Muon simulation improvements in the NOvA Far Detector

The NOvA experiment studies neutrinos, but data from other particles are necessary to understand detector response. The chosen standard candle is the constant shower of cosmic ray muons that reaches the detector. Current simulations of cosmic-ray muons are computationally expensive and take an extended period of time. Our method for simulation improvement utilizes data from the Far Detector of through-going muons as the source, avoiding the computational overload of previous methodology. Results of this simulation method corroborate with original data on a majority of fronts, with the notable exception of total energy deposited in the detector by the incoming muon. Conversions made between brightness in ADC and GeV of the incident particle are likely the culprit of this discrepancy, indicating that all parameters of the original data are sufficiently replicated by simulation. Current simulation speeds are reduced when introduced to high energy samples, suggesting the necessity for adjustments in background files before the implementation of this data-driven method in the Far Detector.