Results from the NOMAD experiment

The NOMAD experiment has sought ν_μ ? ν_τ oscillations by looking for the emergence of τ^? in events from the CERN SPS neutrino beam. With some improvements in the techniques of analysis in relation to the results published previously and with the inclusion of data from the 1998 run, no evidence for the oscillations has been found, which results in an updated limit on the oscillation probability [P(ν_μ → ν_τ) < 0.5 × 10^?3 at a 90% C.L.]. The corresponding limit on the oscillation mixing angle is given by sin²2θ_μτ < 1.0 × 10^?3 for large Δm ². By using a 1% contamination of ν_e in the neutrino beam, we can also rule out ν _e ? ν_τ oscillations and constrain the probability of the relevant transition as P(ν _e → ν_τ) < 3 × 10^?2 at a 90% C.L. (sin²2θ _eτ < 6 × 10^?2 at large Δm ²).     

Mass relations and neutrino oscillations in an SO(10) model

We present in detail a grand unified model based on SO(10) which naturally reproduces known fermion mass relations and mixing angles. It predicts m_νe ? m_νμ, m_ντ, and predominant ν_μ-ν_τ oscillations. Several other features of the model are analyzed in detail: construction of the Higgs potential, predictions for τ_p and sin²θ_w in a temporarily free model and a relation between the mass of the t-quark and the lifetime of the B meson.     

Seasonal and energy dependence of solar neutrino vacuum oscillations

We make a global vacuum neutrino oscillation analysis of solar neutrino data, including the seasonal and energy dependence of the recent Super-Kamiokande 708-day results. The best fit parameters for ν_e oscillations to an active neutrino are δm²=4.42×10⁻¹⁰ eV², sin²2θ=0.93. The allowed mixing angle region is consistent with bi-maximal mixing of three neutrinos. Oscillations to a sterile neutrino are disfavored. Allowing an enhanced hep neutrino flux does not significantly alter the oscillation parameters.     

A measurement of the neutral current electroweak parameters using the fermilab narrow band neutrino beam

We report a measurement of the electroweak parameters sin₂θ ^w and ? based on the ratios of neutral current to charged current events measured in the Fermilab narrow-band neutrino beam at energies of 30–240 GeV. The data are fully corrected for radiative effects, heavy-quark production, and other effects. The best value for sin₂θ ^w obtained, sin₂θ ^w =0.239±0.011, is consistent with the most recent values fromW andZ production, as well as from other neutrino experiments.     

New experimental limits on νμ→νe oscillations

The results of an experiment which searched for ν_e events arising from oscillations of a low-energy ν_μ beam are presented. The BEBC heavy liquid bubble chamber, placed at a distance of 825 m from an external proton target at the CERN PS, was used as a neutrino detector. The appearance of ν_e CC interactions provides a sensitive indication of ν_μ→ν_e oscillations. 470 ν_μ CC events and 4 ν_e events, with an estimated background of 3 ν_c CC events, have been observed. The resulting limits on the oscillation parameters are: δm²⩽0.09 eV² (for maximal mixing) and sin²θ⩽0.013 for δm²=2.2 eV², at the 90% confidence level.     

Study of inclusive neutral current interactions of neutrinos and antineutrinos

We report on results from a study of hadron-energy distributions for ν and $\text{ν}$ inclusive neutral current interactions. There is no significant variation of the neutral to charged current total cross-section ratios R_ν and $\text{R}\text{ν}$ with neutrino energy. The space-time structure of neutral currents is dominated by V?A, with a significant admixture of V+A. The Weinberg-Salam model is in agreement with all data if sin²θ_w=0.24±0.02.     

Results from the T2K experiment

The T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) experiment is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment designed to probe the θ ₁₃ neutrino mixing parameter by looking for the appearance of ν _e in an almost pure ν _μ beam. The concurrent measurement of the ν _μ disappearance allows refined measurements of the atmospheric Δm ² and θ ₂₃ mixing parameters.     

Estimation ofv μ→v τ oscillation parameters in the E-564 hybrid experiment

The limits on the parameters of thev _μ→v _τ oscillations are obtained in the E-564 hybrid experiment: Δm ²≦4.5 eV² and sin²(2θ)≦6.0·10^?2 (90% CL). A possibility of direct observation of τ-lepton decays in the nuclear emulsion vertex detector allowed the sensitivity of this experiment to the parameters of the oscillations to be increased.     

