Inverted Mass Ordering Research Articles

Earth tomography with the ICAL detector at INO

Observing matter effects in atmospheric neutrinos traveling through the entire mantle and core of the Earth is a promising way of enhancing our understanding of Earth’s density structure. In that context we study the prospects of Earth tomography with the ICAL detector at the India-based Neutrino Observatory. While this experiment is smaller in size in comparison to some of the other larger detectors being proposed, it is the only planned neutrino experiment with charge-identification sensitivity. In particular, ICAL can see matter effects separately in neutrinos and antineutrinos. This has been seen to enhance ICAL’s sensitivity to earth matter effects and hence the mass ordering sensitivity for both normal and inverted mass orderings. It is therefore pertinent to see if the ICAL sensitivity to earth tomography is competitive or better with respect to other experiments, especially for the inverted mass ordering, where other experiments suffer reduced sensitivity. We present the sensitivity of ICAL to earth tomography by taking into consideration both the Earth’s mass constraint as well as the hydrostatic equilibrium constraints. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Cosmological Constraints on Neutrino Masses in Light of JWST Red and Massive Candidate Galaxies

The overabundance of the red and massive candidate galaxies observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) implies efficient structure formation or large star formation efficiency at high redshift z ∼ 10. In the scenario of a low or moderate star formation efficiency, because massive neutrinos tend to suppress the growth of structure of the universe, the JWST observation tightens the upper bound of the neutrino masses. Assuming Λ cold dark matter cosmology and a star formation efficiency ∈[0.05, 0.3] (flat prior), we perform joint analyses of Planck+JWST and Planck+BAO+JWST, and obtain improved constraints ∑m ν < 0.196 eV and ∑m ν < 0.111 eV at 95% confidence level, respectively. Based on the above assumptions, the inverted mass ordering, which implies ∑m ν ≥ 0.1eV, is excluded by Planck+BAO+JWST at 92.7% confidence level.

SN1987A and neutrino non-radiative decay

We investigate neutrino non-radiative two-body decay in vacuum, in relation to SN1987A. In a full 3ν decay framework, we perform a detailed likelihood analysis of the 24 neutrino events from SN1987A observed by Kamiokande-II, IMB, and Baksan. We consider both normal and inverted neutrino mass orderings, and the possibility of strongly hierarchical and quasi-degenerate neutrino mass patterns. The results of the likelihood analysis show that the sensitivity is too low to derive bounds in the case of normal mass ordering. On the contrary, in the case of inverted mass ordering we obtain the bound τ/m≥2.4×105 s/eV (1.2×105) s/eV at 68% (90%) CL on the lifetime-to-mass ratio of the mass eigenstates ν2 and ν1.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay.

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3} eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3} eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

Is the magic texture of Majorana neutrinos immanent in Dirac nature?

Magic textures are successful candidates of the correct texture for Majorana neutrinos. In this study, we demonstrate that several types of magic textures of Majorana neutrinos are approximately immanent in the flavor mass matrix of Dirac neutrinos. In addition, the normal mass ordering of Dirac neutrino masses is slightly preferable to inverted mass ordering in the context of magic textures.

Inference of neutrino nature and Majorana CP phases from mathbf{0}{nu beta beta } decays with inverted mass ordering

Whether the neutrino mass ordering is normal or inverted remains an experimentally open issue in neutrino physics. The knowledge of neutrino mass ordering has great importance for neutrinoless double-beta ( 0nu beta beta ) decay experiments, which can establish the nature of massive neutrinos, i.e., whether they are Dirac or Majorana fermions. Recently, the KamLAND-Zen 800 measurement has reached for the first time the parameter space of the inverted ordering with a vanishing lightest neutrino mass. By assuming the inverted ordering, we attempt to derive the physical information of the neutrino nature and Majorana CP phases from a negative or positive observation of 0nu beta beta decays in the near future. Moreover, the possibility of extracting the nuclear matrix element in the case of a positive observation is also examined.To avoid the ambiguity from unknown priors of neutrino masses, we adopt the maximum likelihood method instead of the Bayesian approach usually considered in previous works.

