First CNGS events detected by LVD

Agafonova, N. Yu.; Aglietta, M.; Antonioli, P.; Bari, G.; Bonardi, A.; Boyarkin, V. V.; Bruno, G.; Fulgione, W.; Galeotti, P.; Garbini, M.; Ghia, P. L.; Giusti, P.; Kemp, E.; Kuznetsov, V. V.; Kuznetsov, V. A.; Malguin, A. S.; Menghetti, H.; Persiani, R.; Pesci, A.; Pless, I. A.; Porta, A.; Ryasny, V. G.; Ryazhskaya, O. G.; Saavedra, O.; Sartorelli, G.; Selvi, M.; Vigorito, C.; Votano, L.; Yakushev, V. F.; Zatsepin, G. T.; Zichichi, A.

First CNGS events detected by LVD

Authors

Description

The CERN Neutrino to Gran Sasso (CNGS) project aims to produce a high energy, wide band $ν_μ$ beam at CERN and send it toward the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), 732 km away. Its main goal is the observation of the $ν_τ$ appearance, through neutrino flavour oscillation. The beam started its operation in August 2006 for about 12 days: a total amount of $7.6~10^{17}$ protons were delivered to the target. The LVD detector, installed in hall A of the LNGS and mainly dedicated to the study of supernova neutrinos, was fully operating during the whole CNGS running time. A total number of 569 events were detected in coincidence with the beam spill time. This is in good agreement with the expected number of events from Montecarlo simulations.
Accepted for publication by the European Physical Journal C ; 7 pages, 11 figures