Non-standard interactions and the resolution of ordering of neutrino masses at DUNE and other long baseline experiments

TL;DR

This paper investigates how non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) in matter influence the ability of long baseline experiments like DUNE, NOvA, and T2K to determine neutrino mass ordering, revealing significant impacts on sensitivity.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the effects of matter NSI on neutrino mass ordering resolution in long baseline experiments, highlighting potential alterations in experimental sensitivities.

Findings

NSI significantly affect mass ordering sensitivity in DUNE.

Comparison shows DUNE's sensitivity is impacted more than NOvA and T2K.

NSI effects could alter the interpretation of experimental results.

Abstract

In the era of precision neutrino physics, we study the influence of matter NSI on the question of neutrino mass ordering and its resolution. At long baseline experiments, since matter effects play a crucial role in addressing this very important question, it is timely to investigate how sub-leading effects due to NSI may affect and drastically alter inferences pertaining to this question. We demonstrate that the sensitivity to mass ordering gets significantly impacted due to NSI effects for various long baseline experiments including the upcoming long baseline experiment, Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). Finally we draw a comparison of DUNE, with the sensitivities offered by two of the current neutrino beam experiments NOvA and T2K.