Improved measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters by the NOvA experiment

We present new $\nu_\mu\rightarrow\nu_e$, $\nu_\mu\rightarrow\nu_\mu$, $\overline{\nu}_\mu\rightarrow\overline{\nu}_e$, and $\overline{\nu}_\mu\rightarrow\overline{\nu}_\mu$ oscillation measurements by the NOvA experiment, with a 50% increase in neutrino-mode beam exposure over the previously reported results. The additional data, combined with previously published neutrino and antineutrino data, are all analyzed using improved techniques and simulations. A joint fit to the $\nu_e$, $\nu_\mu$, $\overline{\nu}_e$, and $\overline{\nu}_\mu$ candidate samples within the 3-flavor neutrino oscillation framework continues to yield a best-fit point in the normal mass ordering and the upper octant of the $\theta_{23}$ mixing angle, with $\Delta m^{2}_{32} = (2.41\pm0.07)\times 10^{-3}$ eV$^2$ and $\sin^2\theta_{23} = 0.57^{+0.03}_{-0.04}$. The data disfavor combinations of oscillation parameters that give rise to a large asymmetry in the rates of $\nu_e$ and $\overline{\nu}_e$ appearance. This includes values of the CP-violating phase in the vicinity of $\delta_\text{CP} = \pi/2$ which are excluded by $>3\sigma$ for the inverted mass ordering, and values around $\delta_\text{CP} = 3\pi/2$ in the normal ordering which are disfavored at 2$\sigma$ confidence.

Search for non-standard neutrino interactions with 10 years of ANTARES data

Non-standard interactions of neutrinos arising in many theories beyond the Standard Model can significantly alter matter effects in atmospheric neutrino propagation through the Earth. In this paper, a search for deviations from the prediction of the standard 3-flavour atmospheric neutrino oscillations using the data taken by the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented. Ten years of atmospheric neutrino data collected from 2007 to 2016, with reconstructed energies in the range from ∼16 GeV to 100 GeV, have been analysed. A log-likelihood ratio test of the dimensionless coefficients εμτ and εττ − εμμ does not provide clear evidence of deviations from standard interactions. For normal neutrino mass ordering, the combined fit of both coefficients yields a value 1.7σ away from the null result. However, the 68% and 95% confidence level intervals for εμτ and εττ − εμμ, respectively, contain the null value. Best fit values, one standard deviation errors and bounds at the 90% confidence level for these coefficients are given for both normal and inverted mass orderings. The constraint on εμτ is among the most stringent to date and it further restrains the strength of possible non-standard interactions in the μ − τ sector.

Lower bounds on lepton flavor violating branching ratios in a radiative seesaw model

We study the lepton flavor violating decays such as $\mu\to e\gamma$, $\tau\to e\gamma$, $\tau\to \mu\gamma$ in the three-loop radiative seesaw model proposed by Krauss, Nasri, and Trodden. In this model, the relevant coupling constants are larger for the heavier scalars that run inside loop diagrams to generate the appropriate magnitude of neutrino masses. Imposing a criterion that all the coupling constants must be small enough to be treated perturbatively, we find an upper bound on the mass of one of the scalars. By combining it with neutrino mass parameters, we derive lower bounds on the branching ratios of the lepton flavor violating processes. In a case with the inverted mass ordering and best-fit neutrino oscillation parameters, one of the lower bounds is $\text{Br}(\mu\to e\gamma)>1.1\times 10^{-13}$, which is within the reach of the MEG~II experiment.

Linear seesaw model with T 7 symmetry for neutrino mass and mixing

We propose a low-scale Standard Model extension with symmetry that can successfully explain observed neutrino oscillation results within the range. Small neutrino masses are obtained via the linear seesaw mechanism. Normal and inverted neutrino mass orderings are considered with three lepton mixing angles in their experimentally allowed ranges. The model provides a suitable correlation between the solar and reactor neutrino mixing angles, which is consistent with the pattern. The prediction for the Dirac phase is for both normal and inverted orderings, including its experimentally maximum value, while those for the two Majorana phases are for normal ordering and for inverted ordering. In addition, the predictions for the effective neutrino masses are consistent with the present experimental bounds.

