Towards extracting the best possible results from NOvA

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether NOvA, a leading neutrino experiment, can achieve optimal results in a shorter time frame by analyzing its ability to resolve parameter degeneracies, especially when combined with T2K data.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that a shorter, four-year run of NOvA, especially when combined with T2K data, can outperform the scheduled five-year run in resolving neutrino oscillation degeneracies.

Findings

NOvA (2+2) run improves degeneracy resolution over scheduled (3+1) run

Combining NOvA with T2K enhances parameter discrimination

Shorter run periods can yield better physics results

Abstract

The NuMI Off-Axis $\nu_{e}$ Appearance (NO$\nu$A) is the currently running leading long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment, whose main physics goal is to explore the current issues in the neutrino sector, such as determination of the neutrino mass ordering, resolution of the octant of atmospheric mixing angle and to constrain the Dirac-type CP violating phase $\delta_{CP}$. In this paper, we would like to investigate whether it is possible to extract the best possible results from NO$\nu$A with a shorter time-span than its scheduled run period by analyzing its capability to discriminate the degeneracy among various neutrino oscillation parameters within four years of run time, with two years in each neutrino and antineutrino modes. Further, we study the same by adding the data from T2K experiment for a total of five years run with 3.5 years in neutrino mode and 1.5 years in antineutrino mode. We find that NO$\nu$A (2+2) has a better oscillation parameter degeneracy discrimination capability compared to its scheduled run period for four years, i.e, NO$\nu$A (3+1).