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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Measurement of the neutrino-oxygen neutral-current quasielastic cross section using atmospheric neutrinos in the SK-Gd experiment

S. Sakai34, K. Abe1,46, C. Bronner1, Y. Hayato1,46, K. Hiraide1,46, K. Hosokawa1, K. Ieki1,46, M. Ikeda1,46, J. Kameda1,46 et al. (Super-Kamiokande Collaboration)

J. Kameda1,46, Y. Kanemura1,46, R. Kaneshima1,46, Y. Kashiwagi1, Y. Kataoka1,46, S. Miki1, S. Mine1,6, M. Miura1,46, S. Moriyama1,46, Y. Nakano1, M. Nakahata1,46, S. Nakayama1,46, Y. Noguchi1,46, K. Sato1, H. Sekiya1,46, H. Shiba1, K. Shimizu1, M. Shiozawa1,46, Y. Sonoda1, Y. Suzuki1, A. Takeda1,46, Y. Takemoto1,46, H. Tanaka1,46, T. Yano1, S. Han2, T. Kajita2,46,22, K. Okumura2,46, T. Tashiro2, T. Tomiya2, X. Wang2, S. Yoshida2, P. Fernandez3, L. Labarga3, N. Ospina3, B. Zaldivar3, B. W. Pointon5,49, E. Kearns4,46, J. L. Raaf4, L. Wan4, T. Wester4, J. Bian6, N. J. Griskevich6, S. Locke6, M. B. Smy6,46, H. W. Sobel6,46, V. Takhistov6,24, A. Yankelevich6, J. Hill7, M. C. Jang8, S. H. Lee8, D. H. Moon8, R. G. Park8, B. Bodur9, K. Scholberg9,46, C. W. Walter9,46, A. Beauchêne10, O. Drapier10, A. Giampaolo10, Th. A. Mueller10, A. D. Santos10, P. Paganini10, B. Quilain10, T. Nakamura11, J. S. Jang12, L. N. Machado13, J. G. Learned14, K. Choi15, N. Iovine15, S. Cao16, L. H. V. Anthony17, D. Martin17, N. W. Prouse17, M. Scott17, A. A. Sztuc17, Y. Uchida17, V. Berardi18, N. F. Calabria18, M. G. Catanesi18, E. Radicioni18, A. Langella19, G. De Rosa19, G. Collazuol20, F. Iacob20, M. Mattiazzi20, L. Ludovici21, M. Gonin22, G. Pronost22, C. Fujisawa23, Y. Maekawa23, Y. Nishimura23, R. Okazaki23, R. Akutsu24, M. Friend24, T. Hasegawa24, T. Ishida24, T. Kobayashi24, M. Jakkapu24, T. Matsubara24, T. Nakadaira24, K. Nakamura24,46, Y. Oyama24, K. Sakashita24, T. Sekiguchi24, T. Tsukamoto24, N. Bhuiyan25, G. T. Burton25, F. Di Lodovico25, J. Gao25, A. Goldsack25, T. Katori25, J. Migenda25, R. M. Ramsden25, Z. Xie25, S. Zsoldos25,46, A. T. Suzuki26, Y. Takagi26, H. Zhong26, Y. Takeuchi26,46, J. Feng27, L. Feng27, J. R. Hu27, Z. Hu27, M. Kawaue27, T. Kikawa27, M. Mori27, T. Nakaya27,46, R. A. Wendell27,46, K. Yasutome27, S. J. Jenkins28, N. McCauley28, P. Mehta28, A. Tarant28, Y. Fukuda29, Y. Itow30,31, H. Menjo30, K. Ninomiya30, Y. Yoshioka30, J. Lagoda32, S. M. Lakshmi32, M. Mandal32, P. Mijakowski32, Y. S. Prabhu32, J. Zalipska32, M. Jia33, J. Jiang33, C. K. Jung33, W. Shi33, M. J. Wilking33, C. Yanagisawa33,*, M. Harada34, Y. Hino34, H. Ishino34, Y. Koshio34,46, F. Nakanishi34, T. Tada34, T. Tano34, T. Ishizuka35, G. Barr36, D. Barrow36, L. Cook36,46, S. Samani36, D. Wark36,41, A. Holin37, F. Nova37, S. Jung38, B. S. Yang38, J. Y. Yang38, J. Yoo38, J. E. P. Fannon39, L. Kneale39, M. Malek39, J. M. McElwee39, M. D. Thiesse39, L. F. Thompson39, S. T. Wilson39, H. Okazawa40, S. B. Kim42, E. Kwon42, J. W. Seo42, I. Yu42, A. K. Ichikawa43, K. D. Nakamura43, S. Tairafune43, K. Nishijima44, A. Eguchi45, K. Nakagiri45, Y. Nakajima45,46, S. Shima45, N. Taniuchi45, E. Watanabe45, M. Yokoyama45,46, P. de Perio46, S. Fujita46, K. Martens46, K. M. Tsui46, M. R. Vagins46,6, J. Xia46, S. Izumiyama47, M. Kuze47, R. Matsumoto47, M. Ishitsuka48, H. Ito48, Y. Ommura48, N. Shigeta48, M. Shinoki48, K. Yamauchi48, T. Yoshida48, R. Gaur49, V. Gousy-Leblanc49,†, M. Hartz49, A. Konaka49, X. Li49, S. Chen50, B. D. Xu50, B. Zhang50, M. Posiadala-Zezula51, S. B. Boyd52, R. Edwards52, D. Hadley52, M. Nicholson52, M. O’Flaherty52, B. Richards52, A. Ali53,49, B. Jamieson53, S. Amanai54, Ll. Marti54, A. Minamino54, and S. Suzuki54 (Super-Kamiokande Collaboration)

