Observation of a first ν_τ candidate event and current status of the OPERA neutrino oscillations experiment

by Gaston Wilquet (ULB)

Tuesday 14 Dec 2010, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Brussels

large seminar room (1G-003) (IIHE (ULB-VUB))

After having briefly reminded the phenomenology of neutrino mixing and oscillations and the existing experimental results, I shall present the main scientific goal of OPERA: the first direct observation of neutrino oscillations in appearance mode, here in the ν(μ)-ν(τ) channel. I shall then describe the detector with emphasis on its unprecedented high mass high resolution target and the procedure followed to locate the neutrinos interactions into it. The current status of the analysis and its performances will be given. A fair part of the seminar will be devoted to the description and the analysis of the first ν(τ) candidate event before concluding with an outlook.

Slides opera-iihe2010.ppt