The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab has updated its search for ν_μ-bar -> ν_e-bar oscillations with data collected through May 2011. This represents a statistics increase of 52% over the result published in 2010. The data favor LSND-like oscillations over a background-only hypothesis at the 91.1% confidence level. While the new result remains equally consistent with LSND, the compatibility with the background-only hypothesis is improved. An excess of 38.6 +- 18.5 ν_e-like events below 475 MeV is observed, consistent with the observation of such an excess in neutrino mode.
MiniBooNE began running in antineutrino mode on 19 January, 2006. We describe the sensitivity of MiniBooNE to LSND-like nuebar oscillations and outline a program of antineutrino cross-section measurements necessary for the next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments. We describe three independent methods of constraining wrong-sign (neutrino) backgrounds in an antineutrino beam, and their application to the MiniBooNE antineutrino analyses.
We outline a program of antineutrino cross-section measurements necessary for the next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments, that can be performed with one year of data at MiniBooNE. We describe three independent methods of constraining wrong-sign (neutrino) backgrounds in an antineutrino beam, and their application to the MiniBooNE antineutrino cross section measurements.
These proceedings summarize the first MiniBooNE electron antineutrino appearance search results, corresponding to a data sample collected for 3.39$\times10^{20}$ protons on target (POT). The search serves as a direct test of the LSND oscillation signature, and provides complementary information which can be used in studies addressing the MiniBooNE neutrino-mode low-energy excess.
The single largest background to future numubar to nuebar (numu to nue) oscillation searches is neutral current pi0 production. MiniBooNE, which began taking antineutrino data in January 2006, has the world's largest sample of pi0's produced by antineutrinos in the 1 GeV energy range. These neutral pions are primarily produced through the delta resonance but can also be created through "coherent production." The latter process is the coherent sum of glancing scatters of (anti)neutrinos off a neutron or proton, in which the nucleus is kept intact but a pi0 is created. Current analysis of NC pi0…
The single largest background to future numubar to nuebar (numu to nue) oscillation searches is neutral current pi0 production. MiniBooNE, which began taking antineutrino data in January 2006, has the world's largest sample of pi0's produced by antineutrinos in the 1 GeV energy range. These neutral pions are primarily produced through the delta resonance but can also be created through "coherent production." The latter process is the coherent sum of glancing scatters of (anti)neutrinos off a neutron or proton, in which the nucleus is kept intact but a pi0 is created. Current analysis of NC pi0…
The single largest background to future $\bar{ν_μ}\to \bar{ν_e}$ ($ν_μ\to ν_e$) oscillation searches is neutral current (NC) $π^{0}$ production. MiniBooNE, which began taking antineutrino data in January 2006, has the world's largest sample of reconstructed $π^{0}$'s produced by antineutrinos. These neutral pions are primarily produced through the $Δ$ resonance but can also be created through ``coherent production.'' The latter process is the coherent sum of glancing scatters of antineutrinos off a neutron or proton, in which the nucleus is kept intact but a $π^{0}$ is created. A signature of …
The MiniBooNE Collaboration reports a search for \numu and \numubar disappearance in the \dmsq region of a few \evsq. These measurements are important for constraining models with extra types of neutrinos, extra dimensions an d CPT violation. Fits to the shape of the \numu and \numubar energy spectra reveal no evidence for disappearance at 90% confidence level (CL) in either mode. This is the first test of \numubar disappearance between \dmsq=0.1-10\evsq.
The MiniBooNE experiment has reported a number of high statistics neutrino and anti-neutrino cross sections-among which are the charged current quasi-elastic (CCQE) and neutral current elastic (NCE) neutrino scattering on mineral oil. Recently a study of the neutrino contamination of the anti-neutrino beam has concluded and the analysis of the anti-neutrino CCQE and NCE scattering is ongoing.
MiniBooNE seeks to confirm or refute the LSND muon-antineutrino to electron-antineutrino oscillation signal with high statistical significance and different systematics. MiniBooNE has accumulated the world's largest GeV neutrino data set. MiniBooNE employs a cosmic muon calibration system to study the reconstruction of the energies and directions of muons in the detector. Progress of measurements of the muon neutrino charged-current quasi-elastic and single pion production cross sections are presented.
The analysis of the recent neutral-current elastic neutrino and antineutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections measured by the MiniBooNE Collaboration requires relativistic theoretical descriptions also accounting for the role of final-state interactions. In this work we investigate the sensitivity to final-state interactions and compare the MiniBooNE data with the results obtained in the relativistic Green's function model with different parameterizations for the phenomenological relativistic optical potential.
