Nonmaximal $theta_{23}$ mixing at NOvA from neutrino decoherence


Abstract in English

In study of muon neutrino disappearance at 810 km, the NOvA experiment finds flavor mixing of the atmospheric sector to deviate from maximal ($sin^2theta_{23} = 0.5$) by 2.6 $sigma$. The result is in tension with the 295-km baseline measurements of T2K which are consistent with maximal mixing. We propose that $theta_{23}$ is in fact maximal, and that the disagreement is harbinger of environmentally-induced decoherence. The departure from maximal mixing can be accounted for by an energy-independent decoherence of strength $Gamma = (2.3 pm 1.1) times 10^{-23}$ GeV.

Download