English

Maximal $\nu_e$ oscillations, Borexino and smoking guns

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2009-10-31 v3 High Energy Physics - Experiment

Abstract

We examine the maximal νe>νs\nu_e --> \nu_s and νe>νμ,τ\nu_e --> \nu_\mu,\tau oscillation solutions to the solar neutrino problem. These solutions lead to roughly a 50% solar flux reduction for the large parameter range 3×1010<δm2/eV2<1033\times 10^{-10} < \delta m^2/eV^2 < 10^{-3}. It is known that the earth regeneration effect may cause a potentially large night-day asymmetry even for maximal neutrino oscillations. We investigate the night-day asymmetry predictions for the forthcoming Borexino measurement of the ^7Be neutrinos for both maximal νe>νs\nu_e --> \nu_s and νe>νμ,τ\nu_e --> \nu_\mu,\tau oscillations. If y×108<δm2/eV2<4y×105y \times 10^{-8} < \delta m^2/eV^2 < 4y \times 10^{-5} (with y = 0.5 for νe>νs\nu_e --> \nu_s case and y = 1 for νe>νμ,τ\nu_e --> \nu_\mu,\tau case) then the maximal neutrino oscillations will lead to observable night-day asymmetries in Borexino and/or superKamiokande. With Kamland covering the high mass range, 105<δm2/eV2<10310^{-5} < \delta m^2/eV^2 < 10^{-3} and Borexino/superK covering the low mass range, 3×1010<δm2/eV2<5×1093\times 10^{-10} < \delta m^2/eV^2 < 5\times 10^{-9} ("just so" region), essentially all of the δm2\delta m^2 parameter space will soon be scrutinized.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-ph/0003189,
  title  = {Maximal $\nu_e$ oscillations, Borexino and smoking guns},
  author = {R. Foot},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-ph/0003189},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

Various improvements...still about 6 pages with some figs