On the tension between the latest NOνA and T2K data

• Published in: The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields Particles and fields, 2022-10, Vol.82 (10), Article 910
• Main Authors: Rahaman, Ushak, Raut, Sushant K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics and Cosmology; Data analysis; Elementary Particles; Experiments; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Measurement Science and Instrumentation; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Parameter identification; Particle physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Field Theories; Quantum Field Theory; Regular Article - Theoretical Physics; String Theory
• ISSN: 1434-6052; 1434-6044; 1434-6052
• DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10808-w

The latest data from the T2K and NO ν A experiments show a tension in their preferred values of the oscillation parameters. In this work, we try to identify the source of the tension between the data from these two experiments. An analysis of their data from various channels (individually, and combined) shows that the tension arises primarily from the ν e appearance data, and is compounded by the ν ¯ μ disappearance data. We provide an explanation for the tension based on parameter degeneracies. Apart from the analysis with the standard matter effect, we also analyse the data with the vacuum oscillation hypothesis. We find that vacuum oscillations fit the data as well as matter effects do; and also reduce the tension between the two experiments. We have also done a study of the future run of NO ν A, T2K and DUNE in the context of establishing this tension with higher statistical significance.