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Title: Significant Excess of Electronlike Events in the MiniBooNE Short-Baseline Neutrino Experiment

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
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The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports results from an analysis of $$\nu_e$$ appearance data from $$12.84 \times 10^{20}$$ protons on target in neutrino mode, an increase of approximately a factor of two over previously reported results. A $$\nu_e$$ charged-current quasielastic event excess of $$381.2 \pm 85.2$$ events ($$4.5 \sigma$$) is observed in the energy range $$200<1250$$~MeV. Combining these data with the $$\bar \nu_e$$ appearance data from $$11.27 \times 10^{20}$$ protons on target in antineutrino mode, a total $$\nu_e$$ plus $$\bar \nu_e$$ charged-current quasielastic event excess of $$460.5 \pm 99.0$$ events ($$4.7 \sigma$$) is observed. If interpreted in a two-neutrino oscillation model, $${\nu}_{\mu} \rightarrow {\nu}_e$$, the best oscillation fit to the excess has a probability of $$21.1\%$$, while the background-only fit has a $$\chi^2$$ probability of $$6 \times 10^{-7}$$ relative to the best fit. The MiniBooNE data are consistent in energy and magnitude with the excess of events reported by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND), and the significance of the combined LSND and MiniBooNE excesses is $$6.0 \sigma$$. A two-neutrino oscillation interpretation of the data would require at least four neutrino types and indicate physics beyond the three neutrino paradigm.Although the data are fit with a two-neutrino oscillation model, other models may provide better fits to the data.

Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contributing Organization:
MiniBooNE; MiniBooNE Collaboration
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359; 89233218CNA000001; SC0007859; AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1483346
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1462213; OSTI ID: 1484651; OSTI ID: 1577253; OSTI ID: 1638228
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-24586; FERMILAB-PUB-18-219-AD-PPD-ND; arXiv:1805.12028; PRLTAO; 221801
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Vol. 121 Journal Issue: 22; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 300 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Figures / Tables (5)

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