First MINOS+ Data and New Results from MINOS

TL;DR

This paper presents initial results from the MINOS+ experiment, improved three-flavor neutrino analysis, combined atmospheric data, a sterile neutrino search, and new limits on non-standard interactions, advancing long-baseline neutrino research.

Contribution

It introduces the first MINOS+ data, enhances neutrino oscillation analysis with combined datasets, and incorporates sterile neutrino and non-standard interaction searches.

Findings

Preliminary results from MINOS+ run.

Improved three-neutrino oscillation measurements.

New constraints on sterile neutrino mixing and non-standard interactions.

Abstract

Following a 7-year run with the MINOS experiment from 2005 to 2012, the MINOS+ long-baseline neutrino experiment started operations in September 2013. Utilizing the MINOS Near and Far Detectors at Fermilab and northern Minnesota, respectively, and measuring the new medium-energy NuMI neutrino beam over baseline of 735 km, MINOS+ has accumulated an exposure of $1.7\times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target. In this paper, we present preliminary results from the MINOS+run. In addition, we report on improved results from a three-neutrino flavor analysis of the full $14\times 10^{20}$ MINOS-era beam sample, and the combined full MINOS and MINOS+ atmospheric neutrino samples, corresponding to an exposure of 48.7 kiloton-years increased by 28% with respect to previously published MINOS measurements. The analysis combines the measurements of muon neutrino disappearance and appearance into electron neutrinos in the beam and atmospheric samples. Furthermore, we present results from a new search for sterile neutrinos in the complete MINOS NuMI sample. A 3+1 neutrino mixing model with one sterile neutrino is assumed. Neutrino mixing at the ND baseline ($\sim 1$ km), relevant for values of the additional mass eigenstate $m_4\gtrsim 1$ eV, is included for the first time in the analysis of Far and Near Detector data from a long-baseline neutrino experiment. Finally, new limits on non-standard neutrino interactions are obtained from measurements of electron neutrino appearance in the full MINOS beam sample.