MINOS neutrino oscillation results

TL;DR

The MINOS experiment uses a long-baseline neutrino beam to measure neutrino oscillations, test for sterile neutrinos, explore the mixing angle θ13, and verify CPT symmetry, providing key insights into neutrino physics.

Contribution

This paper reports on the initial results from MINOS, including measurements of neutrino oscillations, searches for sterile neutrinos, and tests of CPT symmetry, based on several years of data collection.

Findings

Confirmed muon neutrino disappearance consistent with oscillations.

Set limits on sterile neutrino contributions through neutral current flux measurements.

Provided early constraints on the mixing angle θ13 via electron neutrino appearance searches.

Abstract

The MINOS long-baseline experiment is using the NuMI neutrino beam to make precise measurements of neutrino flavor oscillations in the "atmospheric" neutrino sector. MINOS observes the $\nu_\mu$ disappearance oscillations seen in atmospheric neutrinos, tests possible disappearance to sterile $\nu$ by measuring the neutral current flux, and extends our reach towards the so far unseen $\theta_{13}$ by looking for $\nu_e$ appearance in this $\nu_\mu$ beam. The magnetized MINOS detectors also allow tests of CPT conservation by discriminating between neutrinos and anti-neutrinos on an event-by-event basis. The intense, well-understood NuMI neutrino beam created at Fermilab is observed 735km away at the Soudan Mine in Northeast Minnesota. High-statistics studies of the neutrino interactions themselves and the cosmic rays seen by the MINOS detectors have also been made. MINOS started taking beam data in May of 2005 and is now nearing the end of it's five-year run. This paper reviews results published based on the first several years of data.