Implications of Confirmation of the LSND anti-nu_mu -> anti-nu_e Oscillation Signal

TL;DR

This paper discusses the implications of confirming the LSND anti-neutrino oscillation signal, exploring how it challenges the Standard Model and proposing the SNS as an ideal site for further tests to understand neutrino properties.

Contribution

It introduces potential theories to explain all three neutrino oscillation results and suggests the SNS as a promising facility for testing these hypotheses.

Findings

Confirmation of LSND signal would challenge the Standard Model.

MiniBooNE's results could validate LSND oscillation findings.

SNS can probe high delta-m^2 neutrino oscillation regions.

Abstract

Neutrino oscillations have been observed in solar and atmospheric neutrinos, and in the LSND accelerator experiment. The Standard Model cannot accommodate all three positive results. The solar and atmospheric results have been confirmed. An oscillation signal seen by MiniBooNE will validate the oscillation signal seen by LSND. The question then becomes one of refining the Standard Model to allow for these three results. Four theories which can accommodate all three oscillation observations are the existence of sterile neutrinos, CP violation, the existence of variable mass neutrinos, and small Lorentz violations. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), located at Oak Ridge Laboratories, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will provide an ideal site to test these hypotheses. The SNS, due to turn on in 2008, will supply a high intensity neutrino source of known flux and energy spectrum. This source permits experiments to probe the high delta-m^2 region for measurements, where a positive signal from MiniBooNE would lie.