The OPERA experiment is designed to search for νμ→ντ oscillations in appearance mode, i.e., through the direct observation of the τ lepton in ντ-charged current interactions. The experiment has taken data for five years, since 2008, with the CERN Neutrino to Gran Sasso beam. Previously, two ντ candidates with a τ decaying into hadrons were observed in a subsample of data of the 2008–2011 runs. Here we report the observation of a third ντ candidate in the τ−→μ− decay channel coming from the analysis of a subsample of the 2012 run. Taking into account the estimated background, the absence of νμ→ντ oscillations is excluded at the 3.4 σ level.

Evidence for νμ→ντ appearance in the CNGS neutrino beam with the OPERA experiment

BOZZA, Cristiano;GRELLA, Giuseppe;RESCIGNO, REGINA;STELLACCI, SIMONA MARIA;
2014-01-01

Abstract

The OPERA experiment is designed to search for νμ→ντ oscillations in appearance mode, i.e., through the direct observation of the τ lepton in ντ-charged current interactions. The experiment has taken data for five years, since 2008, with the CERN Neutrino to Gran Sasso beam. Previously, two ντ candidates with a τ decaying into hadrons were observed in a subsample of data of the 2008–2011 runs. Here we report the observation of a third ντ candidate in the τ−→μ− decay channel coming from the analysis of a subsample of the 2012 run. Taking into account the estimated background, the absence of νμ→ντ oscillations is excluded at the 3.4 σ level.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11386/4306653
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