Impact of the leading-order short-range nuclear matrix element on the neutrinoless double-beta decay of medium-mass and heavy nuclei

We evaluate the leading-order short-range nuclear matrix element for the neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of the nuclei most relevant for experiments, including 76Ge, 100Mo, 130Te and 136Xe. In our calculations, performed with the nuclear shell model and proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation (pnQRPA) methods, we estimate the coupling of this term by the contact charge-independence-breaking coupling of various nuclear Hamiltonians. Our results suggest a significant impact of the short-range matrix element, which is about 15%−50% and 30%−80% of the standard 0νββ-decay long-range matrix element for the shell model and pnQRPA, respectively. Combining the full matrix elements with the results from current 0νββ-decay experiments we find that, if both matrix elements carry the same sign, these searches move notably toward probing the inverted mass ordering of neutrino masses.

Validating the Earth\u2019s core using atmospheric neutrinos with ICAL at INO

The Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector at the proposed India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) aims to detect atmospheric neutrinos and antineutrinos separately in the multi-GeV range of energies and over a wide range of baselines. By utilizing its charge identification capability, ICAL can efficiently distinguish μ− and μ+ events. Atmospheric neutrinos passing long distances through Earth can be detected at ICAL with good resolution in energy and direction, which enables ICAL to see the density-dependent matter oscillations experienced by upward-going neutrinos in the multi-GeV range of energies. In this work, we explore the possibility of utilizing neutrino oscillations in the presence of matter to extract information about the internal structure of Earth complementary to seismic studies. Using good directional resolution, ICAL would be able to observe 331 μ− and 146 μ+ core-passing events with 500 kt·yr exposure. With this exposure, we show for the first time that the presence of Earth’s core can be independently confirmed at ICAL with a median ∆χ2 of 7.45 (4.83) assuming normal (inverted) mass ordering by ruling out the simple two-layered mantle-crust profile in theory while generating the prospective data with the PREM profile. We observe that in the absence of charge identification capability of ICAL, this sensitivity deteriorates significantly to 3.76 (1.59) for normal (inverted) mass ordering.

Survey of texture zeros with light Dirac neutrinos

We classify all possible texture zeros in a light neutrino mass matrix in a diagonal charged lepton basis by considering the Dirac nature of light neutrinos. For the Hermitian nature of neutrino mass matrix, the number of possible texture zeros remain the same as Majorana texture zeros, but with less free parameters due to the absence of additional Majorana CP phases. Relaxing the Hermitian nature of the neutrino mass matrix leads to many more possibilities and freedom due to additional CP phases, mixing angles not constrained by neutrino data. While we find only a very few of the one-zero and two-zero textures in the Hermitian case to be allowed, in the non-Hermitian case some textures even with four zeros are allowed. While most of the one-zero, two-zero and three-zero textures in this case are allowed, four-zero textures are tightly constrained with only six allowed out of 126 possibilities. The allowed textures also give interesting correlations between light neutrino parameters with sharp distinctions between normal and inverted mass ordering. Many of these allowed textures also saturate the Planck 2018 upper bound on the sum of absolute neutrino masses.

