33 research outputs found

    Three-flavor MSW solutions of the solar neutrino problem

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    We perform an updated phenomenological analysis of the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) solutions of the solar neutrino problem, assuming oscillations between two and three neutrino families. The analysis includes the total rates of the Homestake, SAGE, GALLEX, Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande experiments, as well as the day-night asymmetry and the 18-bin energy spectrum of Super-Kamiokande. Solutions are found at several values of the theta_{13} mixing angle. Among the most interesting features, we find that solar neutrino data alone put the constraint theta_{13} < 55--59 deg at 95% C.L., and that a fraction of the MSW solutions extends at and beyond maximal (nu_1,nu_2) mixing (theta_{12} > pi/4), especially if the neutrino square mass splitting is in its lower range (m^2_2-m^2_1 ~ 10^{-7} eV^2) and if theta_{13} is nonzero. In particular, bimaximal (or nearly bimaximal) mixing is possible for atmospheric and MSW solar neutrino oscillations within the stringent reactor bounds on theta_{13}.Comment: 19 pages (RevTeX) + 14 figures (PostScript

    Neutrino Masses and Mixing: Evidence and Implications

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    Measurements of various features of the fluxes of atmospheric and solar neutrinos have provided evidence for neutrino oscillations and therefore for neutrino masses and mixing. We review the phenomenology of neutrino oscillations in vacuum and in matter. We present the existing evidence from solar and atmospheric neutrinos as well as the results from laboratory searches, including the final status of the LSND experiment. We describe the theoretical inputs that are used to interpret the experimental results in terms of neutrino oscillations. We derive the allowed ranges for the mass and mixing parameters in three frameworks: First, each set of observations is analyzed separately in a two-neutrino framework; Second, the data from solar and atmospheric neutrinos are analyzed in a three active neutrino framework; Third, the LSND results are added, and the status of accommodating all three signals in the framework of three active and one sterile light neutrinos is presented. We review the theoretical implications of these results: the existence of new physics, the estimate of the scale of this new physics and the lessons for grand unified theories, for supersymmetric models with R-parity violation, for models of extra dimensions and singlet fermions in the bulk, and for flavor models.Comment: Added note on the effects of KamLAND results. Two new figure

    Four--Neutrino Oscillation Solutions of the Solar Neutrino Problem

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    We present an analysis of the neutrino oscillation solutions of the solar neutrino problem in the framework of four-neutrino mixing where a sterile neutrino is added to the three standard ones. We perform a fit to the full data set corresponding to the 825-day Super-Kamiokande data sample as well as to Chlorine, GALLEX and SAGE and Kamiokande experiments. In our analysis we use all measured total event rates as well as all Super-Kamiokande data on the zenith angle dependence and the recoil electron energy spectrum. We consider both transitions via the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) mechanism as well as oscillations in vacuum (just-so) and find the allowed solutions for different values of the additional mixing angles. This framework permits transitions into active or sterile neutrinos controlled by the additional parameter cos2(ϑ23)cos2(ϑ24)\cos^2(\vartheta_{23}) \cos^2(\vartheta_{24}) . We discuss the maximum allowed values of this additional mixing parameter for the different solutions.Comment: 28 pages Latex file using RevTeX. 8 postscript figures included (bitmapped for compression). Detailed explanation of criterion 3 and lower two graphs of Fig. 8. Misprints corrected in table II.A full version of the paper can be found at http://ific.uv.es/~penya/papers/four

    Testing solar neutrino MSW oscillations at low delta m^2 through time variations of event rates in GNO and BOREXINO

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    The Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) explanation of the solar neutrino problem is currently compatible with three distinct regions of the two-neutrino oscillation parameter space (delta m^2,sin^2 2theta). We focus on the region with the lowest value of delta m^2 (~10^{-7} eV^2), which implies significant Earth regeneration effects for low-energy solar neutrinos. We point out that such effects are not only observable as day-night variations of neutrino event rates in the real-time BOREXINO experiment, but also as seasonal variations in the radiochemical Gallium Neutrino Observatory (GNO) at Gran Sasso. We present detailed calculations of the difference between winter and summer rates in GNO (six months averages) in excess of the trivial seasonal variation due to the Earth orbital eccentricity. We show that, within the low-delta m^2 MSW solution, the net winter-summer GNO rate difference amounts to 4-6 SNU, with a dominant contribution from pp neutrinos. We also give analytical expressions for the winter and summer solar exposure functions at the Gran Sasso site.Comment: 12 pages (RevTeX) + 5 figures (PostScript
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