학술논문
Search for active-sterile antineutrino mixing using neutral-current interactions with the NOvA experiment
Document Type
Working Paper
Author
Acero, M. A.; Adamson, P.; Aliaga, L.; Anfimov, N.; Antoshkin, A.; Arrieta-Diaz, E.; Asquith, L.; Aurisano, A.; Back, A.; Backhouse, C.; Baird, M.; Balashov, N.; Baldi, P.; Bambah, B. A.; Bashar, S.; Bays, K.; Bernstein, R.; Bhatnagar, V.; Bhuyan, B.; Bian, J.; Blair, J.; Booth, A. C.; Bowles, R.; Bromberg, C.; Buchanan, N.; Butkevich, A.; Calvez, S.; Carroll, T. J.; Catano-Mur, E.; Choudhary, B. C.; Christensen, A.; Coan, T. E.; Colo, M.; Cremonesi, L.; Davies, G. S.; Derwent, P. F.; Ding, P.; Djurcic, Z.; Dolce, M.; Doyle, D.; Tonguino, D. Dueñas; Dukes, E. C.; Duyang, H.; Edayath, S.; Ehrlich, R.; Elkins, M.; Ewart, E.; Feldman, G. J.; Filip, P.; Franc, J.; Frank, M. J.; Gallagher, H. R.; Gandrajula, R.; Gao, F.; Giri, A.; Gomes, R. A.; Goodman, M. C.; Grichine, V.; Groh, M.; Group, R.; Guo, B.; Habig, A.; Hakl, F.; Hall, A.; Hartnell, J.; Hatcher, R.; Hausner, H.; Heller, K.; Hewes, V; Himmel, A.; Holin, A.; Huang, J.; Jargowsky, B.; Jarosz, J.; Jediny, F.; Johnson, C.; Judah, M.; Kakorin, I.; Kalra, D.; Kalitkina, A.; Kaplan, D. M.; Keloth, R.; Klimov, O.; Koerner, L. W.; Kolupaeva, L.; Kotelnikov, S.; Kralik, R.; Kullenberg, Ch.; Kubu, M.; Kumar, A.; Kuruppu, C. D.; Kus, V.; Lackey, T.; Lasorak, P.; Lang, K.; Lesmeister, J.; Lin, S.; Lister, A.; Liu, J.; Lokajicek, M.; Magill, S.; Plata, M. Manrique; Mann, W. A.; Marshak, M. L.; Martinez-Casales, M.; Matveev, V.; Mayes, B.; Méndez, D. P.; Messier, M. D.; Meyer, H.; Miao, T.; Miller, W. H.; Mishra, S. R.; Mislivec, A.; Mohanta, R.; Moren, A.; Morozova, A.; Mu, W.; Mualem, L.; Muether, M.; Mulder, K.; Naples, D.; Nayak, N.; Nelson, J. K.; Nichol, R.; Niner, E.; Norman, A.; Norrick, A.; Nosek, T.; Oh, H.; Olshevskiy, A.; Olson, T.; Ott, J.; Paley, J.; Patterson, R. B.; Pawloski, G.; Petrova, O.; Petti, R.; Phan, D. D.; Plunkett, R. K.; Porter, J. C. C.; Rafique, A.; Raj, V.; Rajaoalisoa, M.; Ramson, B.; Rebel, B.; Rojas, P.; Ryabov, V.; Samoylov, O.; Sanchez, M. C.; Falero, S. Sánchez; Shanahan, P.; Sheshukov, A.; Singh, P.; Singh, V.; Smith, E.; Smolik, J.; Snopok, P.; Solomey, N.; Sousa, A.; Soustruznik, K.; Strait, M.; Suter, L.; Sutton, A.; Swain, S.; Sweeney, C.; Oregui, B. Tapia; Tas, P.; Thakore, T.; Thayyullathil, R. B.; Thomas, J.; Tiras, E.; Tripathi, J.; Trokan-Tenorio, J.; Tsaris, A.; Torun, Y.; Urheim, J.; Vahle, P.; Vallari, Z.; Vasel, J.; Vokac, P.; Vrba, T.; Wallbank, M.; Warburton, T. K.; Wetstein, M.; Whittington, D.; Wickremasinghe, D. A.; Wojcicki, S. G.; Wolcott, J.; Wu, W.; Xiao, Y.; Dombara, A. Yallappa; Yonehara, K.; Yu, S.; Yu, Y.; Zadorozhnyy, S.; Zalesak, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zwaska, R.
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Abstract
This Letter reports results from the first long-baseline search for sterile antineutrinos mixing in an accelerator-based antineutrino-dominated beam. The rate of neutral-current interactions in the two NOvA detectors, at distances of 1 km and 810 km from the beam source, is analyzed using an exposure of $12.51\times10^{20}$ protons-on-target from the NuMI beam at Fermilab running in antineutrino mode. A total of $121$ of neutral-current candidates are observed at the Far Detector, compared to a prediction of $122\pm11$(stat.)$\pm15$(syst.) assuming mixing between three active flavors. No evidence for $\bar{\nu}_{\mu}\rightarrow\bar{\nu}_{s}$ oscillation is observed. Interpreting this result within a 3+1 model, constraints are placed on the mixing angles ${\theta}_{24} < 25^{\circ}$ and ${\theta}_{34} < 32^{\circ}$ at the 90% C.L. for $0.05$eV$^{2} \leq \Delta m^{2}_{41} \leq 0.5$eV$^{2}$, the range of mass splittings that produces no significant oscillations at the Near Detector. These are the first 3+1 confidence limits set using long-baseline accelerator antineutrinos.
Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures
Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures