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arXiv · 2106.04673

Search for active-sterile antineutrino mixing using neutral-current interactions with the NOvA experiment

M. A. Acero·P. Adamson·L. Aliaga·N. Anfimov·A. Antoshkin·E. Arrieta-Diaz·L. Asquith·A. Aurisano·A. Back·C. Backhouse·M. Baird·N. Balashov·P. Baldi·B. A. Bambah·S. Bashar·K. Bays·R. Bernstein·V. Bhatnagar·B. Bhuyan·J. Bian·J. Blair·A. C. Booth·R. Bowles·C. Bromberg·N. Buchanan·A. Butkevich·S. Calvez·T. J. Carroll·E. Catano-Mur·B. C. Choudhary·A. Christensen·T. E. Coan·M. Colo·L. Cremonesi·G. S. Davies·P. F. Derwent·P. Ding·Z. Djurcic·M. Dolce·D. Doyle·D. Dueñas Tonguino·E. C. Dukes·H. Duyang·S. Edayath·R. Ehrlich·M. Elkins·E. Ewart·G. J. Feldman·P. Filip·J. Franc·M. J. Frank·H. R. Gallagher·R. Gandrajula·F. Gao·A. Giri·R. A. Gomes·M. C. Goodman·V. Grichine·M. Groh·R. Group·B. Guo·A. Habig·F. Hakl·A. Hall·J. Hartnell·R. Hatcher·H. Hausner·K. Heller·V Hewes·A. Himmel·A. Holin·J. Huang·B. Jargowsky·J. Jarosz·F. Jediny·C. Johnson·M. Judah·I. Kakorin·D. Kalra·A. Kalitkina·D. M. Kaplan·R. Keloth·O. Klimov·L. W. Koerner·L. Kolupaeva·S. Kotelnikov·R. Kralik·Ch. Kullenberg·M. Kubu·A. Kumar·C. D. Kuruppu·V. Kus·T. Lackey·P. Lasorak·K. Lang·J. Lesmeister·S. Lin·A. Lister·J. Liu·M. Lokajicek
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Abstract

This Letter reports results from the first long-baseline search for sterile antineutrinos mixing in an accelerator-based antineutrino-dominated beam. The rate of neutral-current interactions in the two NOvA detectors, at distances of 1 km and 810 km from the beam source, is analyzed using an exposure of $12.51\times10^{20}$ protons-on-target from the NuMI beam at Fermilab running in antineutrino mode. A total of $121$ of neutral-current candidates are observed at the Far Detector, compared to a prediction of $122\pm11$(stat.)$\pm15$(syst.) assuming mixing between three active flavors. No evidence for $\bar{\nu}_{\mu}\rightarrow\bar{\nu}_{s}$ oscillation is observed. Interpreting this result within a 3+1 model, constraints are placed on the mixing angles ${\theta}_{24} < 25^{\circ}$ and ${\theta}_{34} < 32^{\circ}$ at the 90% C.L. for $0.05$eV$^{2} \leq \Delta m^{2}_{41} \leq 0.5$eV$^{2}$, the range of mass splittings that produces no significant oscillations at the Near Detector. These are the first 3+1 confidence limits set using long-baseline accelerator antineutrinos.

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M. A. Acero, P. Adamson, L. Aliaga, N. Anfimov, A. Antoshkin, E. Arrieta-Diaz, L. Asquith, A. Aurisano, A. Back, C. Backhouse, M. Baird, N. Balashov, P. Baldi, B. A. Bambah, S. Bashar, K. Bays, R. Bernstein, V. Bhatnagar, B. Bhuyan, J. Bian, J. Blair, A. C. Booth, R. Bowles, C. Bromberg, N. Buchanan, A. Butkevich, S. Calvez, T. J. Carroll, E. Catano-Mur, B. C. Choudhary, A. Christensen, T. E. Coan, M. Colo, L. Cremonesi, G. S. Davies, P. F. Derwent, P. Ding, Z. Djurcic, M. Dolce, D. Doyle, D. Dueñas Tonguino, E. C. Dukes, H. Duyang, S. Edayath, R. Ehrlich, M. Elkins, E. Ewart, G. J. Feldman, P. Filip, J. Franc, M. J. Frank, H. R. Gallagher, R. Gandrajula, F. Gao, A. Giri, R. A. Gomes, M. C. Goodman, V. Grichine, M. Groh, R. Group, B. Guo, A. Habig, F. Hakl, A. Hall, J. Hartnell, R. Hatcher, H. Hausner, K. Heller, V Hewes, A. Himmel, A. Holin, J. Huang, B. Jargowsky, J. Jarosz, F. Jediny, C. Johnson, M. Judah, I. Kakorin, D. Kalra, A. Kalitkina, D. M. Kaplan, R. Keloth, O. Klimov, L. W. Koerner, L. Kolupaeva, S. Kotelnikov, R. Kralik, Ch. Kullenberg, M. Kubu, A. Kumar, C. D. Kuruppu, V. Kus, T. Lackey, P. Lasorak, K. Lang, J. Lesmeister, S. Lin, A. Lister, J. Liu, M. Lokajicek. 2021-06-08. Search for active-sterile antineutrino mixing using neutral-current interactions with the NOvA experiment. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.127.201801

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