Neutrino oscillations have been established in solar and atmospheric neutrinos, but a third signal from the LSND experiment is incompatible with three Standard Model neutrinos. The MiniBooNE experiment can confirm or refute the LSND oscillation signal with 1E21 protons on target. Preliminary results on muon neutrino analyses and an updated oscillation sensitivity are presented.
There is accumulating evidence for a difference between neutrino and antineutrino oscillations at the $\sim 1$ eV$^2$ scale. The MiniBooNE experiment observes an unexplained excess of electron-like events at low energies in neutrino mode, which may be due, for example, to either a neutral current radiative interaction, sterile neutrino decay, or to neutrino oscillations involving sterile neutrinos and which may be related to the LSND signal. No excess of electron-like events ($-0.5 \pm 7.8 \pm 8.7$), however, is observed so far at low energies in antineutrino mode. Furthermore, global 3+1 and …
The single largest background to future $\bar{ν_μ}\to \bar{ν_e}$ ($ν_μ\to ν_e$) oscillation searches is neutral current (NC) $π^0$ production. MiniBooNE, which began taking antineutrino data in January 2006, has the world's largest sample of reconstructed $π^0$'s produced by antineutrinos. These neutral pions are primarily produced through the $Δ$ resonance but can also be created through "coherent production." The latter process is the coherent sum of glancing scatters of antineutrinos off a neutron or proton, in which the nucleus is kept intact but a $π^0$ is created. A signature of this pro…
The first measurements of antineutrino charged-current quasielastic ($\numub$ CCQE, $\numu + N \to \mup + N'$) and neutral-current elastic ($\numub$ NCE, $\numu + N \to \numu + N$) cross sections with $< E_{\barν} >$ $<$ 1 GeV are presented. To maximize the precision of these measurements, many data-driven background measurements were executed, including a first demonstration of charge separation using a non-magnetized detector. Apart from extending our knowledge of antineutrino interactions by probing a new energy range, these measurements constrain signal and background processes for current…
We discuss the nuclear interactions of neutrinos versus those of antineutrinos, a relevant comparison for CP violation experiments in the neutrino sector. We consider the MiniBooNE quasielastic-like double differential neutrinos and antineutrinos cross sections which are flux dependent and hence specific to the MiniBooNE set-up. We combine them introducing their sum and their difference. We show that the last combination can bring a general information, which can be exploited in other experiments, on the nuclear matrix elements of the axial vector interference term. Our theoretical model repro…
The MiniBooNE Collaboration reports initial results from a search for $\barν_μ\to\barν_e$ oscillations. A signal-blind analysis was performed using a data sample corresponding to $3.39 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target. The data are consistent with background prediction across the full range of neutrino energy reconstructed assuming quasielastic scattering, $200 < E_ν^{QE} < 3000$ MeV: 144 electron-like events have been observed in this energy range, compared to an expectation of $139.2 \pm 17.6$ events. No significant excess of events has been observed, both at low energy, 200-475 MeV, and at…
We investigate the MiniBooNE recent data on the antineutrino nucleus interaction, using the same theoretical description with the same parameters as in previous works on neutrino interactions. The double differential quasielastic cross section, which is free from the energy reconstruction problem, is well reproduced by our model once the multinucleon excitations are incorporated. A similar agreement is achieved for the Q^2 distribution.
We report the measurement of the flux-averaged antineutrino neutral current elastic scattering cross section ($dσ_{\bar νN \rightarrow \bar νN}/dQ^{2}$) on CH$_{2}$ by the MiniBooNE experiment using the largest sample of antineutrino neutral current elastic candidate events ever collected. The ratio of the antineutrino to neutrino neutral current elastic scattering cross sections and a ratio of antineutrino neutral current elastic to antineutrino charged current quasi elastic cross section is also presented.
We present an update of our analysis of short-baseline neutrino oscillation data in the framework of 3+1 neutrino mixing taking into account the recent update of MiniBooNE antineutrino data and the recent results of the MINOS search for nu_mu disappearance into sterile neutrinos (the more complicated 3+2 neutrino mixing is not needed since the CP-violating difference between MiniBooNE neutrino and antineutrino data has diminished). The results of our fits of short-baseline neutrino oscillation data including the MiniBooNE low-energy anomaly (now present both in the neutrino and antineutrino da…
We show by examples that multichannel mixing can affect both the parameters extracted from neutrino oscillation experiments, and that more general conclusions derived by fitting the experimental data under the assumption that only two channels are involved in the mixing. Implications for MiniBooNE are noted and an example based on maximal CP violation displays profound implications for the two data sets (muon-neutrino and muon-antineutrino) of that experiment.
