Inverted hierarchy of neutrino masses disfavored by supernova 1987A

We discuss the flavor conversion of supernova neutrinos in the three-flavor mixing scheme of neutrinos. We point out that by neutrino observation from supernova one can discriminate the inverted hierarchy of neutrino masses from the normal one if s₁₃²≳a few×10⁻⁴, irrespective of which oscillation solution to the solar neutrino problem is realized in nature. We perform an analysis of data of SN1987A and obtain a strong indication that the inverted mass hierarchy is disfavored unless s₁₃²≲a few×10⁻⁴.     

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.     

An effective lower bound of the solar neutrino flux

If the deficit of the solar neutrino (ν_e) flux is caused by the neutrino oscillation, there exists a lower bound of an effective neutrino flux detectable by electron scattering experiment, since the converted neutrino can also interact with atomic electron via neutral current effect. The effective reduction factor and day-night asymmetry for the ⁸B flux is calculated and plotted in the mixing parameter space, when matter oscillation effects both in the sun and in the earth are included, yielding a lower flux bound, ∼ 14% of the standard value.     

Quantum Gravity on Neutrino Oscillation Length

The oscillation length of neutrino oscillation could be discussed in the frame work of quantum gravity. Quantum gravity (Planck scale effects) leads to an effective SU(2) _L ×U(1) invariant dimension-5 Lagrangian involving, neutrino and Higgs fields. On symmetry breaking, this operator gives rise to correction to the neutrino masses and mixing. We compute the neutrino oscillation length due to Planck scale effects. The gravitational interaction (M _X =M _pl ) demands that the element of this perturbation matrix should be independent of flavor indices. In this paper, we study the quantum gravity effects on neutrino oscillation length, namely modified dispersion relation for neutrino oscillation phases.     

Neutrino Oscillation Phase Shift from Quantum Gravity

The phase shift of neutrino oscillation could be discussed in the frame work of quantum gravity. Quantum gravity (Planck scale effects) leads to an effective SU(2) _L ×U(1) invariant dimension-5 Lagrangian involving, neutrino and Higgs fields. On symmetry breaking, this operator gives rise to correction to the neutrino masses and mixing. We compute the neutrino oscillation phase due to Planck scale effects. The gravitational interaction (M _X =M _pl ) demands that the element of this perturbation matrix should be independent of flavor indices. In this paper, we study the quantum gravity effects on neutrino oscillation phases, namely modified dispersion relation for neutrino oscillation phases.     

Quantum Gravity Effect on Neutrino Oscillation

The quantum gravity may have strong consequence for neutrino oscillation phenemomenon over a large distance.We found a significant modification of neutrino oscillation due to quantum gravity effects. Quantum gravity (Planck scale effects) leads to an effective S U(2) _L ×U(1) invariant dimension-5 Lagrangian involving, neutrino and Higgs fields. On symmetry breaking, this operator gives rise to correction to the neutrino masses and mixing. The gravitational interaction (M _X =M _{p l} ) demands that the element of this perturbation matrix should be independent of flavor indices. In this paper, we study the quantum gravity effects on neutrino oscillation, namely modified dispersion relation for neutrino oscillations parameter.     

Limits on neutrino oscillation parameters from the chlorine solar-neutrino experiment

MSW regeneration of solar ν_e in the earth can lead to a seasonal variation in the capture rate in the chlorine solar-neutrino experiment. The absence of such an effect in the data allows us to set a limit on the neutrino oscillation parameters for Δm² near 3 × 10⁻⁶ eV². The limit thus obtained is only weakly dependent on solar-model inputs.     

Progress in neutrino oscillation searches and their implications

Neutrino oscillation, in which a given flavor of neutrino transforms into another is a powerful tool for probing small neutrino masses. The intrinsic neutrino properties involved are neutrino mass squared difference Δm ² and the mixing angle in vacuum θ. In this paper I will summarize the progress that we have achieved in our search for neutrino oscillation with special emphasis on the recent results from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) on the measurement of solar neutrino fluxes. I will outline the current bounds on the neutrino masses and mixing parameters and discuss the major physics goals of future neutrino experiments in the context of the present picture.     

Precision measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters at INO-ICAL detector

A magnetized Iron CALorimeter (ICAL) detector at the India-based neutrino observatory (INO) is used to study neutrino oscillation sensitivity using atmospheric muon neutrino source. The ICAL detector will be able to detect muon tracks and hadron showers produced by neutrino interactions with the iron target. We have performed precision measurement analysis for the atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters with the muon neutrino events, generated by Monte Carlo NUANCE event generator. A marginalized χ² analysis based on reconstructed neutrino energy and muon zenith angle binning scheme has been performed to determine the sensitivity for the atmospheric neutrino mixing parameters, \(\sin ^{2}\theta _{23}\) and \(| {\Delta } m^{2}_{23}|\).     

Constraining the lightest neutrino mass and <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">m</Emphasis> <Subscript> <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">ee</Emphasis> </Subscript> from general lepton mass matrices

Despite spectacular advances in fixing the neutrino mass and mixing parameters through various neutrino oscillation experiments, we still have little knowledge about the magnitudes of some vital parameters in the neutrino sector such as the absolute neutrino mass scale, effective Majorana mass m_ee measured in neutrinoless double beta decay. In this context, the present work aims to make an attempt to obtain some bounds for m_ee and the lightest neutrino mass using fairly general lepton mass matrices in the Standard Model.     

