Results from the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments have been interpreted as evidence for a sterile neutrino with a mass near the electronvolt scale. Here we propose to test such a scenario by measuring the coherent elastic scattering rate of neutrinos from a pulsed spallation source. Coherent scattering is universal across all active neutrino flavors, and thus can provide a measurement of the total Standard Model neutrino flux. By performing measurements over different baselines and making use of timing information, it is possible to significantly reduce the systematic uncertainties and to independently measure the fluxes of neutrinos that originate as $ν_μ$ or as either $ν_e$ or $\barν_μ$. We find that a 100 kg CsI detector would be sensitive to the large fraction of the sterile neutrino parameter space that could potentially account for the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies.
I give a brief overview over various attempts to reconcile the LSND evidence for oscillations with all other global neutrino data, including the results from MiniBooNE. I discuss the status of oscillation schemes with one or more sterile neutrinos and comment on various exotic proposals.
The unique constraints on neutrino oscillations which can be obtained by measuring the energy spectrum of supernova $\barν_e$'s are first discussed. The focus is on 4-neutrino mass and mixing models capable of explaining the LSND evidence of $\barν_μ\to \barν_e$ oscillations. The potential of the Fermilab neutrino detector MiniBooNE to observe supernova neutrinos is then addressed, and a general description of the detector is given. As of May, 2002, the MiniBooNE detector is fully operational.
We investigate resonance structures in CPT and Lorentz symmetry violating neutrino-antineutrino oscillations in a two generation framework. We work with four non-zero CPT-violating parameters that allow for resonant enhancements in neutrino-antineutrino oscillation phenomena in vacuo which are suitably described in terms of charge conjugation eigenstates of the system. We study the relation between the flavor, charge conjugation and mass eigenbasis of neutrino-antineutrino oscillations and examine the interplay between the available CPT-violating parameter space and possible resonance structur…
Standard active--sterile neutrino oscillations do not provide a satisfactory description of the LSND evidence for neutrino oscillations together with the constraints from MiniBooNE and other null-result short-baseline oscillation experiments. However, if the mass or the mixing of the sterile neutrino depends in an exotic way on its energy all data become consistent. I explore the phenomenological consequences of the assumption that either the mass or the mixing scales with the neutrino energy as $1/E_ν^r (r > 0)$. Since the neutrino energy in LSND is about 40 MeV, whereas MiniBooNE operates at…
We investigate the possibility to explain the MiniBooNE anomaly by CPT and Lorentz symmetry violating neutrino-antineutrino oscillations in a two generation framework. We work with four non-zero CPT-violating parameters that allow for resonant enhancements in neutrino-antineutrino oscillation phenomena in vacuo which are suitably described in terms of charge conjugation eigenstates of the system. We study the relation between the flavor, charge conjugation and mass eigenbasis of neutrino-antineutrino oscillations and examine the interplay between the available CPT-violating parameter space and…
We point out that the excess of electron-like neutrino events recently observed by the T2K collaboration may have a common origin with the similar excess events previously reported by the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments and interpreted as a signal from the radiative decays of a sterile neutrino ν_h with the mass around 50 MeV produced in muon neutrino neutral current (NC) interactions. In this work we assumed that the ν_h can also be produced in tau neutrino NC reactions.
