https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-023-12133-2
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Simulation analysis with rock muons from atmospheric neutrino interactions in the ICAL detector at the India-based Neutrino Observatory
1
Department of Physics, Chandigarh University, 140413, Gharuan, Mohali, India
2
The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, CIT Campus, 600113, Chennai, India
3
Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, 400094, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, India
4
National Centre for Nuclear Research, 7 Pasteura Str., 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
5
Physics Department, Panjab University, Sector 14, 160014, Chandigarh, India
a
kanishka.rawat.phy@gmail.com
Received:
2
April
2023
Accepted:
13
October
2023
Published online:
30
November
2023
The proposed magnetized Iron CALorimeter detector (ICAL) to be built in the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) laboratory aims to study atmospheric neutrinos and its properties such as precision measurements of oscillation parameters and the neutrino mass hierarchy. High energy charged current (CC) interactions of atmospheric neutrinos with the rock surrounding the detector produce so-called “rock muons” along with hadrons. While the hadron component of these events are absorbed in the rock itself, the rock muons traverse the rock and are detected in the detector. These rock muon events can be distinguished from cosmic muons only in the upward direction and can provide an independent measurement of the oscillation parameters. A simulation study of these events at the ICAL detector shows that, although reduced in significance compared to muons produced in direct CC neutrino interactions with the detector, these events are indeed sensitive to the oscillation parameters, achieving a possible 
precision of 10% and 27% in determining 
and 
, respectively. Hence a combination of the standard atmospheric neutrino analysis which is the main goal of ICAL, with these rock muon events, will improve the precision reach of ICAL for these parameters.
© The Author(s) 2023
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