Combined analysis of neutrino decoherence at reactor experiments

TL;DR

This paper combines data from multiple reactor neutrino experiments to set the most stringent current limits on neutrino wave-packet width and shows that standard oscillation parameters are robust against potential decoherence effects.

Contribution

It provides the first combined analysis of reactor experiments to constrain neutrino decoherence and demonstrates the robustness of oscillation parameter determination.

Findings

Established a lower limit on neutrino wave-packet width of 2.1 x 10^{-4} nm at 90% CL

Showed that standard oscillation parameters are unaffected by potential decoherence effects when combining data

Provided the most stringent current limits on neutrino decoherence from reactor experiments.

Abstract

Reactor experiments are well suited to probe the possible loss of coherence of neutrino oscillations due to wave-packets separation. We combine data from the short-baseline experiments Daya Bay and the Reactor Experiment for Neutrino Oscillation (RENO) and from the long baseline reactor experiment KamLAND to obtain the best current limit on the reactor antineutrino wave-packet width, $\sigma > 2.1 \times 10^{-4}$ nm at 90% CL. We also find that the determination of standard oscillation parameters is robust, i.e., it is mostly insensitive to the presence of hypothetical decoherence effects once one combines the results of the different reactor neutrino experiments.