Implications of nonzero $\theta_{13}$ for the neutrino mass hierarchy
Abstract
The Daya Bay, RENO, and Double Chooz experiments have discovered a large non-zero value for . We present a global analysis that includes these three experiments, Chooz, the Super-K atmospheric data, and the T2K and MINOS experiments that are sensitive to the hierarchy and the sign of . We report preliminary results in which we fix the mixing parameters other than to those from a recent global analysis. Given there is no evidence for a non-zero CP violation, we assume . T2K and MINOS lie in a region of where there is a hierarchy degeneracy in the limit of and no matter interaction. For non-zero , the symmetry is partially broken, but a degeneracy under the simultaneous exchange of both hierarchy and the sign of remains. Matter effects break this symmetry such that the positions of the peaks in the oscillation probabilities maintain the two-fold symmetry, while the magnitude of the oscillations is sensitive to the hierarchy. This renders T2K and NOA, with different baselines and different matter effects, better able in combination to distinguish the hierarchy and the sign of . The large value of yields effects from atmospheric data that distinguish hierarchies. We find for normal hierarchy, positive , and is 0.2% probable it is the correct combination; for normal hierarchy, negative , and is 2.2% probable; for inverse hierarchy, positive , and is 7.1% probable; for inverse hierarchy, negative , and is 90.5% probable, results that are inconsistent with two similar analyses.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1209.2456,
title = {Implications of nonzero $\theta_{13}$ for the neutrino mass hierarchy},
author = {D. J. Ernst and B. K. Cogswell and H. R. Burroughs and J. Escamilla-Roa and D. C. Latimer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1209.2456},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
8 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Horizons of Innovative Theories, Experiments, and Supercomputing in Nuclear Physics (New Orleans, June 4-6, 2012)