Researchers David Marzocca, Francesco Montagno, Manuel Morales-Alvarado, and Andrea Wulzer, affiliated with various institutions including the University of Padova and the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in Italy, have published a study exploring the potential of a muon collider for advancing our understanding of fundamental particle physics. Their work was published in the journal Physical Review D.
In their research, the scientists investigate how a high-energy muon collider could produce a focused beam of neutrinos, which are elusive particles that rarely interact with matter. This neutrino beam, generated as a byproduct of the muon collider, could be used for a fixed-target experiment at a dedicated facility. The high intensity and energy of the neutrino beam make it particularly well-suited for studying neutrino interactions with nucleons (protons and neutrons) in a regime known as the deeply inelastic regime.
The study assesses the precision with which such an experiment could measure neutrino scattering, focusing on the determination of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) quark mixing matrix. This matrix is a fundamental component of the Standard Model of particle physics, describing how quarks—the building blocks of protons and neutrons—transform into each other during weak interactions. The researchers find that the experiment could significantly improve the precision of these measurements, surpassing current standards.
The analysis also highlights the potential for a combined determination of parton distribution functions (PDFs), which describe the momentum distribution of quarks and gluons within nucleons. Accurate knowledge of PDFs is crucial for interpreting the results of high-energy physics experiments, including those at particle colliders.
While this research is primarily focused on fundamental particle physics, it has indirect implications for the energy sector, particularly in the context of advanced energy technologies that may emerge from a deeper understanding of particle interactions. For instance, improved knowledge of quark mixing and neutrino interactions could contribute to the development of more efficient and innovative energy production methods, such as those involving nuclear processes or advanced particle accelerators. However, these applications are speculative and would require significant further research and development.
Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of a parasitic neutrino experiment at a muon collider, motivating detailed future studies to explore these possibilities further. The findings underscore the value of interdisciplinary research in advancing both fundamental science and practical applications in the energy sector.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.