Particle Physics on the Plains​ 2026

Session

Neutrinos

14 Nov 2026, 14:00

2048 Malott Hall (University of Kansas)

15. Particle Transport for Neutrino Telescopes

Stephan Meighen-Berger (University of Iowa)

14/11/2026, 14:00

Neutrino telescopes rely on accurate descriptions of particle production and propagation, from atmospheric cascades to the secondary particles detected in ice or water. This talk presents complementary analytical and Monte Carlo approaches to particle transport, highlighting how they can improve detector simulations and provide efficient estimates of neutrino effective areas. I will discuss an...

28. Confronting Cosmic-Ray-Boosted Relic Neutrinos with the Cosmogenic Neutrino Flux

Luke Kupari (University of Iowa)

14/11/2026, 14:18

The cosmic neutrino background (C$\nu$B) is a population of neutrinos from the early universe that have not been detected. Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) can boost the relic neutrinos to higher energies accessible to neutrino telescopes, offering a potential route to observing the C$\nu$B. Several groups have calculated this flux of boosted C$\nu$B neutrinos; however, their predictions...

20. Probing Scalar-Induced First-Order Phase Transitions with the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background

Sudipta Das (University of Iowa)

14/11/2026, 14:36

We investigate the possibility of probing a scalar-induced first-order phase transition (FOPT) inside core-collapse supernovae through the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB). We consider a light scalar coupled to neutrinos that is produced and thermalised in the proto-neutron-star core. This leads to two distinct neutrino components: a prompt contribution from thermally produced...

40. Exploring Quantumness at Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiments

Murshed Alam (Oklahoma State University)

14/11/2026, 14:54

The Leggett-Garg Inequality (LGI) offers a way to test for the violations of classicality in a system by studying how its measurements are correlated over time. Long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments provide some of the longest distances over which the quantum behavior of any system can be tested. In this talk, I will present a data-driven study of LGI violations using MINOS, NOvA, and...

42. SNAPPY, the First Successful Satellite Mission from Kansas and First Results from Space

Brian Doty

14/11/2026, 15:12

Wichita State University, in collaboration with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, designed and produced a CubeSat. Its called SNAPPY (Solar Neutrino and Astro-Particle PhYsics). We Launched in May 2026 into a low earth orbit and are taking data over the North and South poles looking for neutrino backgrounds. We are at the stage of having automated daily satellite contacts and data downloads...