Nonzero theta_13 signals nonmaximal atmospheric neutrino mixing

TL;DR

This paper discusses how recent neutrino experiments show that the mixing angles theta_13 and theta_23 deviate from the tribimaximal model, with flavor symmetries predicting specific ranges and best-fit values.

Contribution

It demonstrates that flavor symmetry models like T' and A_4 can predict the nonzero theta_13 and nonmaximal theta_23 mixing angles consistent with experimental data.

Findings

theta_23 predicted between 38.07° and 39.52° at 95% C.L.

Best fit values are theta_23=38.7° and theta_13=8.9°.

Flavor symmetry models align with recent experimental results.

Abstract

From recent groundbreaking experiments, it is now known that the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata mixing differs significantly from the tribimaximal model in which theta_13=0 and theta_23=pi/4. Flavor symmetry can require that the departures from these two equations are linearly related. T' and A_4, which successfully accommodated the pre-T2K Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata matrix, predict that 38.07 deg.< theta_23 <39.52 deg. at 95% C.L.. The best fit values, combining the model predictions with T2K, MINOS, Double Chooz, Daya Bay, and RENO data, are theta_23=38.7 deg. and theta_13=8.9 deg..