Search for Neutrino Oscillations in Appearance Mode with the OPERA Experiment [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1402.3861


The present paper highlights the data analysis status of the OPERA experiment. The experiment was designed to perform the neutrino interactions analysis on event-by-event basis, and optimized to search for $\nu_{\mu} \rightarrow \nu_{\tau}$ oscillation in appearance mode, also allowing to perform a $\nu_{e}$ appearance search.
We review the data simulation and the analysis chains implemented to search for $\nu_{\tau}$ interactions. The main kinematical parameters sensitive to the neutrino flavor are discussed, the uncertainties of the event parameter estimation are reviewed, and the main sources of background for the $\nu_{\mu} \rightarrow \nu_{\tau}$ oscillation search are examined. The topologies of the two first $\nu_{\tau}$ candidate events are presented.
Finally, we review the status of the $\nu_{e}$ appearance search and present the constraints set by the OPERA experiment on the mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ and on the LSND/MiniBooNE anomaly.

Read this paper on arXiv…

T. Dzhatdoev and V. Troshina
Tue, 18 Feb 14
64/72