The LSND and MiniBooNE Oscillation Searches at High Δm²

Abstract

This paper reviews the results of the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments. The primary goal of each experiment was to effect sensitive searches for neutrino oscillations in the mass region with ∆m 2 ∼ 1 eV 2 . The two experiments are complementary, and so the comparison of results can bring additional information with respect to models with sterile neutrinos. Both experiments obtained evidence forνµ →νe oscillations, and MiniBooNE also observed a νµ → νe excess.In this paper, we review the design, analysis, and results from these experiments. We then consider the results within the global context of sterile neutrino oscillation models. The final data sets require a more extended model than the simple single sterile neutrino model imagined arXiv:1306.6494v1 [hep-ex] 27 Jun 2013 at the time that LSND drew to a close and MiniBooNE began. We show that there are apparent incompatibilities between data sets in models with two sterile neutrinos. However, these incompatibilities may be explained with variations within the systematic error. Overall, models with two (or three) sterile neutrinos seem to succeed in fitting the global data, and they make interesting predictions for future experiments.

Restricting the LSND and MiniBooNE sterile neutrinos with the IceCube atmospheric neutrino data

“…Moreover, fit of the energy spectra of excess of events in MiniBooNE with one sterile neutrino is rather poor. Good fit can be obtained in the presence of second sterile neutrino with large mass ∆m 2 51 ∼ 20 eV 2 [4]. However, the latter is in serious conflict with Cosmology and laboratory observations.…”

Searching for sterile neutrinos at the ESSνSB

“…On the other hand, ν e [7][8][9][10] andν e [11][12][13] disappearance experiments seem to observe a deficit which would be compatible with sterile neutrino oscillations in the eV 2 range, while no deficit at all has been observed in any of the ν µ disappearance experiments [14,15]. Overall, global analyses show strong tension between different data sets [16][17][18] and further experimental input will be needed to clarify the situation. The European Spallation Source ν-Beam [19,20] (ESSνSB) is a proposal for a neutrino oscillation experiment based upon the accelerator facilities of the future European Spallation Source (ESS) and optimized for the goal of a high significance search for CP violation.…”

A search for sterile neutrinos with the latest cosmological observations

“…It seems that the fully thermalized ( N eff ≈ 1) sterile neutrinos with eV-scale mass are needed to explain these results [41][42][43]. The cosmological observations play an important role in constraining the total mass of the active neutrinos (see, e.g., Refs.…”