M. Laveder

Statistical significance of the gallium anomaly

We calculate the statistical significance of the anomalous deficit of electron neutrinos measured in the radioactive source experiments of the GALLEX and SAGE solar neutrino detectors, taking into account the uncertainty of the detection cross section. We found that the statistical significance of the anomaly is {approx}3.0{sigma}. A fit of the data in terms of neutrino oscillations favors at {approx}2.7{sigma} short-baseline electron neutrino disappearance with respect to the null hypothesis of no oscillations.

Pragmatic view of short-baseline neutrino oscillations

We present the results of global analyses of short-baseline neutrino oscillation data in 3 + 1, 3 + 2 and 3 + 1 + 1 neutrino mixing schemes. We show that the data do not allow us to abandon the simplest 3 + 1 scheme in favor of the more complex 3 + 2 and 3 + 1 + 1 schemes. We present the allowed region in the 3 + 1 parameter space, which is located at Delta m(41)(2) between 0.82 and 2.19 eV(2) at 3 sigma. The case of no oscillations is disfavored by about 6 sigma, which decreases dramatically to about 2 sigma if the Liquid Scintillating Neutrino Detector (LSND) data are not considered. Hence, new high-precision experiments are needed to check the LSND signal.

Update of Short-Baseline Electron Neutrino and Antineutrino Disappearance

We present a complete update of the analysis of electron neutrino and antineutrino disappearance experiments in terms of neutrino oscillations in the framework of 3+1 neutrino mixing, taking into account the Gallium anomaly, the reactor anomaly, solar neutrino data and nu_e-C scattering data. We discuss the implications of a recent 71Ga(3He,3H)71Ge measurement which give information on the neutrino cross section in Gallium experiments. We discuss the solar bound on active-sterile mixing and present our numerical results. We discuss the connection between the results of the fit of neutrino oscillation data and the heavy neutrino mass effects in beta-decay experiments (considering new Mainz data) and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments (considering the recent EXO results).

Light sterile neutrinos

The theory and phenomenology of light sterile neutrinos at the eV mass scale is reviewed. The reactor, Gallium and LSND anomalies are briefly described and interpreted as indications of the existence of short-baseline oscillations which require the existence of light sterile neutrinos. The global fits of short-baseline oscillation data in 3+1 and 3+2 schemes are discussed, together with the implications for beta-decay and neutrinoless double-beta decay. The cosmological effects of light sterile neutrinos are briefly reviewed and the implications of existing cosmological data are discussed. The review concludes with a summary of future perspectives.

3+1 and 3+2 Sterile Neutrino Fits

We present the results of fits of short-baseline neutrino-oscillation data in 3+1 and 3+2 neutrino-mixing schemes. In spite of the presence of a tension in the interpretation of the data, 3+1 neutrino mixing is attractive for its simplicity and for the natural correspondence of one new entity (a sterile neutrino) with a new effect (short-baseline oscillations). The allowed regions in the oscillation parameter space can be tested in near-future experiments. In the framework of 3+2 neutrino mixing, there is less tension in the interpretation of the data, at the price of introducing a second sterile neutrino. Moreover, the improvement of the parameter goodness of fit is mainly a statistical effect due to an increase in the number of parameters. The CP violation in short-baseline experiments allowed in 3+2 neutrino mixing can explain the positive {nu}{sub {mu}{yields}{nu}e} signal and the negative {nu}{sub {mu}{yields}{nu}e} measurement in the MiniBooNE experiment. For the CP-violating phase, we obtained two minima of the marginal {chi}{sup 2} close to the two values where CP violation is maximal.

OSCILLATION PHYSICS WITH A NEUTRINO FACTORY

A generation of neutrino experiments have established that neutrinos mix and probably have mass. The mixing phenomenon points to processes beyond those of the Standard Model, possibly at the Grand Unification energy scale. A extensive sequence of of experiments will be required to measure precisely all the parameters of the neutrino mixing matrix, culminating with the discovery and study of leptonic CP violation. As a first step, extensions of conventional pion/kaon decay beams, such as off-axis beams or low-energy super-beams, have been considered. These could yield first observations of

A new experimental limit on neutron-antineutron oscillations

\nu_\mu \to \nu_e

Status of 3 + 1 neutrino mixing

transitions at the atmospheric frequency, which have not yet been observed, and a first measurement of

Limits on ve and ve disappearance from Gallium and reactor experiments

\theta_{13}

Implications of 3+1 Short-Baseline Neutrino Oscillations

. Experiments with much better flux control can be envisaged if the neutrinos are obtained from the decays of stored particles. One such possibility is the concept of beta beams provided by the decays of radioactive nuclei, that has been developed within the context of these studies. These would provide a pure (anti-)electron-neutrino beam of a few hundred MeV, and beautiful complementarity with a high-intensity, low-energy conventional beam, enabling experimental probes of T violation as well as CP violation. Ultimately, a definitive and complete set of measurements would offered by a Neutrino Factory based on a muon storage ring. This powerful machine offers the largest reach for CP violation, even for very small values of