Although the hypothetic sterile neutrino $ν_s$ is probably not involved significantly in the deficits of solar $ν_e$'s and atmospheric $ν_μ$'s, it may cause the possible LSND effect. In fact, we face such a situation, when the popular nearly bimaximal texture of active neutrinos $ν_e$, $ν_μ$, $ν_τ$ is perturbed through a small rotation in the 14 plane, where $ν_4$ is the extra neutrino mass state induced by the sterile neutrino $ν_s$. Then, with $m^2_1\simeq m^2_2$ we predict in the simplest case of $s_{13}\to0$ that $\sin^22θ_{\rm LSND}=s^4_{14}/2$ and $Δm^2_{\rm LSND} = |Δm^2_{41}|$. However…
This work has attempted to reconcile puzzling neutrino oscillation results from the LSND, KARMEN and MiniBooNE experiments. We show that the LSND evidence for $\barν_μ\to \barν_e$ oscillations, its long-standing disagreement with the results from KARMEN, and the anomalous event excess observed by MiniBooNE in $ν_μ$ and $\barν_μ$ data could all be explained by the existence of a heavy sterile neutrino ($ν_h$). All these results are found to be consistent with each other assuming that the $ν_h$ is created in $ν_μ$ neutral-current interactions and decays radiatively into a photon and a light neut…
Among the class of models with small mixing angles between sterile and active neutrinos, we place constraints on the effective muon-to-sterile neutrino magnetic and electric dipole transition moments from the combined MiniBooNE results for the sterile neutrino mass range of $10\;\mathrm{MeV}<m_s<500\; \mathrm{MeV}$. Our results are valid for models with CP-violating interactions and for Dirac and Majorana sterile neutrinos. In addition, we show that such dipole electromagnetic interactions cannot be the main source of the anomalous events in the MiniBooNE experiment because they fail to reprod…
We construct a neutrino model of three twin neutrinos in light of the neutrino appearance excesses at LSND and MiniBooNE. The model, which includes a twin parity, naturally predicts identical lepton Yukawa structures in the Standard Model and the twin sectors. As a result, a universal mixing angle controls all three twin neutrino couplings to the Standard Model charged leptons. This mixing angle is predicted to be the ratio of the electroweak scale over the composite scale of the Higgs boson and has the right order of magnitude to fit the data. The heavy twin neutrinos decay within the experim…
This paper examines sterile neutrino oscillation models in light of recently published results from the MiniBooNE Experiment. The new MiniBooNE data include the updated neutrino results, including the low energy region, and the first antineutrino results, as well as first results from the off-axis NuMI beam observed in the MiniBooNE detector. These new global fits also include data from LSND, KARMEN, NOMAD, Bugey, CHOOZ, CCFR84, and CDHS. Constraints from atmospheric oscillation data have been imposed.
We consider a simple extension of the Standard Model (SM) by a complex scalar doublet and a singlet along with three sterile neutrinos. The sterile neutrinos mix with the SM neutrinos to produce three light neutrino states consistent with the oscillation data and three heavy sterile states. The lightest sterile neutrino has lifetime longer than the age of the Universe and can provide correct dark matter relic abundance. Utilizing tree-level flavor changing interactions of a light scalar with mass~$\sim\mathcal{O}(100)$~MeV along with sterile neutrinos, we can explain the anomalous magnetic mom…
We show that a double seesaw framework for neutrino masses with $μ-τ$ exchange symmetry can lead to one of the righthanded seesaw partners of the light neutrinos being massless. This can play the role of a light sterile neutrino, giving a $3+1$ model that explains the LSND results. We get a very economical scheme, which makes it possible to predict the full $4\times 4$ neutrino mass matrix if CP is conserved. Once CP violation is included, effect of the LSND mass range sterile neutrino is to eliminate the lower bound on neutrinoless double beta decay rate which exists for the three neutrino ca…
We argue that because the source-detector distance of 1.8 microseconds (in natural units) for the MiniBooNE is comparable to the muon lifetime of 2.2 microseconds, and because time dilation effects are wiped out in the beam stop, the Goldman entanglement of the neutrinos leads to hitherto unsuspected interpretational consequences. We show that a distinct possibility exists in which a LSND-like experiment sees no CP violation, whereas a MiniBooNE-like setup reproduces the LSND results for the $\barν_μ$ to $\barν_e$ oscillations while seeing only a significantly suppressed signal for the $ν_μ$ t…
We propose a new explanation of the intriguing LSND evidence for electron antineutrino appearance in terms of heavy (mostly sterile) neutrino decay via a coupling with a light scalar and light (mostly active) neutrinos. We perform a fit to the LSND data, as well as all relevant null-result experiments, taking into account the distortion of the spectrum due to decay. By requiring a coupling g ~ 10^{-5}, a heavy neutrino mass m_4 ~ 100 keV and a mixing with muon neutrinos |U_{mu 4}|^2 ~ 10^{-2}, we show that this model explains all existing data evading constraints that disfavor standard (3+1) n…
