Apparent multiple Delta m(32)(2) in (nu)over-bar(mu) and nu(mu) survival oscillations from nonstandard interaction matter effect

作者：Mann W Anthony^*; Cherdack Daniel; Musial Wojciech; Kafka Tomas

来源：Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, 2010, 82(11): 113010.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevD.82.113010

Neutrinos propagating through matter may participate in forward coherent neutral-current-like scattering arising from nonstandard interactions as well as from the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein matter potential V-e. We show that at fixed long baselines through matter of constant density, the nonstandard interaction potential epsilon V-mu tau(e) can contribute an additional term to the oscillation phase whose sign differs for (nu) over bar (mu) versus nu(mu) propagation in matter. Its presence can cause different apparent Delta m(2) to be erroneously inferred on the basis of oscillations in vacuum, with values lying above (for (nu) over bar (mu)) or below (for nu(mu)) the actual Delta m(32)(2) for the case where epsilon(mu tau) is predominantly real-valued and of sign opposite to Delta m(32)(2). A nonstandard interaction scenario invoking only R(epsilon(mu tau)) is shown to be capable of accounting for a disparity recently reported between oscillation survival for (nu) over bar (mu) and nu(mu) fluxes measured at 735 km by the MINOS experiment. Implications for mantle traversal by atmospheric neutrinos are examined. The nonstandard interaction matter potential with nonmaximal mixing could evade conventional atmospheric neutrino analyses which do not distinguish nu(mu) from (nu) over bar (mu) on an event-by-event basis.

• 出版日期2010-12-17