Demonstration of MeV-Scale Physics in Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers Using ArgoNeuT

Understand

MeV-scale energy depositions by low-energy photons produced in neutrino-argon interactions have been identified and reconstructed in ArgoNeuT liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) data.

• ArgoNeuT data collected on the NuMI beam at Fermilab were analyzed to select isolated low-energy depositions in the TPC volume.
• The total number, reconstructed energies and positions of these depositions have been compared to those from simulations of neutrino-argon interactions using the FLUKA Monte Carlo generator.
• Measured features are consistent with energy depositions from photons produced by de-excitation of the neutrino's target nucleus and by inelastic scattering of primary neutrons produced by neutrino-argon interactions.