The MiniBooNE low-energy excess is a longstanding problem which has received further confirmation recently with a reanalysis using newly collected data, with the anomaly now at the $4.8σ$ level. In this letter we propose a novel explanation which advocates a low-energy sector containing $Z^\prime$ bosons with GeV-scale masses and sterile neutrinos with masses around $100$-$500$ MeV. We show that this scenario can provide an excellent spectral agreement with the MiniBooNE low-energy excess in the form of $Z^\prime$-mediated neutral current production of heavy sterile states, a fraction of whose…
The possibility is considered that the verdict of the ongoing MiniBooNE neutrino experiment will favor neither of the contesting sides, stating in fact that the LSND effect with the original oscillation amplitude is not confirmed, but a new LSND effect with a considerably smaller amplitude is found (or, at least, strongly suggested). Then, in the framework of neutrino oscillations, the presence in Nature of hypothetical light sterile neutrinos (mixing with three active neutrinos with a weak strength) will be unambiguously suggested by post-MiniBooNE neutrino data (unless the credible CPT invar…
It has been recently shown that puzzling excess events observed by the LSND and MiniBooNE neutrino experiments could be interpreted as a signal from the radiative decay of a heavy sterile neutrino ($ν_h$) of the mass from 40 to 80 MeV, with a muonic mixing strength $\mix \simeq 10^{-3} - 10^{-2}$, and the lifetime $10^{-11} < τ_h < 10^{-9}$ s. We discuss bounds on $\mix$ obtained from the recent precision measurements with muons and show that they are consistent with the above limits. If the $ν_h$ exists its admixture in the ordinary muon or kaon decay would result in the decay chain $\muhd$ o…
The MiniBooNE collaboration has reported an excess of $460.5\pm 95.8$ electron-like events ($4.8σ$). We propose an explanation of these events in terms of a sterile neutrino decaying into a photon and a light neutrino. The sterile neutrino has a mass around 250 MeV and it is produced from kaon decays in the proton beam target via mixing with the muon or the electron in the range $10^{-11} \lesssim |U_{\ell 4}|^2 \lesssim 10^{-7}$ ($\ell = e,μ$). The model can be tested by considering the time distribution of the events in MiniBooNE and by looking for single-photon events in running or upcoming…
In view of the recent results from the MiniBooNE experiment we revisit the global neutrino oscillation fit to short-baseline neutrino data by adding one or two sterile neutrinos with eV-scale masses to the three Standard Model neutrinos, and for the first time we consider also the global fit with three sterile neutrinos. Four-neutrino oscillations of the (3+1) type have been only marginally allowed before the recent MiniBooNE results, and become even more disfavored with the new data (at the level of $4σ$). In the framework of so-called (3+2) five-neutrino mass schemes we find severe tension b…
In view of the recent results from the MiniBooNE experiment we revisit the global neutrino oscillation fit to short-baseline neutrino data by adding one, two or three sterile neutrinos with eV-scale masses to the three Standard Model neutrinos. We find that four-neutrino oscillations of the (3+1) type, which have been only marginally allowed before the recent MiniBooNE results, become even more disfavored with the new data. In the framework of so-called (3+2) five-neutrino mass schemes the MiniBooNE results can be nicely reconciled with the LSND appearance evidence thanks to the possibility of…
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 propose an explanation of the LSND signal via quantum-decoherence of the mass states, which leads to damping of the interference terms in the oscillation probabilities. The decoherence parameters as well as their energy dependence are chosen in such a way that the damping affects only oscillations with the large (atmospheric) $Δm^2$ and rapidly decreases with the neutrino energy. This allows us to reconcile the positive LSND signal with MiniBooNE and other null-result experiments. The standard explanations of solar, atmospheric, KamLAND and MINOS data are not affected. No new particles, and…
We examine the compatibility between existing experimental data and a recently proposed explanation of the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies, given in terms of a sterile neutrino $N$ whose decay is dominated by a radiative mode. We find that current experimental data on $τ\rightarrow μννγ$ decays are compatible with the sterile neutrino parameters required for the explanation of the anomalies, but $K\rightarrow μνγ$ shows a marginal tension with those parameters. We also propose experimental cuts on radiative $K$ decays that could test the sterile neutrino hypothesis better. Finally, we study the c…
We study oscillations of the high energy atmospheric neutrinos in the Earth into sterile neutrinos with the eV-scale mass. The MSW resonance and parametric enhancement of the $\barν_μ\to\barν_s$ oscillations lead to distortion of the zenith angle distribution of the muon-track events which can be observed by IceCube. Due to matter effect, the IceCube signal depends not only on the mixing element $U_{μ4}$ relevant for LSND and MiniBooNE but also on $U_{τ4}$ and the CP-violating phase $δ_{24}$. We show that the case with $U_{τ4} = δ_{24} = 0$ leads to the weakest IceCube signal and therefore sho…