2020 global reassessment of the neutrino oscillation picture

We present an updated global fit of neutrino oscillation data in the simplest three-neutrino framework. In the present study we include up-to-date analyses from a number of experiments. Concerning the atmospheric and solar sectors, besides the data considered previously, we give updated analyses of IceCube DeepCore and Sudbury Neutrino Observatory data, respectively. We have also included the latest electron antineutrino data collected by the Daya Bay and RENO reactor experiments, and the long-baseline T2K and NOνA measurements, as reported in the Neutrino 2020 conference. All in all, these new analyses result in more accurate measurements of θ13, θ12, Delta {m}_{21}^2 and left|Delta {m}_{31}^2right| . The best fit value for the atmospheric angle θ23 lies in the second octant, but first octant solutions remain allowed at ∼ 2.4σ. Regarding CP violation measurements, the preferred value of δ we obtain is 1.08π (1.58π) for normal (inverted) neutrino mass ordering. The global analysis still prefers normal neutrino mass ordering with 2.5σ statistical significance. This preference is milder than the one found in previous global analyses. These new results should be regarded as robust due to the agreement found between our Bayesian and frequentist approaches. Taking into account only oscillation data, there is a weak/moderate preference for the normal neutrino mass ordering of 2.00σ. While adding neutrinoless double beta decay from the latest Gerda, CUORE and KamLAND-Zen results barely modifies this picture, cosmological measurements raise the preference to 2.68σ within a conservative approach. A more aggressive data set combination of cosmological observations leads to a similar preference for normal with respect to inverted mass ordering, namely 2.70σ. This very same cosmological data set provides 2σ upper limits on the total neutrino mass corresponding to Σmν< 0.12 (0.15) eV in the normal (inverted) neutrino mass ordering scenario. The bounds on the neutrino mixing parameters and masses presented in this up-to-date global fit analysis include all currently available neutrino physics inputs.

Effects of nonstandard interaction on temporal and spatial correlations in neutrino oscillations

Effects of physics beyond the standard model in the neutrino sector are conveniently incorporated through non-standard interaction parameters. Assuming new physics in the form of dimension-6 vector operators, a recent global analysis of neutrino oscillation data including results from COHERENT experiment suggests two favourable new physics scenarios. These are LMA-Light (with normal mass ordering) and LMA-Dark (with inverted mass ordering) sectors of parameters. In this work, we study the effects of new physics solutions on Leggett–Garg-type (LGtI) inequality which quantifies temporal correlations in the system along with flavour entropy and genuine tripartite entanglement which can be considered as measures of spatial correlations. We show that the violation of LGtI for nu _{mu } energy around 3 GeV in the DUNE experimental set-up can not only be an indication of presence of new physics but such a new physics is expected to be in the form of LMA-Dark sector with inverted ordering. Further, we show that the LMA-Light solution, in general, decreases the values of all measures of quantum correlations in comparison to their SM predictions. On the other hand, the Dark solution can significantly enhance the values of these measures.

Determining the Dirac CP Violation Phase and Neutrino Mass Hierarchy

There is still a problem in neutrino physics related to the configuration of neutrino masses: Are neutrinos arranged by masses following the Standard Model as three generations of fundamental particles, Gen III>Gen II>Gen I, thus forming a structural-normal hierarchy, or deviate from that principle? The biggest obstacle that is still present is the sign of the absolute value of the difference of the square of neutrino masses. It was avoided by applying the theory of neutrino oscillation probability for each structure of the neutrino mass hierarchy. With such theoretical approach the equation of motion was derived for each structure in which Dirac CP violation phase appeared as an unknown quantity. This enables direct calculation of the explicit value for the Dirac CP violation phase. Two examples were analyzed: The first example is devoted to the normal mass ordering and the second one is devoted to the inverted mass ordering. The data used for theoretical calculations presented in this paper are obtained on the basis of the latest reassessed data by processing the results of experimental measurements. On the basis of the performed calculations, normal mass ordering is unconditionally excluded as a potential option regarding the neutrino mass ordering in nature. On the basis of the derived equation of neutrino motion, a possible numerical value of the Dirac CP violation phase and Jarlskog invariant is found.

Flavor ratios of astrophysical neutrinos interacting with stochastic gravitational waves having arbitrary spectra

We study the evolution and oscillations of fixed massive neutrinos interacting with stochastic gravitational waves (GWs). The energy spectrum of these GWs is Gaussian, with the correlator of the amplitudes being arbitrary. We derive the equation for the density matrix for flavor neutrinos in this case. In the two flavors approximation, this equation can be solved analytically. We find the numerical solution for the density matrix in the general case of three neutrino flavors. We consider merging binary black holes as sources of stochastic GWs with realistic spectra. Both normal and inverted mass orderings are analyzed. We discuss the relaxation of the neutrino fluxes in stochastic GWs emitted mainly by supermassive black holes. In this situation, we obtain the range of energies and the propagation lengths for which the relaxation process is the most efficient. We discuss the application of our results for the observation of fluxes of astrophysical neutrinos.

