M. Tórtola

Are solar neutrino oscillations robust

The robustness of the large mixing angle (LMA) oscillation (OSC) interpretation of the solar neutrino data is considered in a more general framework where non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) are present. Such interactions may be regarded as a generic feature of models of neutrino mass. The 766.3 ton-yr data sample of the KamLAND collaboration are included in the analysis, paying attention to the background from the reaction ^13C(alpha,n) ^16O. Similarly, the latest solar neutrino fluxes from the SNO collaboration are included. In addition to the solution which holds in the absence of NSI (LMA-I) there is a dark-side solution (LMA-D) with sin^2 theta_Sol = 0.70, essentially degenerate with the former, and another light-side solution (LMA-0) allowed only at 97% CL. More precise KamLAND reactor measurements will not resolve the ambiguity in the determination of the solar neutrino mixing angle theta_Sol, as they are expected to constrain mainly Delta m^2. We comment on the complementary role of atmospheric, laboratory (e.g. CHARM) and future solar neutrino experiments in lifting the degeneracy between the LMA-I and LMA-D solutions. In particular, we show how the LMA-D solution induced by the simplest NSI between neutrinos and down-type-quarks-only is in conflict with the combination of current atmospheric data and data of the CHARM experiment. We also mention that establishing the issue of robustness of the oscillation picture in the most general case will require further experiments, such as those involving low energy solar neutrinos.

Probing nonstandard neutrino-electron interactions with solar and reactor neutrinos

18 pages, 3 figures.-- ISI article identifier:000267701300027 .-- ArXiv pre-print avaible at:http://arxiv.org/abs/0812.4417

Status of neutrino oscillations 2018: 3 σ hint for normal mass ordering and improved CP sensitivity

Abstract We present a new global fit of neutrino oscillation parameters within the simplest three-neutrino picture, including new data which appeared since our previous analysis [1] . In this update we include new long-baseline neutrino data involving the antineutrino channel in T2K, as well as new data in the neutrino channel, data from NOνA, as well as new reactor data, such as the Daya Bay 1230 days electron antineutrino disappearance spectrum data and the 1500 live days prompt spectrum from RENO, as well as new Double Chooz data. We also include atmospheric neutrino data from the IceCube DeepCore and ANTARES neutrino telescopes and from Super-Kamiokande. Finally, we also update our solar oscillation analysis by including the 2055-day day/night spectrum from the fourth phase of the Super-Kamiokande experiment. With the new data we find a preference for the atmospheric angle in the upper octant for both neutrino mass orderings, with maximal mixing allowed at Δ χ 2 = 1.6 ( 3.2 ) for normal (inverted) ordering. We also obtain a strong preference for values of the CP phase δ in the range [ π , 2 π ] , excluding values close to π / 2 at more than 4σ. More remarkably, our global analysis shows a hint in favor of the normal mass ordering over the inverted one at more than 3σ. We discuss in detail the status of the mass ordering, CP violation and octant sensitivities, analyzing the interplay among the different neutrino data samples.

Leptogenesis with a dynamical seesaw scale

In the simplest type-I seesaw leptogenesis scenario right-handed neutrino annihilation processes are absent. However, in the presence of new interactions these processes are possible and can affect the resulting B-L asymmetry in an important way. A prominent example is provided by models with spontaneous lepton number violation, where the existence of new dynamical degrees of freedom can play a crucial role. In this context, we provide a model-independent discussion of the effects of right-handed neutrino annihilations. We show that in the weak washout regime, as long as the scattering processes remain slow compared with the Hubble expansion rate throughout the relevant temperature range, the efficiency can be largely enhanced, reaching in some cases maximal values. Moreover, the B-L asymmetry yield turns out to be independent upon initial conditions, in contrast to the standard case. On the other hand, when the annihilation processes are fast, the right-handed neutrino distribution tends to a thermal one down to low temperatures, implying a drastic suppression of the efficiency which in some cases can render the B-L generation mechanism inoperative.

A simple analytic three-flavour description of the day-night effect in the solar neutrino flux

In the 3-flavour framework we derive a simple approximate analytic expression for the day-night difference of the flux of solar νe at terrestrial detectors which is valid for an arbitrary Earth density profile. Our formula has the accuracy of a few per cent and reproduces all the known analytic expressions for the Earth matter effects on the solar neutrino oscillations obtained under simplifying assumptions about the Earths density profile (matter of constant density, 3 layers of constant densities, and adiabatic approximation). It can also be used for studying the Earth matter effects on the oscillations of supernova neutrinos. We also discuss the possibility of probing the leptonic mixing angle θ13 through day–night asymmetry measurements at future water Cherenkov solar neutrino detectors. We show that, depending on the measured value of the asymmetry, the current upper bound on θ13 may be improved, or even a lower bound on this mixing parameter may be obtained.

New ambiguity in probing CP violation in neutrino oscillations

If neutrinos get mass via the seesaw mechanism the mixing matrix describing neutrino oscillations can be effectively nonunitary. We show that in this case the neutrino appearance probabilities involve a new CP phase ϕ associated with nonunitarity. This leads to an ambiguity in extracting the standard three-neutrino phase δ_{CP}, which can survive even after neutrino and antineutrino channels are combined. Its existence should be taken into account in the planning of any oscillation experiment aiming at a robust measurement of δ_{CP}.

Probing CP violation with non-unitary mixing in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments: DUNE as a case study

When neutrino masses arise from the exchange of neutral heavy leptons, as in most seesaw schemes, the effective lepton mixing matrix

Updated CMB and x- and gamma-ray constraints on Majoron dark matter

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Exact relativistic beta decay endpoint spectrum

describing neutrino propagation is non-unitary, hence neutrinos are not exactly orthonormal. New CP violation phases appear in

Probing neutrino magnetic moments at the Spallation Neutron Source facility

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