The recently observed event excess in MiniBooNE anti-neutrino data is in agreement with the LSND evidence for electron anti-neutrino appearance. We propose an explanation of these data in terms of a (3+1) scheme with a sterile neutrino including non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) at neutrino production and detection. The interference between oscillations and NSI provides a source for CP violation which we use to reconcile different results from neutrino and anti-neutrino data. Our best fit results imply NSI at the level of a few percent relative to the standard weak interaction, in agree…
A particular form of mixing matrix for three active and one sterile neutrinos is proposed. Its $3\times 3 $ part describing three active neutrinos arises from the popular bimaximal mixing matrix that works satisfactorily in solar and atmospheric experiments if the LSND effect is ignored. Then, the sterile neutrino, effective in the fourth row and fourth column of the proposed mixing matrix, is responsible for the possible LSND effect by inducing one extra neutrino mass state to exist actively. The LSND effect, if it exists, turns out to reveal its {\it perturbative} nature related to small mix…
We investigate the extent to which leptonic CP-violation in (3+2) sterile neutrino models leads to different oscillation probabilities for $\barν_μ\to\barν_e$ and $ν_μ\toν_e$ oscillations at MiniBooNE. We are using a combined analysis of short-baseline (SBL) oscillation results, including the LSND and null SBL results, to which we impose additional constraints from atmospheric oscillation data. We obtain the favored regions in MiniBooNE oscillation probability space for both (3+2) CP-conserving and (3+2) CP-violating models. We further investigate the allowed CP-violation phase values and the …
As a contribution to the hypothesis of mixing of three active neutrinos with, at least, one sterile neutrino, we report on a simple $4\times4$ texture whose $3\times3$ part arises from the popular bimaximal texture for three active neutrinos $ν_e,ν_μ,ν_τ$, where $c_{12}=1/\sqrt{2} = s_{12}$, $c_{23} = 1/\sqrt{2} = s_{23}$ and $s_{13} = 0$. Such a $3\times 3$ bimaximal texture is perturbed through a rotation in the 14 plane, where $ν_4$ is the extra neutrino mass state induced by the sterile neutrino $ν_s$ which becomes responsible for the LSND effect. Then, with $m^2_1 \simeq m^2_2$ we predict…
We show that one of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model, the addition of a second Higgs doublet, when combined with a dark sector singlet scalar, allows us to: $i)$ explain the long-standing anomalies in the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE (MB) while maintaining compatibility with the null result from KARMEN, $ii)$ obtain, in the process, a portal to the dark sector, and $iii)$ comfortably account for the observed value of the muon $g-2$. Three singlet neutrinos allow for an understanding of observed neutrino mass-squared differences via a Type I seesaw, wi…
Neutrinos may mix with ultralight fermions, which gives flavor oscillations, and with heavier fermions, which yields short distance flavor change. I consider the case where both effects are present. I show that in the limit where a single oscillation length is experimentally accessible, the effects of heavier fermions on neutrino oscillations can generically be accounted for by a simple formula containing four parameters, including observable CP violation. I consider the anomalous LSND and MiniBooNE results, and show that these can be fit in a model with CP violation and two additional sterile…
Lorentz violation is a predicted phenomenon from the Planck scale physics. Although the three active massive neutrino framework with the Standard Model (SM), so-called the neutrino Standard Model (nuSM), is successful, series of signals not understood within the nuSM suggest neutrino physics may be the first place to see the physics beyond the SM, such as Lorentz violation. Especially, neutrino oscillations are the natural interferometer and they are sensitive to the Lorentz violation. The LSND oscillation signal was analyzed under the Standard Model Extension (SME) framework, and it was found…
The simplest 3+2 neutrino model is described, where two light sterile neutrinos mix very weakly with three active neutrinos and mutually do not mix at all, while the mass-squared scale of the possible LSND effect is provided by m_5^2 - m^2_4 (ν_4 and ν_5 being two additional mass neutrinos connected with the existence of two sterile neutrinos ν_s and ν_{s'}. This 3+2 model is not better for explaining the LSND effect than the simplest 3+1 neutrino model, where one light sterile neutrino mixes very weakly with three active neutrinos, while the mass-squared scale of the possible LSND effect is g…
Considering the hypothesis of mixing of three active neutrinos with, at least, one sterile neutrino, we report on a simple $4\times 4$ texture whose $ 3 \times 3 $ part arises from the popular bimaximal texture for three active neutrinos $ ν_e, ν_μ, ν_τ$, where $ c_{12} = 1/\sqrt{2} = s_{12}$, $ c_{23} = 1/\sqrt{2} = s_{23}$ and $ s_{13} = 0$. Such a $3\times 3 $ bimaximal texture is perturbed through a rotation in the 14 plane, where $ν_4 $ is the extra neutrino mass state induced by the sterile neutrino $ν_s $ which becomes responsible for the LSND effect. Then, with $m^2_1\simeq m^2_2$ we p…
We explore the possibility to explain the LSND result in the context of extra-dimensional theories. If sterile neutrinos take shortcuts through extra dimensions, this results in altered neutrino dispersion relations. Active-sterile neutrino oscillations thus are modified and new types of resonances occur.