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).     

Terrestrial matter effects on reactor antineutrino oscillations at JUNO or RENO-50: how small is small?

We have carefully examined, in both analytical and numerical ways, how small the terrestrial matter effects can be in a given medium-baseline reactor antineutrino oscillation experiment like JUNO or RENO-50. Taking the forthcoming JUNO experiment as an example, we show that the inclusion of terrestrial matter effects may reduce the sensitivity of the neutrino mass ordering measurement by ?χ_(MO)~2■0.6, and a neglect of such effects may shift the best-fit values of the flavor mixing angle θ_(12) and the neutrino mass-squared difference ?21 by about 1σ to 2σ in the future data analysis. In addition, a preliminary estimate indicates that a 2σ sensitivity of establishing the terrestrial matter effects can be achieved for about 10 years of data taking at JUNO with the help of a suitable near detector implementation.     

Overview on neutrinos and the Daya Bay experiment

Neutrinos are elementary particles in the Standard Model. Neutrino oscillation is a quantum mechanical phenomenon beyond the Standard Model. Neutrino oscillation can be described by two independent mass-squared differences Δm ₂₁ ² , Δm ₃₁ ² (or Δm ₃₂ ² ) and a 3 × 3 unitary matrix, containing three mixing angles θ ₁₂, θ ₂₃, θ ₁₃, and one charge-parity (CP) phase. θ ₁₂ is about 34° and determined by solar neutrino experiments and the reactor neutrino experiment KamLAND. θ ₂₃ is about 45° and determined by atmospheric neutrino experiments and accelerator neutrino experiments. θ ₁₃ can be measured by either accelerator or reactor neutrino experiments. On Mar. 8, 2012, the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment reported the first observation of non-zero θ ₁₃ with 5.2 standard deviations. In June, with 2.5× previous data, Daya Bay improved the measurement of sin²2θ ₁₃ = 0.089 ± 0.010(stat) ± 0.005(syst).     

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.     

Status of the T2K experiment

These lectures present the status of the Tokai to Kamioka Experiment (T2K) which just started taking data in early 2010. The goals and methodology for the experiment are presented as well as the challenges and prospects for determining the neutrino mixing parameters leading to neutrino oscillation with a particular attention to the determination of the mixing angle θ₁₃.     

Statistical analysis of solar neutrino data

We calculate with Monte Carlo the goodness of fit and the confidence level of the standard allowed regions for the neutrino oscillation parameters obtained from the fit of the total rates measured in solar neutrino experiments. We show that they are significantly overestimated in the standard method. We also calculate exact allowed regions with correct frequentist coverage. We show that the exact VO, LMA and LOW regions are much larger than the standard ones and merge together giving an allowed band at large mixing angles for all Δm² 10⁻¹⁰ eV².     

Effect of Majorana Phases in Neutrino Oscillation

Quantum gravity (Planck scale effects) lead to an effective SU(2) _L ×U(1) invariant dimension-5 Lagrangian involving neutrino and Higgs fields. On symmetry breaking, this operator gives rise to correction to the above masses and mixing. The gravitational interaction M _X =M _pl , we find that for degenerate neutrino mass spectrum, it is shown that the Majorana phase of the neutrino mixing matrix can effects in neutrino oscillation probability.     

Neutrino mixing and the mw/mz mass ratio

A comparison of neutral and charged current data according to the standard model provides bounds on neutrino mixing parameters, independently of the number of fermions. The mixing may also affect the determination of sin² θ and m_w/m_z.     

Lepton mixing and neutrino oscillations

The present article is a review of phenomena connected with neutrino oscillations. Mixing of two neutrinos (Majorana as well as Dirac) with masses m₁ and m₂ is considered in detail. It is shown that the hypothesis of lepton mixing is not in contradiction with the existing data if |m₁²?m₂²| ? 1 (eV)². Possible experiments designed to reveal neutrino oscillations at reactor, meson factory and high energy accelerator facilities are considered. In such experiments oscillation might be found if $\text{|m}{}_1{}^2\text{?m}{}_2{}^2\text{| ? 0.01}\text{(eV)}{}^2$. The possibilities of searching for oscillations by experiments on cosmic ray neutrinos and especially on solar neutrinos are discussed in detail. The last experiments have an incredible high sensitivity from the point of view of testing the lepton mixing hypothesis (oscillation effects might be observable if $\text{|m}{}_1{}^2\text{?m}{}_2{}^2\text{| ? 10}{}^{\mathrm{?12}}\text{(eV)}{}^2$). The “solar neutrino puzzle” is also discussed from the point of view of lepton mixing. Neutrino oscillations are considered then in the case where in nature there exist N ? 2 neutrino types.In conclusion the case of heavy lepton mixing is considered. It is shown that in a concrete scheme with right-handed currents, the probabilities of such processes as μ → eγ, μ → 3e etc. can be close to existing experimental upper limits, provided the heavy lepton masses are of an order of a few GeV, whereas the probabilities of the above processes are entirely negligible if only neutrinos are mixed.