signature, in agreement with the background expectation of 15.8+-0.5 events, yielding no indication for oscillations. A single event based likelihood analysis leads to upper limits on the oscillation parameters: sin^2(2theta) 100 eV^2 and Dm^2<0.055 eV^2 for sin^2(2theta)=1 at 90% confidence. Thus, KARMEN does not confirm the LSND experiment and restricts significantly its favored parameter region for \numubnueb.

A search for low-mass WIMPs with EDELWEISS-II heat-and-ionization detectors

We report on a search for low-energy (E < 20 keV) WIMP-induced nuclear recoils using data collected in 2009 - 2010 by EDELWEISS from four germanium detectors equipped with thermal sensors and an electrode design (ID) which allows to efficiently reject several sources of background. Using an exposure of 113 kg.d, we find no evidence for an exponential distribution of low-energy nuclear recoils that could be attributed to WIMP elastic scattering. For WIMPs of mass 10 GeV, the observation of one event in the WIMP search region results in a 90% CL limit of 1.0 \times 10^-5 pb on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross-section, which constrains the parameter space associated with the findings reported by the CoGeNT, DAMA and CRESST experiments.

Measurement of the pressure dependence of air fluorescence emission induced by electrons

The fluorescence detection of ultra high energy (>10^18 eV) cosmic rays requires a detailed knowledge of the fluorescence light emission from nitrogen molecules, which are excited by the cosmic ray shower particles along their path in the atmosphere. We have made a precise measurement of the fluorescence light spectrum excited by MeV electrons in dry air. We measured the relative intensities of 34 fluorescence bands in the wavelength range from 284 to 429 nm with a high resolution spectrograph. The pressure dependence of the fluorescence spectrum was also measured from a few hPa up to atmospheric pressure. Relative intensities and collisional quenching reference pressures for bands due to transitions from a common upper level were found in agreement with theoretical expectations. The presence of argon in air was found to have a negligible effect on the fluorescence yield. We estimated that the systematic uncertainty on the cosmic ray shower energy due to the pressure dependence of the fluorescence spectrum is reduced to a level of 1% by the AIRFLY results presented in this paper.

Upper limits for neutrino oscillations muon-anti-neutrino ---> electron-anti-neutrino from muon decay at rest

The KARMEN experiment at the spallation neutron source ISIS used \numub from \mup--decay at rest in the search for neutrino oscillations \numubnueb in the appearance mode, with p(\nueb,e+)n as detection reaction of \nueb. In total, 15 candidates fulfill all conditions for the \nueb signature, in agreement with the background expectation of 15.8+-0.5 events, yielding no indication for oscillations. A single event based likelihood analysis leads to upper limits on the oscillation parameters: sin^2(2theta) 100 eV^2 and Dm^2<0.055 eV^2 for sin^2(2theta)=1 at 90% confidence. Thus, KARMEN does not confirm the LSND experiment and restricts significantly its favored parameter region for \numubnueb.

Anomaly in the time distribution of neutrinos from a pulsed beam stop source

Abstract Analysis of the charged and neutral current reactions 12 C (ν e , e − ) 12 N and 12 C (ν, ν′) 12 C ∗ induced by neutrinos from π+- and μ+-decays at rest reveals an anomaly in the time distribution after all π+ have decayed: the measured time constant for subsequent events differs substantially from the value of 2.2 μs corresponding to the μ+ lifetime. This anomaly cannot currently be explained by background processes or errors in the experimental set-up. A satisfactory description of the time spectrum is achieved by assuming it has two components, one exponential with a 2.2 μs time constant, the other a Gaussian signal of 83±28 events at 3.6 μs after beam-on-target. A speculative explanation, but one fully consistent with all the data, is that these delayed events originate from the decay of a slowly moving (β∼0.02) massive neutral particle produced in the beam stop. Further measurements to improve statistical significance are necessary.

First observation of the neutral current nuclear excitation 12C(v,v′)12C∗(1+, 1)

Abstract The neutral current nuclear excitation 12 (v,v′) 12 C ∗ (1 + , 1; 15.1 MeV) has been observed for the first time. For v e and v μ from μ + -decay at rest the flux averaged cross section was determined to be NC (v e + v μ ) > = [10.8±5.1 (stat.) ±1.1 (syst.)]×10 −42 cm 2 .

Radio measurements of the energy and the depth of the shower maximum of cosmic-ray air showers by Tunka-Rex

We reconstructed the energy and the position of the shower maximum of air showers with energies E & 100PeV applying a method using radio measurements performed with Tunka-Rex. An event-to-event comparison to air-Cherenkov measurements of the same air showers with the Tunka-133 photomultiplier array confirms that the radio reconstruction works reliably. The Tunka-Rex reconstruction methods and absolute scales have been tuned on CoREAS simulations and yield energy and Xmax values consistent with the Tunka-133 measurements. The results of two independent measurement seasons agree within statistical uncertainties, which gives additional confidence in the radio reconstruction. The energy precision of Tunka-Rex is comparable to the Tunka-133 precision of 15 %, and exhibits a 20% uncertainty on the absolute scale dominated by the amplitude calibration of the antennas. For Xmax, this is the first direct experimental correlation of radio measurements with a different, established method. At the moment, the Xmax resolution of Tunka-Rex is approximately 40 g/cm2. This resolution can probably be improved by deploying additional antennas and by further development of the reconstruction methods, since the present analysis does not yet reveal any principle limitations.

Cross section of the charged current reaction 12C(ve, e−)12Ng.s.

Abstract The charged current nuclear transition 12 C(v e , e − ) 12 N g.s. has been observed in the KARMEN experiment. The flux average cross section for ve from μ+ decay at rest is determined to be 〈σ〉 = [8.1±0.9(stat.)±0.75 (syst.)]×10−42cm2. For the first time also the energy dependence of the cross section has been measured for neutrino energies up to 50 MeV.

Constraints on low-mass WIMPs from the EDELWEISS-III dark matter search

We present the results of a search for elastic scattering from galactic dark matter in the form of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in the 4-30 GeV/

Development and underground test of radiopure ZnMoO4 scintillating bolometers for the LUMINEU 0 nu 2 beta project

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