This paper reviews the results of the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments. The primary goal of each experiment was to effect sensitive searches for neutrino oscillations in the mass region with $Δm^2 \sim 1$ eV$^2$. The two experiments are complementary, and so the comparison of results can bring additional information with respect to models with sterile neutrinos. Both experiments obtained evidence for $\bar ν_μ\rightarrow \bar ν_e$ oscillations, and MiniBooNE also observed a $ν_μ\rightarrow ν_e$ excess. In this paper, we review the design, analysis, and results from these experiments. We then con…
It has been recently suggested that the anomalous excess of low-energy electron-like events observed by the MiniBooNE experiment, could be explained by the radiative decay of a heavy sterile neutrino nu_h of the mass around 500 MeV with a muonic mixing strength in the range |U_{μh}|^2 \simeq (1-4)\times 10^{-3}. If such nu_h exists its admixtures in the decay Ds -> mu+nu would result in the decay Ds -> mu+nu_h with the branching fraction \simeq (1.2-5.5)\times 10^{-4}, which is in the experimentally accessible range. Interestingly, the existence of the Ds -> mu+nu_h decay at this level may als…
Recently, the MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab has updated the results with increased data and reported an excess of $560.6 \pm 119.6$ electronlike events ($4.7σ$) in the neutrino operation mode. In this paper, we propose a scenario to account for the excess where a Dirac-type sterile neutrino, produced by a charged kaon decay through the neutrino mixing, decays into a leptophilic axionlike particle ($\ell$ALP) and a muon neutrino. The electron-positron pairs produced from the $\ell$ALP decays can be interpreted as electronlike events provided that their opening angle is sufficiently small. In…
In recent times, several experiments have observed results that are in significant conflict with the predictions of the Standard Model (SM). Two neutrino experiments, LSND and MiniBooNE (MB) have reported electron-like signal excesses above backgrounds. Both the Brookhaven and the Fermilab muon $g-2$ collaborations have measured values of this parameter which, while consistent with each other, are in conflict with the SM. Recently, the CDF II collaboration has reported a precision measurement of the $W$-boson mass that is in strong conflict with the SM prediction. It is worthwhile to seek new …
Current results of the MiniBooNE experiment show excess events that indicate neutrino oscillations, but only if one goes beyond the standard 3 family scenario. Recently a different explanation of the events has been given, not in terms of oscillations but by the production and decay of a massive sterile neutrino with large transition magnetic moment. We study the effect of such a sterile neutrino in the rare decays $τ^- \rightarrow μ^- μ^+ π^- ν$ and $τ^{-}\rightarrow μ^{-} μ^{+} e^{-} νν$. We find that searches for these decays featuring displaced vertices between the $μ^-$ and the other char…
The MiniBooNE Neutral Current Elastic (NCEL) cross section results are used to extract limits in the $Δm^{2}-\sin^{2}\vartheta_{μs}$ plane for a 3+1 sterile neutrino model with a mass splitting $0.1 \leq Δm^{2} \leq 10.0$ eV$^{2}$. GENIE is used with a cross section model close to the one employed by MiniBooNE to make event rate predictions using simulations on the MiniBooNE target material CH$_{2}$. The axial mass is a free parameter in all fits. Sterile modifications to the flux and changes to the cross section in the simulation relate the two and allow limits to be set on sterile neutrino m…
The MiniBooNE NCEL and CCQE cross-section measurements (neutrino running) are used to set limits in the $Δm^{2}-\sin^{2}\vartheta_{μs}$ plane for a 3+1 sterile neutrino model with a mass splitting $0.1 \leq Δm^{2} \leq 10.0$ eV$^{2}$. GENIE is used, with a relativistic Fermi gas model, to relate $E_ν$ and the reconstructed quantities measured. The issue of uncertainty in the underlying cross-section model and its effect on the sterile neutrino limits is explored, and robust sterile neutrino limits are produced by fitting the sterile parameters and the axial-mass cross-section parameter simulta…
