Detecting the ( Quasi - ) Two - Body Decays of τ Leptons in Short - Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Experiments

Novel detector schemes are proposed for the short-baseline neutrino experiments of next generation, aimed at exploring the large-∆m domain of νμ → ντ oscillations in the appearance mode. These schemes emphasize good spectrometry for charged particles and for electromagnetic showers and efficient reconstruction of π → γγ decays. The basic elements are a sequence of relatively thin emulsion targets, immersed in magnetic field and interspersed with electronic trackers, and a fine-grained electromagnetic calorimeter built of lead glass. These elements act as an integral whole in reconstructing the electromagnetic showers. This conceptual scheme shows good performance in identifying the τ (quasi-)two-body decays by their characteristic kinematics and in selecting the electronic decays of the τ . PACS numbers: 14.60.Pq, 14.60.Fg