A Data-Driven Method of Background Prediction at NOvA

Understand

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that will use the NuMI beam originating at Fermilab.

• NOvA enables the study of two oscillation channels: $\nu_{\mu}$ disappearance and $\nu_{e}$ appearance.
• It consists of two functionally identical detectors, the near detector (ND) at Fermilab and the far detector (FD) near International Falls in Northern Minnesota.
• The ND will be used to study the neutrino beam spectrum and composition before oscillation, and measure background rate to the $\nu_e$ appearance search.