nu_e Disappearance in MiniBooNE

Abstract

The anomalous excess of low-energy nu_e events measured in the MiniBooNE experiment is explained through a renormalization of the absolute neutrino flux and a simultaneous disappearance of the nu_e's in the beam, which is compatible with that indicated by the results of Gallium radioactive source experiments. We present the results of the fit of MiniBooNE data (P(nu_e->nu_e) = 0.64 +0.08 -0.07) and the combined fit of MiniBooNE data and the nu_e disappearance measured in the Gallium radioactive source experiments, which gives P(nu_e->nu_e) = 0.82 +- 0.04. We show that our interpretation of the data is also compatible with an old indication in favor of nu_e disappearance found from the analysis of the results of beam-dump experiments, leading to P(nu_e->nu_e) = 0.80 +0.03 -0.04.

Figures (5)

• Figure 1: Reproduction of Fig. 2 of Ref. 0704.1500, with the additional low-energy bin at $200 - 300 \, \text{MeV}$ reported in the Table in page 28 of Ref. Tayloe-LP07. The points show the number of $\nu_{e}$ events measured in the MiniBooNE experiment, with their statistical error bars. The dashed, dotted and solid histograms show, respectively, the calculated number of expected $\nu_{e}$-induced, misidentified $\nu_{\mu}$-induced and total events.
• Figure 2: Theoretically expected number of events compared with the MiniBooNE data, represented by the points with their statistical error bars (same as in Fig. \ref{['hst-mb']}). The values of $f$ and $P_{\nu_{e}\to\nu_{e}}$ are those in Eq. (\ref{['004']}), corresponding to the best fit of the MiniBooNE data.
• Figure 3: Allowed regions in the $P_{\nu_{e}\to\nu_{e}}$--$f$ plane and marginal $\Delta\chi^2$'s for $P_{\nu_{e}\to\nu_{e}}$ and $f$ obtained from the fit of the MiniBooNE data. The interrupted lines correspond to the confidence levels in the legend.
• Figure 4: Allowed regions in the $P_{\nu_{e}\to\nu_{e}}$--$f$ plane and marginal $\Delta\chi^2$'s for $P_{\nu_{e}\to\nu_{e}}$ and $f$ obtained from the combined fit of the MiniBooNE data and the result of Gallium radioactive source experiments in Eq. (\ref{['s001']}). The interrupted lines correspond to the confidence levels in the legend.
• Figure 5: Allowed regions in the $P_{\nu_{e}\to\nu_{e}}$--$f$ plane and marginal $\Delta\chi^2$'s for $P_{\nu_{e}\to\nu_{e}}$ and $f$ obtained from the combined fit of the MiniBooNE data, the result of Gallium radioactive source experiments in Eq. (\ref{['s001']}) and the beam-dump indication of $\nu_{e}$ disappearance in Eq. (\ref{['111']}). The interrupted lines correspond to the confidence levels in the legend.