Improved search for muon-neutrino to electron-neutrino oscillations in MINOS


Abstract in English

We report the results of a search for $ u_{e}$ appearance in a $ u_{mu}$ beam in the MINOS long-baseline neutrino experiment. With an improved analysis and an increased exposure of $8.2times10^{20}$ protons on the NuMI target at Fermilab, we find that $2sin^2(theta_{23})sin^2(2theta_{13})<0.12 (0.20)$ at 90% confidence level for $deltamathord{=}0$ and the normal (inverted) neutrino mass hierarchy, with a best fit of $2sin^2(theta_{23})sin^2(2theta_{13}),mathord{=},0.041^{+0.047}_{-0.031} (0.079^{+0.071}_{-0.053})$. The $theta_{13}mathord{=}0$ hypothesis is disfavored by the MINOS data at the 89% confidence level.

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