Results from MINOS and NOvA

TL;DR

This paper reviews the MINOS experiment's precise measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters and discusses the upcoming capabilities of the NOvA experiment to further explore neutrino properties.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of MINOS results and details the design and expected sensitivity of the NOvA experiment for neutrino research.

Findings

MINOS achieved the most precise measurement of |m^2_{32}|

Evidence of non-maximal mixing and hints on mass hierarchy and _{23} octant

NOvA will significantly advance understanding of neutrino properties

Abstract

The MINOS experiment, operating in the NuMI beam since 2005, has provided the most precise measurement of the atmospheric mass splitting $|\Delta m^2_{32}|$, and the recent combination of the $\nu_\mu$, $\nu_e$, and atmospheric neutrino samples has provided some evidence of non-maximal mixing, and hints about the neutrino mass hierarchy and the $\theta_{23}$ octant. Construction of the NOvA experiment, situated off-axis in the upgraded NuMI beam, is almost complete. Over the coming years it will have significant power to probe the questions of the mass hierarchy, $\theta_{23}$ octant, and the possibility of $\mathcal{CP}$ violation in the lepton sector. This paper gives an overview of the results from MINOS, and of the sensitivity of the NOvA experiment.