Towards extracting the best possible results from NO ν A

Abstract

The NuMI Off-Axis νe Appearance (NOνA) is the currently running leading long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment, whose main physics goal is to explore the current issues in the neutrino sector, such as determination of the neutrino mass ordering, resolution of the octant of the atmospheric mixing angle, and to constrain the Dirac-type CP violating phase δCP. In this paper, we would like to investigate whether it is possible to extract the best possible results from NOνA with a shorter time span than its scheduled run period by analyzing its capability to discriminate the degeneracy among various neutrino oscillation parameters within 4 years of run time, with 2 years in each neutrino and antineutrino modes. Further, we study the same by adding the data from the T2K experiment for a total of 5 years run with 3.5 years in neutrino mode and 1.5 years in antineutrino mode. We find that NOνA (2 + 2) has a better oscillation parameter degeneracy discrimination capability compared to its scheduled run period for 4 years, i.e., NOνA (3 + 1).