Very Long Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Experiment for Precise Measurements of Mixing Parameters and CP Violating Effects

Abstract

We analyze the prospects of a feasible, Brookhaven National Laboratory based, very long baseline (BVLB) neutrino oscillation experiment consisting of a conventional horn produced low energy wide band beam and a detector of 500 kT fiducial mass with modest requirements on event recognition and resolution. Such an experiment is intended primarily to determine CP violating effects in the neutrino sector for 3-generation mixing. We analyze the sensitivity of such an experiment. We conclude that this experiment will allow determination of the CP phase $\hat{I}{´}_{CP}$ and the currently unknown mixing parameter $\hat{I}{¸}_{13}$, if ${\sin }^{2}2\hat{I}{¸}_{13}\ge 0.01$, a value $\sim 15$ times lower than the present experimental upper limit. In addition to $\hat{I}{¸}_{13}$ and $\hat{I}{´}_{CP}$, the experiment has great potential for precise measurements of most other parameters in the neutrino mixing matrix including $\hat{I}”m_{32}^2$, ${\sin }^{2}2\hat{I}{¸}_{23}$, $\hat{I}”m_{21}^2\times \sin 2\hat{I}{¸}_{12}$, and the mass ordering of neutrinos through the observation of the matter effect in the $\hat{I}{½}_{\hat{I}}¼\to \hat{I}{½}_e$ appearance channel.

12 pages, 10 figures