Anyssa Navrer-Agasson (Imperial)

Exploring physics beyond the Standard Model with the MicroBooNE detector

Abstract: MicroBooNE is an 85-tonne active mass liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) located at Fermilab and part of the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) programme. MicroBooNE was exposed to two high-intensity neutrino beams between 2015 and 2021, accumulating a large dataset of neutrino interactions that enabled crucial results on neutrino physics. However, the physics reach of MicroBooNE extends beyond neutrino studies; it is also a versatile platform for exploring Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) physics. MicroBooNE’s BSM program is particularly rich, including searches for hypothetical particles and interactions that could answer some of the Universe’s biggest open questions, such as the origin of neutrino masses and the nature of dark matter. Recent highlights include searches for Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs), Higgs Portal Scalars, and the first search for dark trident processes in liquid argon. Beyond its current discoveries, MicroBooNE is paving the way for rare event searches in liquid argon and developing methods that will inform next-generation detectors, such as the upcoming Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). In this seminar, I’ll discuss MicroBooNE’s extensive capabilities for BSM physics, focusing on recent results, ongoing studies, and the innovative approaches used to probe the unknowns of particle physics.