DUNE-PRISM: Reducing neutrino interaction model dependence with a movable neutrino detector (2501.14811v1)

Abstract: The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment designed to make precision measurements in the world's most powerful neutrino beam. Neutrinos are measured at two detector facilities: a near detector (ND) located at Fermilab close to where the beam is produced and a far detector (FD) at SURF. The Precision Reaction Independent Spectrum Measurement (PRISM) system allows for the measurement of different neutrino energy spectra by moving the near detector away from the central axis of the neutrino beam. These off-axis neutrino energy spectra provide a new degree of freedom that can be used to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between the observable energy deposits in the detector and the energy of the interacting neutrino. This can benefit DUNE by significantly reducing the impact of systematic uncertainties in the neutrino interaction model. One possible use of the PRISM system is to perform a novel neutrino oscillation analysis that linearly combines off-axis neutrino energy spectra at the near detector to produce data-driven predictions of the far detector energy spectrum.