The neutrino physics group at IFAE studies the neutrino sector of the Standard Model, with the ultimate goal to understand the fundamental phenomena that have produced the observed asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe.
Th group is led by T. Lux
The T2K experiment in Japan
The group had a leading role in the construction of the near detector TPC for the T2K experiment in Japan. T2K data have provided the most precise measurement of antineutrino oscillation parameters and the first indication of CP violation in neutrino oscillations, recently published in Nature.
IFAE contributed to the analysis of the near detector in several aspects: from electron neutrino background determination to the development of the basic data selection of muon neutrino interactions. For many years, IFAE has had a member in the Executive Committee of the collaboration. As a result of these contributions to T2K, nine current and past members of the IFAE neutrino group were awarded the 2016 Breakthrough Prize on Fundamental Physics, together with other groups that have shaped the understanding of neutrino oscillations during the last decades.
Future generation of neutrino long baseline experiments
A significant improvement in CP measurements will be achieved in the T2K-II phase, which includes an upgrade of the beam and the near detector of T2K, ND280. The IFAE group plays a key role in the upgrade, with T. Lux being co-leader of the ND280 upgrade, which is a step towards the future generation of long baseline experiments, DUNE in USA and HyperK in Japan, as the upgraded ND280 will serve as the first near detector for HyperK.
The neutrino group has also been involved in the design and construction of the protoDUNE-DP detector at CERN, which explored the possibility to use a liquid argon dual-phase time projection chamber as far detector for DUNE. For this prototype the IFAE group, together with the CIEMAT group, provided the photon detection system, based on 40 PMTs. In addition, the IFAE group played a key role in the overall installation and commissioning of the detector at CERN.
