P. Ballett

Testing atmospheric mixing sum rules at precision neutrino facilities

We study the prospects for testing classes of atmospheric mixing sum rules at precision neutrino facilities. Such sum rules, which correlate the atmospheric mixing angle �23 with the recently measured reactor angle �13 and the cosine of the oscillation phase �, are predicted by a variety of semi-direct models based on discrete family symmetry, classified in terms of finite von Dyck groups. We perform a detailed simulation of the performance of the next generation of oscillation experiments, including the wide band superbeam and low-energy neutrino factory proposals, and compare their discriminating power for testing atmospheric mixing sum rules.

Mixing angle and phase correlations from A5 with generalized CP and their prospects for discovery

The observed leptonic mixing pattern could be explained by the presence of a discrete flavor symmetry broken into residual subgroups at low energies. In this scenario, a residual generalized charge parity (CP) symmetry allows the parameters of the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata matrix, including Majorana phases, to be predicted in terms of a small set of input parameters. In this article, we study the mixing parameter correlations arising from the symmetry group A5 including generalized CP subsequently broken into all of its possible residual symmetries. Focusing on those patterns which satisfy present experimental bounds, we then provide a detailed analysis of the measurable signatures accessible to the planned reactor, superbeam and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. We also discuss the role which could be played by high-precision measurements from longer term projects such as the Neutrino Factory. This work provides a concrete example of how the synergies of the upcoming experimental program allow flavor symmetric models to be thoroughly investigated. Indeed, thanks to the rich tapestry of observable correlations, we find that each step of the experimental program can make important contributions to the assessment of such flavor-symmetric patterns, and ultimately all patterns that we have identified can be excluded, or strong evidence found for their continued relevance.

Testing solar lepton mixing sum rules in neutrino oscillation experiments

A bstractSmall discrete family symmetries such as S4, A4 or A5 may lead to simple leading-order predictions for the neutrino mixing matrix such as the bimaximal, tribimaximal or golden ratio mixing patterns, which may be brought into agreement with experimental data with the help of corrections from the charged-lepton sector. Such scenarios generally lead to relations among the parameters of the physical leptonic mixing matrix known as solar lepton mixing sum rules. In this article, we present a simple derivation of such solar sum rules, valid for arbitrary neutrino and charged lepton mixing angles and phases, assuming only θ13ν = θ13e = 0. We discuss four leading-order neutrino mixing matrices with θ13ν = 0 which are well motivated from family symmetry considerations. We then perform a phenomenological analysis of the scope to test the resulting four solar sum rules, highlighting the complementarity between next-generation neutrino oscillation experiments such as the reactor experiment JUNO and a superbeam experiment.

Precision neutrino experiments vs the Littlest Seesaw

A bstractWe study to what extent upcoming precision neutrino oscillation experiments will be able to exclude one of the most predictive models of neutrino mass and mixing: the Littlest Seesaw. We show that this model provides a good fit to current data, predicting eight observables from two input parameters, and provide new assessments of its predictions and their correlations. We then assess the ability to exclude this model using simulations of upcoming neutrino oscillation experiments including the medium-distance reactor experiments JUNO and RENO-50 and the long-baseline accelerator experiments DUNE and T2HK. We find that an accurate determination of the currently least well measured parameters, namely the atmospheric and solar angles and the CP phase δ, provide crucial independent tests of the model. For θ13 and the two mass-squared differences, however, the model’s exclusion requires a combination of measurements coming from a varied experimental programme. Our results show that the synergy and complementarity of future experiments will play a vital role in efficiently discriminating between predictive models of neutrino flavour, and hence, towards advancing our understanding of neutrino oscillations in the context of the flavour puzzle of the Standard Model.