We consider the interpretation of the MiniBooNE low-energy anomaly and the Gallium radioactive source experiments anomaly in terms of short-baseline electron neutrino disappearance in the framework of 3+1 four-neutrino mixing schemes. The separate fits of MiniBooNE and Gallium data are highly compatible, with close best-fit values of the effective oscillation parameters Delta m^2 and sin^2 2 theta. The combined fit gives Delta m^2 >~ 0.1 eV^2 and 0.11 < sin^2 2 theta < 0.48 at 2 sigma. We consider also the data of the Bugey and Chooz reactor antineutrino oscillation experiments and the limits …
The MiniBooNE neutrino oscillation search experiment at Fermilab has recently updated results from a search for $\barν_μ\rightarrow \barν_e$ oscillations, using a data sample corresponding to $8.58 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target in anti-neutrino mode. This high statistics result represent an increase in statistics of 52% compared to result published in 2010. An excess of 57.7 $\pm$ 28.5 events is observed in the energy range 200 MeV $< E_ν<$ 3000 MeV. The data favor LSND-like $\barν_μ\rightarrow \barν_e$ oscillations over a background only hypothesis at 91.1% confidence level in the energy …
Recently, three successful antineutrino experiments (Daya Bay, Double Chooz, and RENO) measured the neutrino mixing angle theta_13; however, significant discrepancies were found, both in the absolute flux and spectral shape. In this study, the antineutrino spectra were calculated by using the updated nuclear database, and we found that the four isotopes antineutrino spectrum have all contribution to the 5--7 MeV bump with ENDF/B-VII.1 fission yield. The bump can be explained well using the updated library and more important isotopes contribution to the bump were also given. In the last, the fi…
The MiniBooNE experiment has reported results from the analysis of $ν_e$ and $\bar ν_e$ appearance searches, which show an excess of signal-like events at low reconstructed neutrino energies, with respect to the expected background. A significant component of this background comes from photon emission induced by (anti)neutrino neutral current interactions with nucleons and nuclei. With an improved microscopic model for these reactions, we predict the number and distributions of photon events at the MiniBooNE detector. Our results are compared to the MiniBooNE in situ estimate and to other theo…
The analysis of charged-current quasielastic neutrino and antineutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections requires relativistic theoretical descriptions also accounting for the role of final-state interactions. We compare the results of the relativistic Green's function model with the data recently published by the MINER$ν$A Collaboration. The model is able to describe both MINER$ν$A and MiniBooNE data.
The indications in favor of short-baseline neutrino oscillations, which require the existence of one or more sterile neutrinos, are reviewed. In the framework of 3+1 neutrino mixing, which is the simplest extension of the standard three-neutrino mixing which can partially explain the data, there is a strong tension in the interpretation of the data, mainly due to an incompatibility of the results of appearance and disappearance experiments. In the framework of 3+2 neutrino mixing, CP violation in short-baseline experiments can explain the difference between MiniBooNE neutrino and antineutrino …
Understanding the charged current quasielestic (CCQE) neutrino-nucleus interaction is important for precision studies of neutrino oscillations. The theoretical description of the interaction depends on the combination of a nuclear model with the knowledge of form factors. While the former has received considerable attention, the latter, in particular the axial form factor, is implemented using the historical dipole model. Instead, we use a model-independent approach, presented in a previous study, to analyze the muon antineutrino CCQE mineral oil data published by the MiniBooNE collaboration. …
The MiniBooNE and SciBooNE collaborations report the results of a joint search for short baseline disappearance of \bar{ν_μ} at Fermilab's Booster Neutrino Beamline. The MiniBooNE Cherenkov detector and the SciBooNE tracking detector observe antineutrinos from the same beam, therefore the combined analysis of their datasets serves to partially constrain some of the flux and cross section uncertainties. Uncertainties in the ν_μ background were constrained by neutrino flux and cross section measurements performed in both detectors. A likelihood ratio method was used to set a 90% confidence level…
Hints for the existence of a sterile neutrino at nuclear reactors are reexamined using two updated predictions for the fluxes of antineutrinos produced in fissions. These new predictions diverge in their preference for the rate deficit anomaly, relative to previous analyses, but the anomaly in the ratios of measured antineutrino spectra persists. We comment on upcoming experiments and their ability to probe the preferred region of the sterile-neutrino parameter space in the electron neutrino disappearance channel.
