First direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance

Journal Article · Tue Jul 05 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.021801· OSTI ID:1011164

Adamson, P. ^[1]

---

1. et al.

This letter reports the first direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance. The MINOS experiment has taken data with an accelerator beam optimized for ν¯_μ production, accumulating an exposure of 1.71 x 10²⁰ protons on target. In the Far Detector, 97 charged current ν¯_μ events are observed. The no-oscillation hypothesis predicts 156 events and is excluded at 6.3σ. The best fit to oscillation yields |Δm¯²| = (3.36_-0.40 ^+0.46(stat.) ± 0.06(syst.)) x 10^-3 eV², sin²(2 θ¯) = 0.86_-0.12^+0.11 (stat.) ± 0.01(syst.). The MINOS ν_μ and ν¯_μ measurements are consistent at the 2.0% confidence level, assuming identical underlying oscillation parameters.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Contributing Organization: MINOS
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359
• OSTI ID: 1011164
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-11-163-PPD; BNL-94488-2010-JA; arXiv:1104.0344; oai:inspirehep.net:894861; TRN: US1102130
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 107, Issue 2; ISSN 0031-9007
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ACCELERATORS
CHARGED CURRENTS
HYPOTHESIS
MUON ANTINEUTRINOS
OSCILLATIONS
PRODUCTION
PROTONS
Experiment-HEP