It has been taken as granted that the observation of two independent mass-squared differences necessarily fixes the number of underlying mass eigenstates as three, and that the addition of a sterile neutrino provides an additional mass-squared difference. The purpose of this Letter is to argue that if one considers a sterile neutrino component that belongs to the (CP)^2 = - 1 sector, then both of the stated claims are false. We also outline how the results reported here, when combined with the forthcoming MiniBooNE data and other experiments, can help settle the issue of the CP properties of t…
We discuss the possibility that a sterile neutrino of mass around 50 MeV slightly mixed with the muon flavor may be the origin of the MiniBooNE anomaly. We show that its production in the atmosphere in a fraction of kaon decays would imply an excess of contained showers at IceCube from down-going and near-horizontal directions.
The MiniBooNE experiment is a $ν_μ\toν_e$ and $\barν_μ\to\barν_e$ appearance neutrino oscillation experiment at Fermilab. The neutrino mode oscillation analysis shows an excess of $ν_e$ candidate events in the low-energy region. These events are analyzed under the SME formalism, utilizing the short baseline approximation. The preliminary result shows the time independent solution is favored. The relationship with the SME parameters extracted from the LSND experiment is discussed. The systematic error analysis and antineutrino mode analysis are outlined.
We study the proposal that mass-varying neutrinos could provide an explanation for the LSND signal for \barν_mu to \barν_e oscillations. We first point out that all positive oscillation signals occur in matter and that three active mass-varying neutrinos are insufficient to describe all existing neutrino data including LSND. We then examine the possibility that a model with four mass-varying neutrinos (three active and one sterile) can explain the LSND effect and remain consistent with all other neutrino data. We find that such models with a 3+1 mass structure in the neutrino sector may explai…
The current case for atmospheric $ν_μ$ oscillations into active or sterile neutrinos is reviewed. It is argued that neither the study of neutral current events at Super-Kamiokande, nor the information obtained from future long baseline experiments might be sufficient to unambigously decide between these two scenarios. However, a combination of these results with the results from future short or intermediate baseline $τ$ appearance experiments would clearly resolve most of the remaining ambiguities. This conclusion does not strongly depend on whether the results from LSND will be confirmed or n…
The strong statistical significance of an observed electron-like event excess in the MiniBooNE (MB) experiment, along with an earlier similar excess seen in the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND), when interpreted in conjunction with recent MicroBooNE results may have brought us to the cusp of new physics discoveries. This has led to many attempts to understand these observations, both for each experiment individually and in conjunction, via physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). We provide an overview of the current situation, and discuss three major categories under which the many…
A simple unifying mass matrix is presented for the three active and one sterile neutrinos $ν_e$, $ν_μ$, $ν_τ$ and $ν_s$, using an extension of the radiative mechanism proposed some time ago by Zee. The total neutrino-oscillation data are explained by the scheme $ν_e \leftrightarrow ν_s$ (solar), $ν_μ\leftrightarrow ν_τ$ (atmospheric) and $ν_e \leftrightarrow ν_μ$ (LSND). We obtain the interesting approximate relationship $(Δm^2)_{atm} \simeq 2[(Δm^2)_{solar} (Δm^2)_{LSND}]^{1/2}$ which is well satisfied by the data.