The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports results from an analysis of $\bar ν_e$ appearance data from $11.27 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target in antineutrino mode, an increase of approximately a factor of two over the previously reported results. An event excess of $78.4 \pm 28.5$ events ($2.8 σ$) is observed in the energy range $200<E_ν^{QE}<1250$ MeV. If interpreted in a two-neutrino oscillation model, $\barν_μ\rightarrow\barν_e$, the best oscillation fit to the excess has a probability of 66% while the background-only fit has a $χ^2$-probability of 0.5% relative to the best fit. The dat…
We consider possible indications of Very-Short-BaseLine (VSBL) electron neutrino disappearance into sterile neutrinos in MiniBooNE neutrino data and Gallium radioactive source experiments. We discuss the compatibility of such a disappearance with reactor and MiniBooNE antineutrino data. We find a tension between neutrino and antineutrino data which could be due to: 1) statistical fluctuations; 2) underestimate of systematic uncertainties; 3) exclusion of our hypothesis of VSBL nu_e disappearance; 4) a violation of CPT symmetry. Considering the first possibility, we present the results of a com…
We present an updated estimate of reactor antineutrino signal all over the world, with particular attention to the sites proposed for existing and future geo-neutrino experiment. In our calculation we take into account the most updated data on Thermal Power for each nuclear plant, on reactor antineutrino spectra and on three neutrino oscillation mechanism.
The IsoDAR antineutrino source, which produces a flux from 8Li isotope decay at rest, when paired with the proposed JUNO (Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory) detector, has unprecedented sensitivity to anti-nu_e disappearance for oscillations at high Delta m^2. Assuming CPT invariance, the sensitive region for anti-nu_e disappearance can be used to restrict the allowed parameter space of an anti-nu_mu to anti-nu_e appearance signal. The 5 sigma sensitivity of this experiment covers the entire anti-nu_mu to anti-nu_e allowed parameter space from a combined fit to short-baseline experiment…
The MiniBooNE large axial-mass anomaly has motivated the development of new theoretical Charged Current Quasi-Elastic (CCQE) cross-section models in recent years. These proceedings review the development of the neutrino simulation generator NEUT to incorporate these more sophisticated CCQE models, including multi-nucleon interaction (2p2h) effects. The fit results on the MINER$ν$A and MiniBoone data are used to tune neutrino interaction models in NEUT and develop a default cross-section model for T2K.
We have studied the muon neutrino and antineutrino quasi-elastic (QEL) scattering reactions ($ν_μn\to μ^- p$ and $\barν_μp\to μ^+ n$) using a set of experimental data collected by the NOMAD collaboration. We have performed measurements of the cross-section of these processes on a nuclear target (mainly Carbon) normalizing it to the total $ν_μ$ ($\barν_μ$) charged current cross-section. The results for the flux averaged QEL cross-sections in the (anti)neutrino energy interval 3-100 GeV are $σ^{qel}_{ν_μ} = (0.92 \pm 0.02 (stat) \pm 0.06 (syst))\times 10^{-38} \cm^2$ and $σ{qel}_{\barν_μ} = (0.8…
We carry out an ab initio calculation of the neutrino flux-folded inclusive cross sections, measured on $^{12}$C by the MiniBooNE and T2K collaborations in the charged-current quasielastic (CCQE) regime. The calculation is based on realistic two- and three-nucleon interactions, and on a realistic nuclear electroweak current with one-and two-nucleon terms that are constructed consistently with these interactions and reproduce low-energy electroweak transitions. Numerically exact quantum Monte Carlo methods are utilized to compute the nuclear weak response functions, by fully retaining many-body…
The MiniBooNE experiment has provided data releases for most publications. Occasionally it is necessary to move data release pages. This document provides a single point of reference that will be updated by the collaboration to point to the present location of the MiniBooNE data releases.
