Electromagnetic Shower Identification in NO$\nu$A

The NuMI Off-Axis $\nu_{e}$-Appearance project (NO$\nu$A) is a second generation neutrino oscillation experiment consisting of two liquid scintillator detectors positioned 810 km apart and 14 mrad off-axis in the NuMI muon neutrino beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. NO$\nu$A is optimized for the detection of the oscillations $\nu_{\mu} \rightarrow \nu_{e}$ and $\bar{\nu_{\mu}} \rightarrow \bar{\nu_{e}}$. The current limits on the $\nu_{e}$-appearance probability are constrained by MINOS as $2\sin^{2}(2\theta_{13}) \sin^{2}\theta_{23}$ $<$ 0.12 (0.20) for the normal (inverted) mass hierarchy at the 90$\%$ C.L. No limits have been placed on the neutrino CP-violating phase, $\delta_{CP}$. To observe the desired oscillations, a particle identification algorithm will be developed to distinguish electrons in the final state of neutrino interactions. A method for selecting $\nu_{e}$ charged-current events utilizing a neural network of variables characterizing electromagnetic showers is presented here.