Nonmaximal neutrino mixing at NO$\nu$A from nonstandard interactions

TL;DR

This paper explores how nonstandard neutrino interactions could explain the deviation from maximal mixing observed in NO$ u$A muon neutrino disappearance data, contrasting it with T2K results.

Contribution

It proposes that nonstandard neutrino interactions in matter might account for the nonmaximal mixing signals seen at NO$ u$A, offering an alternative to standard oscillation interpretations.

Findings

NO$ u$A data suggests nonmaximal $ heta_{23}$ at 2.6$\sigma$

T2K data prefers maximal mixing

Nonstandard interactions could reconcile differences between NO$ u$A and T2K

Abstract

Muon neutrino disappearance measurements at NO$\nu$A suggest that maximal $\theta_{23}$ is excluded at the 2.6$\sigma$ CL. This is in mild tension with T2K data which prefer maximal mixing. Considering that NO$\nu$A has a much longer baseline than T2K, we point out that the apparent departure from maximal mixing in NO$\nu$A may be a consequence of nonstandard neutrino propagation in matter.