Sensitivities and synergies of DUNE and T2HK

Long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, in particular Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) and Tokai to Hyper-Kamiokande (T2HK), will lead the effort in the precision determination of the as yet unknown parameters of the leptonic mixing matrix. In this article, we revisit the potential of DUNE, T2HK and their combination in light of the most recent experimental information. As well as addressing more conventional questions, we pay particular attention to the attainable precision on {\delta}, which is playing an increasingly important role in the physics case of the long-baseline programme. We analyse the complementarity of the two experiments, identify the benefit of a programme comprising distinct experiments and consider how best to optimize the global oscillation programme. This latter question is particularly pertinent in light of a number of alternative design options which have recently been mooted: the nuPIL beam line at DUNE and a Korean second detector for T2HK. We study the impact of these options and quantify the synergies between alternative proposals, identifying the best means of furthering our knowledge of the fundamental physics of neutrino oscillation.

Understanding the performance of the low energy neutrino factory: the dependence on baseline distance and stored-muon energy

Motivated by recent hints of large {\theta}13 from the T2K, MINOS and Double Chooz experiments, we study the physics reach of a Low Energy Neutrino Factory (LENF) and its dependence on the chosen baseline distance, L, and stored-muon energy, E_{\mu}, in order to ascertain the configuration of the optimal LENF. In particular, we study the performance of the LENF over a range of baseline distances from 1000 km to 4000 km and stored-muon energies from 4 GeV to 25 GeV, connecting the early studies of the LENF (1300 km, 4.5 GeV) to those of the conventional, high-energy neutrino factory design (4000 km and 7000 km, 25 GeV). Three different magnetized detector options are considered: a Totally-Active Scintillator Detector (TASD) and two models of a liquid-argon detector distinguished by optimistic and conservative performance estimates. In order to compare the sensitivity of each set-up, we compute the full {\delta}-dependent discovery contours for the determination of non-zero {\theta}13, CP-violating values of {\delta} and the mass hierarchy. In the case of large {\theta}13 with sin^2(2*{\theta}13) = (few)*10^{-3}, the LENF provides a strong discovery potential over the majority of the L-E_{\mu} parameter space and is a promising candidate for the future generation of long baseline experiments aimed at discovering CP-violation and the mass hierarchy, and at making a precise determination of the oscillation parameters.

MeV-scale sterile neutrino decays at the Fermilab Short-Baseline Neutrino program

A bstractNearly-sterile neutrinos with masses in the MeV range and below would be produced in the beam of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab. In this article, we study the potential for SBN to discover these particles through their subsequent decays in its detectors. We discuss the decays which will be visible at SBN in a minimal and non-minimal extension of the Standard Model, and perform simulations to compute the parameter space constraints which could be placed in the absence of a signal. We demonstrate that the SBN programme can extend existing bounds on well constrained channels such as N → νl+l− and N → l±π∓ while, thanks to the strong particle identification capabilities of liquid-Argon technology, also place bounds on often neglected channels such as N → νγ and N → νπ0. Furthermore, we consider the phenomenological impact of improved event timing information at the three detectors. As well as considering its role in background reduction, we note that if the light-detection systems in SBND and ICARUS can achieve nanosecond timing resolution, the effect of finite sterile neutrino mass could be directly observable, providing a smoking-gun signature for this class of models. We stress throughout that the search for heavy nearly-sterile neutrinos is a complementary new physics analysis to the search for eV-scale oscillations, and would extend the BSM programme of SBN while requiring no beam or detector modifications.

Precision measurements of θ12 for testing models of discrete leptonic flavour symmetries

Models of leptonic flavour with discrete symmetries can provide an attractive explanation of the pattern of elements found in the leptonic mixing matrix. The next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments will allow the mixing parameters to be tested to a new level of precision, crucially measuring the CP violating phase δ for the first time. In this contribution, we present results of a systematic survey of the predictions of a class of models based on residual discrete symmetries and the prospects for excluding such models at medium- and long-term oscillation experiments. We place particular emphasis on the complementary role that a future circa 50 km reactor experiment, e.g. JUNO, can play in constraining these models.