Since the 3+1 neutrino models with one light sterile neutrino turn out to be not very effective, at least two light sterile neutrinos may be needed to reconcile the solar and atmospheric neutrino experiments with the LSND result, {\it if} this is confirmed by the ongoing MiniBooNE experiment (and when the CPT invariance is assumed to hold for neutrino oscillations). We present an attractive 3+2 neutrino model, where two light sterile neutrinos mix maximally with each other, in analogy to the observed maximal mixing of muon and tauon active neutrinos. But, while the mixing of $ν_e$ and $(ν_μ-ν_…
We first study how sterile neutrinos can fit the 5sigma bar-nu_mu --> bar-nu_e LSND anomaly: 2+2 solutions are strongly disfavoured by solar and atmospheric data, while 3+1 solutions can still give a poor fit (for a specific range of oscillation parameters, to be tested by MiniBooNE). If instead MiniBoone will find no nu_mu --> nu_e signal, we will have a hint for CPT violation. Already now, unlike sterile neutrinos, CPT-violating neutrino masses can nicely accomodate all safe and unsafe data. We study how much CPT must be conserved according to atmospheric and K2K data and list which CPT-viol…
We propose an explanation for the LSND anomaly based on quantum decoherence, postulating an exponential behavior for the decoherence parameters as a function of the neutrino energy. Within this ansatz decoherence effects are suppressed for neutrino energies above 200 MeV as well as around and below few MeV, restricting deviations from standard three-flavour oscillations only to the LSND energy range of 20--50 MeV. The scenario is consistent with the global data on neutrino oscillations, alleviates the tension between LSND and KARMEN, and predicts a null-result for MiniBooNE. No sterile neutrin…
We present a supersymmetric axion model in which the fermionic superpartner of axion, i.e. the axino, corresponds to a sterile neutrino which would accommodate the LSND data with atmospheric and solar neutrino oscillations.
It is shown on the ground of a simple 6\times 6 neutrino mixing model that one of three conventional sterile (righthanded) neutrinos, if light enough, may be consistently used for explaining a {\it small} LSND effect. Then, it is still considerably heavier than the three active (lefhanded) neutrinos, so that a kind of {\it soft} seesaw mechanism can work. The usual condition that the Majorana lefthanded component of the overall 6\times 6 neutrino mass matrix ought to vanish, {\it implies} the smallness of active-neutrino masses versus sterile-neutrino masses, when three mixing angles between b…
We develop the consequences of introducing a purely leptonic, lepton number violating non-standard interaction (NSI) and standard model neutrino mixing with a fourth, sterile neutrino in the analysis of short-baseline, neutrino experiments. We focus on the muon decay at rest (DAR) result from the Liquid Scintillation Neutrino Experiment (LSND) and the Karlsruhe and Rutherford Medium Energy Neutrino Experiment (KARMEN). We make a comprehensive analysis of lepton number violating, NSI effective operators and find nine that affect muon decay relevant to LSND results. Two of these preserve the sta…
We propose that a hierarchical spectrum of sterile neutrinos (eV, keV, $10^{13-15}$ GeV) is considered to as the explanations for MiniBooNE and LSND oscillation anomalies, dark matter, and baryon asymmetry of the universe (BAU) respectively. The scenario can also realize the smallness of active neutrino masses by seesaw mechanism.
In view of the recent result from the anti-neutrino run of MiniBooNE, we suggest to repeat the original Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) experiment using Super-Kamiokande, doped with Gadolinium, as detector. Due to the more than 100 times larger detector mass offered by Super-Kamiokande, the neutrino source requires a proton beam power of less than 300kW at a proton energy around a 1 GeV. A one year run of this setup can corroborate or refute both the LSND and MiniBooNE claims at more than 5 sigma confidence level. If a signal is observed, the large size of Super-Kamiokande combine…
Sterile neutrino models with new gauge interactions in the sterile sector are phenomenologically interesting since they can lead to novel effects in neutrino oscillation experiments, in cosmology and in dark matter detectors, possibly even explaining some of the observed anomalies in these experiments. Here, we use data from neutrino oscillation experiments, in particular from MiniBooNE, MINOS and solar neutrino experiments, to constrain such models. We focus in particular on the case where the sterile sector gauge boson $A'$ couples also to Standard Model particles (for instance to the baryon…
Using a 3 + 1 neutrino model with one sterile and the three standard active neutrinos with a 4x4 unitary transformation matrix, U, relating flavor to mass neutrino states, the probability of $ν_μ$ to $ν_e$ transition is estimated using sterile-active neutrino masses determined by MiniBooNE and other experiments and sterile-active neutrino angles in the 4x4 U matrix.