Heavy particle effects in grand unified theories with fine-structure constant matching

We note the presence of very significant mismatchings in α(M_w) in some GUT predictions where superheavy particle effects have been included, and adopt a new method to correct them leading to new solutions for the GUT coupling, τ_p or sin²θ_w. An SO(10) model with a grand desert is also noted to yield τ_p ≅ 10³²−10³³ yr and sin²θ_w = 0.225−0.235.     

Higgs bosons and matter-antimatter oscillations in GUTS

The presence of Higgs bosons of diquark and dilepton types at intermediate mass scales in GUTs is analysed in connection with the possible generation of neutron-antineutron and hydrogen-antihydrogen oscillations. Their renormalization effects on the calculation of the parameters sin²θ_w and m_b/m_τ are investigated in SU(5) and in an SO(10) version with a left-right symmetric breaking chain. In correspondence with suitable combination of higgses, we find solutions in SU(5) for n_G=3 and reasonable values of sin²θ_w, m_b/m_τ and proton lifetime τ_p, which allow detectable $\text{n}\text{-}\text{n}$, but undetectable $\text{H}\text{-}\text{H}$ transitions. Solutions of this type, but with higher τ_p, are also found in a particular scheme of SO(10), where the intermediate mass is at the scale M_R at which the left-right symmetry is broken and is of order 10²×m_w. This modifies then conclusions of analyses of SO(10) models, where either no diquarks and dileptons or only a specific set of them are taken into account.An extension of our analysis to supersymmetric versions of SU(5) and SO(10) does not produce acceptable solutions.     

Experimental results on neutrino-electron scattering

A determination of sin² θ _w based on measurements of elastic scattering of muon-neutrinos and muon-anti-neutrinos on atomic electrons is described. These purely leptonic processes were studied using the CHARM calorimeter exposed to neutrino and antineutrino wide-band beams at the CERN super proton synchrotron. A total of 83±16 neutrino-electron and 112±21 antineutrino-electron events have been detected. From the measurement of the ratio of muon-neutrino and muon-antineutrino cross-sections a value of sin² θ _w =0.211±0.037 was obtained.     

The effect of Higgses and “technions” on the calculation of sin2θw and Mx

The effect of the scalar sector on the calculation of sin²θ_w and M_x in grand unified theories is studied. We consider first elementary Higgs scalars and assume the “big desert” hypothesis. It is argued that Higgses other than the usual doublet can also be light (～ M_w). One can obtain bigger values for sin²θ_w by having light (～ M_w) scalar colour sextets which can give rise to interesting phenomenology. As an example, one can build an SU(5) model giving sin²θ_w ? 0.23 at the one-loop level. We also calculate the uncertainty in sin²θ_w and M_x due to the lack of knowledge of the specific masses of superheavy Higgses. We find that this uncertainty is small for reasonable SU(5) models but large in all the SO(10) versions except the minimal. Finally (and alternatively) we consider the effect of a technicolour interaction. The pseudo-Goldstone bosons (technions) increase the calculated sin²θ_w by as much as ～0.01 but M_x remains nearly unchanged. Second-order contributions due to the technifermions tend to cancel the increase on sin²θ_w and in turn increase M_x.     

Updated limits on the electron neutrino mass and large angle oscillations from SN1987A

We supplement Maximum Likelihood methods with a Monte-Carlo simulation to re-investigate the SN1987A neutrino burst detection by the IMB and Kamiokande experiments. The detector simulations include background in the the latter and “dead-time” in the former. We consider simple neutrinosphere cooling models, explored previously in the literature, to explore the case for or against neutrino vacuum mixing and massive neutrinos. In the former case, involving kinematically irrelevant masses, we find that the full range of vacuum mixing angles, 0 ≤ sin² 2θv ≤ 1, is permitted, and the Maximum Likelihood mixing angle is sin² 2θv = 0.45. In the latter case we find that the inclusion of “dead-time” reduces previous m_νe upper bounds by 10%, and supplementing the Maximum Likelihood analysis with a Monte-Carlo goodness-of-fit test results in a further 15% reduction in the m_νe upper limit. Our 95% C.L. upper limit for m_νe is 19.6 eV, while the best fit value is ∼ 0 eV.     

