On resolving the dark LMA solution at neutrino oscillation experiments

Abstract

Abstract In presence of non standard interactions (NSI), the solar neutrino data is consistent with two solutions, one close to the standard LMA solution with sin2 θ 12 ≃ 0.31 and another with sin 2 θ 12 D ≃ 0.69 = 1 − sin 2 θ 12 $$ {\sin}^2{\theta}_{12}^D\simeq 0.69\left(=1-{\sin}^2{\theta}_{12}\right) $$ . The latter has been called the Dark LMA (DLMA) solution in the literature and essentially brings an octant degeneracy in the measurement of the mixing angle θ 12. This θ 12 octant degeneracy is hard to resolve via oscillations because of the existence of the so-called “generalised mass hierarchy degeneracy” of the neutrino mass matrix in presence of NSI. One might think that if the mass hierarchy is independently determined in a non-oscillation experiment such as neutrino-less double beta decay, one might be able to break the θ 12 octant degeneracy. In this paper we study this in detail in the context of long-baseline experiments (P μμ channel) as well as reactor experiments (P ee channel) and show that if we combine information from both long-baseline and reactor experiments we can find the correct octant and hence value of θ 12. We elaborate the reasons for it and study the prospects of determining the θ 12 octant using T2HK, DUNE and JUNO experiments. Of course, one would need information on the neutrino mass hierarchy as well.

Keywords

• Neutrino Detectors and Telescopes (experiments)
• Oscillation