Constraining visible neutrino decay at KamLAND and JUNO

We study visible neutrino decay at the reactor neutrino experiments KamLAND and, JUNO. Assuming the Majoron model of neutrino decay, we obtain constraints on the couplings between Majoron and neutrino as well as on the lifetime/mass of the most massive neutrino state i.e., tau _{3} / m_{3} or tau _{2} / m_{2}, respectively, for the normal or the inverted mass orderings. We obtain the constraints on the lifetime tau _{2} / m_{2} ge 1.4 times 10^{-9}~{mathrm{s/eV}} in the inverted mass ordering for both KamLAND and JUNO at 90% CL. In the normal ordering in which the bound can be obtained for JUNO only, the constraint is milder than the inverted ordering case, tau _{3} / m_{3} ge 1.0 times 10^{-10} s/eV at 90% CL. We find that the dependence of lightest neutrino mass (=m_{{{mathrm{lightest}}}}), m_1 (m_3) for the normal (inverted) mass ordering, on the constraints for the different types of couplings (scalar or pseudo-scalar) is rather strong, but the m_{{{mathrm{lightest}}}} dependence on the lifetime/mass bound is only modest.

The fate of hints: updated global analysis of three-flavor neutrino oscillations

Our herein described combined analysis of the latest neutrino oscillation data presented at the Neutrino2020 conference shows that previous hints for the neutrino mass ordering have significantly decreased, and normal ordering (NO) is favored only at the 1.6σ level. Combined with the χ2 map provided by Super-Kamiokande for their atmospheric neutrino data analysis the hint for NO is at 2.7σ. The CP conserving value δCP = 180° is within 0.6σ of the global best fit point. Only if we restrict to inverted mass ordering, CP violation is favored at the ∼ 3σ level. We discuss the origin of these results — which are driven by the new data from the T2K and NOvA long-baseline experiments —, and the relevance of the LBL-reactor oscillation frequency complementarity. The previous 2.2σ tension in ∆m221 preferred by KamLAND and solar experiments is also reduced to the 1.1σ level after the inclusion of the latest Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino results. Finally we present updated allowed ranges for the oscillation parameters and for the leptonic Jarlskog determinant from the global analysis.

U(1)_{B-L} extension of the standard model with S_3 symmetry

We propose a renormalizable B-L Standard Model (SM) extension based on S_3 symmetry which successfully accommodates the observed fermion mass spectra and flavor mixing patterns as well as the CP violating phases. The small masses for the light active neutrinos are generated through a type I seesaw mechanism. The obtained physical parameters in the lepton sector are well consistent with the global fit of neutrino oscillations (Esteban et al. in J High Energy Phys 01:106, 2019) for both normal and inverted neutrino mass orderings. The model also predicts effective neutrino mass parameters of {langle m_{ee}rangle }= {1.02times 10^{-2}},{mathrm {eV}},, m_{beta }= {1.25}times 10^{-2},{mathrm {eV}} for normal hierarchy (NH) and {langle m_{ee}rangle } ={5.03}times 10^{-2}, {mathrm {eV}},, m_{beta } ={5.05}times 10^{-2}, {mathrm {eV}} for inverted hierarchy (IH) which are all well consistent with the future large and ultra-low background liquid scintillator detectors which has been discussed in Ref. (Zhao et al. in Chin Phys C 41(5):053001, 2017) or the limit of the effective neutrino mass can be reached by the planning of future experiments. The model results are consistent with and successfully accommodate the recent experimental values of the physical observables of the quark sector, including the six quark masses, the quark mixing angles and the CP violating phase in the quark sector.