The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports results from an analysis of the combined $ν_e$ and $\bar ν_e$ appearance data from $6.46 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target in neutrino mode and $11.27 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target in antineutrino mode. A total excess of $240.3 \pm 34.5 \pm 52.6$ events ($3.8 σ$) is observed from combining the two data sets in the energy range $200<E_ν^{QE}<1250$ MeV. In a combined fit for CP-conserving $ν_μ\rightarrow ν_e$ and $\barν_μ\rightarrow\barν_e$ oscillations via a two-neutrino model, the background-only fit has a $χ^2$-probability of 0.03% relative to …
The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports results from a search for $\bar ν_μ\rightarrow \bar ν_e$ oscillations, using a data sample corresponding to $5.66 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target. An excess of $20.9 \pm 14.0$ events is observed in the energy range $475<E_ν^{QE}<1250$ MeV, which, when constrained by the observed $\bar ν_μ$ events, has a probability for consistency with the background-only hypothesis of 0.5\%. On the other hand, fitting for $\barν_μ\rightarrow\barν_e$ oscillations, the best-fit point has a $χ^2$-probability of 8.7\%. The data are consistent with $\bar ν_μ\rightarro…
The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports a total excess of $638.0 \pm 132.8$ electron-like events ($4.8 σ$) from a data sample corresponding to $18.75 \times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target in neutrino mode, which is a 46\% increase in the data sample with respect to previously published results, and $11.27 \times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target in antineutrino mode. The additional statistics allow several studies to address questions on the source of the excess. First, we provide two-dimensional plots in visible energy and cosine of the angle of the outgoing lepton, which can provide valuable input…
A recently developed Standard-Model Extension (SME) formalism for neutrino oscillations that includes Lorentz and CPT violation is used to analyze the sidereal time variation of the neutrino event excess measured by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) experiment. The LSND experiment, performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, observed an excess, consistent with neutrino oscillations, of ${\barν}_e$ in a beam of ${\barν}_μ$. It is determined that the LSND oscillation signal is consistent with no sidereal variation. However, there are several combinations of SME coefficients that …
Recently new reactor antineutrino spectra have been provided for 235U, 239Pu, 241Pu and 238U, increasing the mean flux by about 3 percent. To good approximation, this reevaluation applies to all reactor neutrino experiments. The synthesis of published experiments at reactor-detector distances <100 m leads to a ratio of observed event rate to predicted rate of 0.976(0.024). With our new flux evaluation, this ratio shifts to 0.943(0.023), leading to a deviation from unity at 98.6% C.L. which we call the reactor antineutrino anomaly. The compatibility of our results with the existence of a fourth…
Recent neutrino oscillation results have evoked renewed interest in sterile neutrino oscillation models. This paper reviews the data from MiniBooNE and short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiments within the context of sterile neutrinos. The results are incorporated into combined fits to test the viability of sterile neutrino oscillation models, which are later expanded to address matter effects. Finally, future experiments that can resolve the questions that have been raised are discussed.
Data from the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments, and revised expectations of the antineutrino flux from nuclear reactors suggest the existence of eV-mass sterile neutrinos. 3+2 and 1+3+1 scenarios accommodate all relevant short-baseline neutrino data except for the low-energy MiniBooNE anomaly. We analyze the angular distribution of upward going atmospheric neutrino events in the IceCube-40 dataset for evidence of sterile neutrinos within these scenarios. Depending on how systematic uncertainties are handled, we find strong evidence for, or weak evidence against sterile neutrinos. We show that fu…
We analyze the recent results of the MiniBooNE short-baseline experiment on antinu_mu -> antinu_e oscillations in a minimal model-independent framework of antineutrino mixing in conjunction with the positive LSND signal and the negative KARMEN measurements. We show that the data of the three short-baseline antinu_mu -> antinu_e experiments are compatible. Taking into account also the model-independent constraints due to the limits on short-baseline antinu_e disappearance obtained in reactor antineutrino experiments, we find that the favored region of the effective oscillation parameters lies w…
The theory of neutrino oscillations explains changes in neutrino flavor, count rates, and spectra from solar, atmospheric, accelerator, and reactor neutrinos. These oscillations are characterized by three mixing angles and two mass-squared differences. The solar mixing angle, θ_12, and the atmospheric mixing angle, θ_23, have been well measured, but until recently the neutrino mixing angle θ_13 was not well known. The Daya Bay experiment, located northeast of Hong Kong at the Guangdong Nuclear Power Complex in China, has made a precise measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance using s…
