Implications of the recently measured, surprisingly large value of $\theta_{13}$

ORAL

Abstract

The reactor experiments RENO, Daya Bay, and Double Chooz have recently measured a statistically significant non-zero value of $\theta_{13}$. The implications of this result for determining the hierarchy and the sign of $\theta_{13}$ will be examined by performing an analysis that includes these reactor experiments, appearance and disappearance experiments from MINOS and T2K, and atmospheric data. The study is done in the context of the broken symmetry that produces degeneracy for the MINOS and T2K disappearance experiments, the symmetry of the simultaneous interchange of hierarchy and the sign of $\theta_{13}$. Results will be presented utilizing a new approach for extracting error bars and probabilities that does not assume normal statistics. In particular, the probability the correct solution for each of the four combinations of hierarchy and the sign of $\theta_{13}$ will be given.

Authors

  • Bernadette Cogswell

    Vanderbilt University

  • Hunter Burroughs

    Vanderbilt University

  • Jesus Escamilla-Roa

    Vanderbilt University

  • David Latimer

    University of Puget Sound

  • David Ernst

    Vanderbilt University