Non-standard interactions spoiling the CP violation sensitivity at DUNE and other long baseline experiments

TL;DR

This paper investigates how non-standard neutrino interactions can significantly impair the ability of long baseline experiments like DUNE to detect leptonic CP violation, highlighting the importance of accounting for NSI effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of non-standard interactions on CP violation sensitivity in DUNE and compares effects across multiple current and future neutrino experiments.

Findings

NSI effects reduce CP violation sensitivity at DUNE

Comparison shows varying sensitivities among experiments

Highlights need to consider NSI in parameter extraction

Abstract

It is by now established that neutrino oscillations occur due to non-zero masses and parameters in the leptonic mixing matrix. The extraction of oscillation parameters may be complicated due to subleading effects such as non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) and one needs to have a fresh look how a particular parameter value is inferred from experimental data. In the present work, we focus on an important parameter entering the oscillation framework - the leptonic CP violating phase $\delta$, about which we know very little. We demonstrate that the sensitivity to CP violation gets significantly impacted due to NSI effects for the upcoming long baseline experiment, Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). We also draw a comparison with the sensitivities of other ongoing neutrino beam experiments such as NOvA, and T2K, as well as a future generation experiment, T2HK.