Neutrino type identification for atmospheric neutrinos in a large homogeneous liquid scintillation detector

Abstract

Atmospheric neutrino oscillations are important to the study of neutrino properties, including the neutrino mass ordering problem. A good capability to identify neutrinos' flavor and neutrinos against antineutrinos is crucial in such measurements. In this paper, we present a machine-learning-based approach for identifying atmospheric neutrino events in a large homogeneous liquid scintillator detector. This method identifies features of PMT waveforms that reflect event topologies and uses them as input to machine learning models. In addition, neutron-capture information is utilized to achieve neutrino versus antineutrino discrimination. Preliminary performances based on Monte Carlo simulations are presented, which demonstrate such a detector's potential in future measurements of atmospheric neutrinos such as the one planned for the JUNO experiment.