  • 1Kamioka Observatory, Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kamioka, Gifu 506-1205, Japan
  • 2Research Center for Cosmic Neutrinos, Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582, Japan
  • 3Department of Theoretical Physics, University Autonoma Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
  • 4Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
  • 5Department of Physics, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 3H2, Canada
  • 6Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-4575, USA
  • 7Department of Physics, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, California 90747, USA
  • 8Institute for Universe and Elementary Particles, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, South Korea
  • 9Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
  • 10Ecole Polytechnique, IN2P3-CNRS, Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, F-91120 Palaiseau, France
  • 11Department of Physics, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
  • 12GIST College, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, South Korea
  • 13School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
  • 14Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
  • 15Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34126, South Korea
  • 16Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Education, ICISE, Quy Nhon 55121, Vietnam
  • 17Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
  • 18Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica, INFN Sezione di Bari and Università e Politecnico di Bari, I-70125 Bari, Italy
  • 19Dipartimento di Fisica, INFN Sezione di Napoli and Università di Napoli, I-80126 Napoli, Italy
  • 20Dipartimento di Fisica, INFN Sezione di Padova and Università di Padova, I-35131 Padova, Italy
  • 21INFN Sezione di Roma and Università di Roma “La Sapienza,” I-00185 Roma, Italy
  • 22ILANCE, CNRS—University of Tokyo International Research Laboratory, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582, Japan
  • 23Department of Physics, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
  • 24High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
  • 25Department of Physics, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
  • 26Department of Physics, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan
  • 27Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
  • 28Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE, United Kingdom
  • 29Department of Physics, Miyagi University of Education, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan
  • 30Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
  • 31Kobayashi-Maskawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
  • 32National Centre For Nuclear Research, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
  • 33Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794-3800, USA
  • 34Department of Physics, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
  • 35Media Communication Center, Osaka Electro-Communication University, Neyagawa, Osaka 572-8530, Japan
  • 36Department of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
  • 37Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxford OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
  • 38Department of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
  • 39Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom
  • 40Department of Informatics in Social Welfare, Shizuoka University of Welfare, Yaizu, Shizuoka 425-8611, Japan
  • 41STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxford, United Kingdom and Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
  • 42Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, South Korea
  • 43Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
  • 44Department of Physics, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan
  • 45Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
  • 46Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583, Japan
  • 47Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
  • 48Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
  • 49TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T2A3, Canada
  • 50Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • 51Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
  • 52Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
  • 53Department of Physics, University of Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 3L8, Canada
  • 54Department of Physics, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan

  • *Also at BMCC/CUNY, Science Department, New York, New York 1007, USA.
  • †Also at University of Victoria, Department of Physics and Astronomy, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada.
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Phys. Rev. D 109, L011101 – Published 4 January, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.L011101

Abstract

We report the first measurement of the atmospheric neutrino-oxygen neutral-current quasielastic (NCQE) cross section in the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande (SK) water Cherenkov detector. In June 2020, SK began a new experimental phase, named SK-Gd, by loading 0.011% by mass of gadolinium into the ultrapure water of the SK detector. The introduction of gadolinium to ultrapure water has the effect of improving the neutron-tagging efficiency. Using a 552.2 day dataset from August 2020 to June 2022, we measure the NCQE cross section to be 0.74±0.22(stat)−0.15+0.85(syst)×10−38  cm2/oxygen  in the energy range from 160 MeV to 10 GeV, which is consistent with the atmospheric neutrino-flux-averaged theoretical NCQE cross section and the measurement in the SK pure-water phase within the uncertainties. Furthermore, we compare the models of the nucleon-nucleus interactions in water and find that the binary cascade model and the Liège intranuclear cascade model provide a somewhat better fit to the observed data than the Bertini cascade model. Since the atmospheric neutrino-oxygen NCQE reactions are one of the main backgrounds in the search for diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB), these new results will contribute to future studies—and the potential discovery—of the DSNB in SK.

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Phys. Rev. D 109, L011101– Published 4 January, 2024
  • Received 7 November 2023
  • Accepted 11 December 2023
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

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