A determination of sin2θ w and the lepton and quark electroweak couplings frome + e − data

Published data on lepton pair and quark pair final states ine ⁺ e ^? annihilation have been analysed in a self consistent way to yield values for the lepton and quark weak vector and axial vector couplings. Generation universality has been tested for the leptons and under the assumption of the standard model of the weak interaction, the parameter sin²θ _w has been determined separately for the lepton and quark sector. In the renormalisation scheme α,G _μ and sin²θ _w , the result for the lepton final states is sin²θ _w = 0.212±0.014 and for the hadron final states, sin²θ _w = 0.236±0.015. The combined result for this single parameter in the model is sin²θ _w = 0.223±0.011±0.007, corresponding tom _Z =93.0 _?1.8 ^+2.0 GeV.     

New MACRO results on atmospheric neutrino oscillations

The final results of the MACRO experiment on atmospheric neutrino oscillations are presented and discussed. The data concern different event topologies with average neutrino energies of ～3 and ～50 GeV. Multiple Coulomb scattering of the high-energy muons in absorbers was used to estimate the neutrino energy of each event. The angular distributions, the L/E_ν distribution, the particle ratios, and the absolute fluxes all favor ν_π?ν_τ oscillations with maximal mixing and Δm²=0.0023 eV². A discussion is made on the Monte Carlos used for the atmospheric neutrino flux. Some results on neutrino astrophysics are also briefly discussed.     

Experimental consequences of νe−νμ mixing in neutrino beams

The experimental consequences of neutrino mixing and decay are analyzed. Existing neutrino beam experiments are consistent with a finite but small mixing angle unless |m_νμ²?m_νe²| ? (3.0 eV)². A finite ν_μ lifetime in the range τ/m_νμc² ? 7 × 10³ sec/MeV is shown to be consistent with experimental data.     

Status of the Chorus experiment

The CHORUS experiment at CERN searches for ν_μ ? ν_τ oscillations by looking for τ decays from charged-current ν_τ interactions. The emulsion target of the detector, having a resolution of about a micron, enables the detection of the decay topology of the τ. After having analyzed a sample of 126000 events containing an identified muon and 7500 purely hadronic events, no ν_τ candidate has been found. This result translates in a limit on the mixing angle sin²2θ_μτ < 8 × 10^?4 at 90% C.L. for large Δm _μτ ² .     

Electroweak radiative corrections to neutrino and electron scattering and the value of sin2θw

We describe in detail the calculation of all first-order electroweak radiative corrections to total and differential neutrino cross sections and to the parity-violating asymmetry in ed scattering. We find that leading log approximations agree well with our exact result for the shape, but not necessarily the magnitude, of the corrections to $\text{d}\text{σ}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>\nu ,</mtext><mtext>\nu </mtext>}}\text{/}\text{d}\text{γ}$ except for γ → 1. Corrections to total neutrino cross sections have also been calculated by Marciano and Sirlin; our results agree with theirs. The corrections to sin²θ_w are experiment dependent. If sin²θ_w is defined in the $\text{MS}$ scheme at a scale M_w, they reduce the average value found from the ratio of charged to neutral current neutrino scattering by 0.012 to 0.215 ± 0.015. They reduce the value obatained from the Paschos Wolfenstein relation by 0.008 to 0.221 ± 0.014. In ed scattering they reduce the value by 0.008 to 0.215 ± 0.015. Using a corrected value of 0.215 ± 0.015 and the first-order corrections to the mass formulae, the SU(2) × U(1) predictions for the vector boson masses are M_w = 83.1_?2.8^+3.1rmGeV and M_z = 93.8_?2.2^+2.5 GeV, about five GeV larger than obtained from the lowest order analysis.     

How to compare the SU(5) value of sin2θw with experiments?

We establish the relation between κsin²θ_w to be found from neutral-current experiments and sin²θ_w(Q) for Q=M_W predicted by grand unified theories. We then calculate sin²θ_W(M_W) in the minimal SU(5) model taking the M_W as well as M_x threshold effects into account. We find that these two threshold effects on sin²θ_W(M_W) cancel with each other and sin²θ_W(M_W)=0.211± 0.005.     

Measurement of the neutral to charged current cross section ratio in neutrino and antineutrino interactions

We report on the analysis of inclusive neutral current events produced in neutrino and antineutrino narrow band beams. We find for incident neutrino energies in the range 12–200 GeV and for hadron energies above 12 GeV a neutral to charged current cross-section ratio of R_v = 0.293 ± 0.010 for incident neutrinos, and $\text{R}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>v</mtext>}}\text{= 0.35 ± 0.03}$ for antineutrinos. These ratios are consistent with the Weinberg-Salam model, with sin²θ_w = 0.24 ± 0.02.