The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports results from an analysis of $ν_e$ appearance data from $12.84 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target in neutrino mode, an increase of approximately a factor of two over previously reported results. A $ν_e$ charged-current quasielastic event excess of $381.2 \pm 85.2$ events ($4.5 σ$) is observed in the energy range $200<E_ν^{QE}<1250$~MeV. Combining these data with the $\bar ν_e$ appearance data from $11.27 \times 10^{20}$ protons on target in antineutrino mode, a total $ν_e$ plus $\bar ν_e$ charged-current quasielastic event excess of $460.5 \pm 99.0$ e…
The low-energy excesses observed by the MiniBooNE experiment have, to date, defied a convinc- ing explanation under the standard model even with accommodation for non-zero neutrino mass. In this paper we explore a new oscillation mechanism to explain these anomalies, invoking a light neu- trinophilic Higgs boson, conceived to induce a low Dirac neutrino mass in accord with experimental limits. Beam neutrinos forward-scattering off of a locally over-dense relic neutrino background give rise to a novel matter-effect with an energy-specific resonance. An enhanced oscillation around this resonance…
MiniBooNE reports the first absolute cross sections for neutral current single π^0 production on CH_2 induced by neutrino and antineutrino interactions measured from the largest sets of NC π^0 events collected to date. The principal result consists of differential cross sections measured as functions of π^0 momentum and π^0 angle averaged over the neutrino flux at MiniBooNE. We find total cross sections of (4.76+/-0.05_{stat}+/-0.76_{sys})*10^{-40} cm^2/nucleon at a mean energy of <E_ν>=808 MeV and (1.48+/-0.05_{stat}+/-0.23_{sys})*10^{-40} cm^2/nucleon at a mean energy of <E_ν>=664 MeV for ν_…
We report measurements by the T2K experiment of the parameters $θ_{23}$ and $Δm^{2}_{32}$ governing the disappearance of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos in the three flavor neutrino oscillation model. Utilizing the ability of the experiment to run with either a mainly neutrino or a mainly antineutrino beam, the parameters are measured separately for neutrinos and antineutrinos. Using $7.482 \times 10^{20}$ POT in neutrino running mode and $7.471 \times 10^{20}$ POT in antineutrino mode, T2K obtained, $\sin^{2}(θ_{23})=0.51^{+0.08}_{-0.07}$ and $Δm^{2}_{32} = 2.53^{+0.15}_{-0.13} \times 10^{-3…
There exists a need to address and resolve the growing evidence for short-baseline neutrino oscillations and the possible existence of sterile neutrinos. Such non-standard particles require a mass of $\sim 1$ eV/c$^2$, far above the mass scale associated with active neutrinos, and were first invoked to explain the LSND $\bar ν_μ\rightarrow \bar ν_e$ appearance signal. More recently, the MiniBooNE experiment has reported a $2.8 σ$ excess of events in antineutrino mode consistent with neutrino oscillations and with the LSND antineutrino appearance signal. MiniBooNE also observed a $3.4 σ$ excess…
High-quality charged current quasielastic scattering data have recently been reported for both muon neutrinos and antineutrinos from several accelerator-based neutrino experiments. Measurements from MiniBooNE were the first to indicate that more complex nuclear effects, now thought to be the result of nucleon pair correlations, may contribute to neutrino quasielastic samples at a much higher significance than previously assumed. These findings are now being tested by MINER$ν$A and other contemporary neutrino experiments. Presented here is a comparison of data from MiniBooNE and MINER$ν$A to a …
We calculate the total and differential quasielastic cross sections for neutrino and antineutrino scattering on nucleons using up to date fits to the nucleon elastic electromagnetic form factors $G_E^p$, $G_E^n$, $G_M^p$, $G_M^n$, and weak and pseudoscalar form factors. We find that using the updated non-zero value of $G_E^n$ has a significant effect on both the total and differential neutrino and antineutrino quasielastic cross sections. Previous extractions of the weak axial form factor from neutrino scattering data are sensitive to the assumptions that were used for the vector form factors.…
We propose an explanation of the LSND evidence for electron antineutrino appearance based on neutrino decay. We introduce a heavy neutrino, which is produced in pion and muon decays because of a small mixing with muon neutrinos, and then decays into a scalar particle and a light neutrino, predominantly of the electron type. We require values of $g m_4\sim$ few eV, $g$ being the neutrino--scalar coupling and $m_4$ the heavy neutrino mass, e.g. $m_4$ in the range from 1 keV to 1 MeV and $g \sim 10^{-6} - 10^{-3}$. Performing a fit to the LSND data as well as all relevant null-result experiments,…
The recent analysis of the normalization of reactor antineutrino data, the calibration data of solar neutrino experiments using gallium targets, and the results from the neutrino oscillation experiment MiniBooNE suggest the existence of a fourth light neutrino mass state with a mass of O(eV), which contributes to the electron neutrino with a sizable mixing angle. Since we know from measurements of the width of the Z0 resonance that there are only three active neutrinos, a fourth neutrino should be sterile (i.e., interact only via gravity). The corresponding fourth neutrino mass state should be…
