Ttitle: Neutrino Oscillations and the path to neutrino CP violation

Speaker: Prof. Jenny Thomas (University College London)

Moderator: Prof. CAO Jun

Time: 10:30, December 2

Place: Room C305, IHEP Main Building

Abstract:

The recent Nobel Prize for neutrino oscillations has brought this field under the spotlight. A number of seminal experiments first discovered and then confirmed the presence of this quantum mechanical effect.

The MINOS experiment has been the work horse of the FNAL neutrino program and over the last 7 years has contributed to a number of seminal measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters. MINOS+, a new phase of the experiment, has been taking data for 2 years now to search for any-new-effect-it-can-find in the neutrino oscillation spectrum, but will also continue to contribute to the "standard parameter" measurements worldwide. Looking to the future, the NOVA experiment has started taking data and the initial results could point to an optimal line up of the parameters for this experiment’s success. If we are to learn about CP violation in the neutrino sector in the coming decade, and possibly explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe NOVA could be augmented with a new experiment in the NuMI beam: CHIPS is one such experiment, a novel water Cherenkov detector using a unique body of water in the path of the NuMI beam to reduce costs of its mechanical structure. Its other unique feature is the use of good timing and position of small PMTs to reduce the total photo-cathode coverage to make it even more cost effective. Work has been ongoing on the design and prototyping over the last two years.

About the speaker:

Jenny Thomas is a professor at UCL, UK and has been the co-spokesperson of MINOS and now MINOS+ for the last 6 years. Graduated from London University in 1980, D.Phil from Oxford in 1983, she has worked on experiments at DESY (TASSO), CERN (ALEPH), the ill-fated SSC (GEM) and at FNAL (MINOS and now OVA).Her work spans b physics at PETRA, the first search for the very light Higgs at LEP, WW scattering in PP collisions and neutrino oscillation parameter measurements with the MINOS experiment. She is proposing a new experiment in the NuMI beam line, which could potentially revolutionize the cost to volume ratio of giant water Cherenkov detectors.