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Evidence for Oscillation of Atmospheric Neutrinos

Y. Fukuda1, T. Hayakawa1, E. Ichihara1, K. Inoue1, K. Ishihara1, H. Ishino1, Y. Itow1, T. Kajita1, J. Kameda1 et al. (Super-Kamiokande Collaboration)

J. Kameda1, S. Kasuga1, K. Kobayashi1, Y. Kobayashi1, Y. Koshio1, M. Miura1, M. Nakahata1, S. Nakayama1, A. Okada1, K. Okumura1, N. Sakurai1, M. Shiozawa1, Y. Suzuki1, Y. Takeuchi1, Y. Totsuka1, S. Yamada1, M. Earl2, A. Habig2, E. Kearns2, M. D. Messier2, K. Scholberg2, J. L. Stone2, L. R. Sulak2, C. W. Walter2, M. Goldhaber3, T. Barszczxak4, D. Casper4, W. Gajewski4, P. G. Halverson4,*, J. Hsu4, W. R. Kropp4, L. R. Price4, F. Reines4, M. Smy4, H. W. Sobel4, M. R. Vagins4, K. S. Ganezer5, W. E. Keig5, R. W. Ellsworth6, S. Tasaka7, J. W. Flanagan8,†, A. Kibayashi8, J. G. Learned8, S. Matsuno8, V. J. Stenger8, D. Takemori8, T. Ishii9, J. Kanzaki9, T. Kobayashi9, S. Mine9, K. Nakamura9, K. Nishikawa9, Y. Oyama9, A. Sakai9, M. Sakuda9, O. Sasaki9, S. Echigo10, M. Kohama10, A. T. Suzuki10, T. J. Haines11,4, E. Blaufuss12, B. K. Kim12, R. Sanford12, R. Svoboda12, M. L. Chen13, Z. Conner13,‡, J. A. Goodman13, G. W. Sullivan13, J. Hill14, C. K. Jung14, K. Martens14, C. Mauger14, C. McGrew14, E. Sharkey14, B. Viren14, C. Yanagisawa14, W. Doki15, K. Miyano15, H. Okazawa15, C. Saji15, M. Takahata15, Y. Nagashima16, M. Takita16, T. Yamaguchi16, M. Yoshida16, S. B. Kim17, M. Etoh18, K. Fujita18, A. Hasegawa18, T. Hasegawa18, S. Hatakeyama18, T. Iwamoto18, M. Koga18, T. Maruyama18, H. Ogawa18, J. Shirai18, A. Suzuki18, F. Tsushima18, M. Koshiba19, M. Nemoto20, K. Nishijima20, T. Futagami21, Y. Hayato21,§, Y. Kanaya21, K. Kaneyuki21, Y. Watanabe21, D. Kielczewska22,4, R. A. Doyle23, J. S. George23, A. L. Stachyra23, L. L. Wai23,∥, R. J. Wilkes23, and K. K. Young23 (Super-Kamiokande Collaboration)

  • 1Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Tanashi, Tokyo, 188-8502, Japan
  • 2Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
  • 3Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
  • 4Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-4575
  • 5Department of Physics, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, California 90747
  • 6Department of Physics, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
  • 7Department of Physics, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
  • 8Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
  • 9Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
  • 10Department of Physics, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan
  • 11Physics Division, P-23, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544
  • 12Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
  • 13Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
  • 14Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3800
  • 15Department of Physics, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
  • 16Department of Physics, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
  • 17Department of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
  • 18Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
  • 19The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
  • 20Department of Physics, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan
  • 21Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
  • 22Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University, 00-681 Warsaw, Poland
  • 23Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1560

  • *Present address: NASA, JPL, Pasadena, CA 91109.
  • †Present address: High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Accelerator Laboratory, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan.
  • ‡Present address: University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute, Chicago, IL 60637.
  • §Present address: Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan.
  • ∥Present address: Stanford University, Department of Physics, Stanford, CA 94305.
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1562 – Published 24 August, 1998

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.1562

Abstract

We present an analysis of atmospheric neutrino data from a 33.0 kton yr (535-day) exposure of the Super-Kamiokande detector. The data exhibit a zenith angle dependent deficit of muon neutrinos which is inconsistent with expectations based on calculations of the atmospheric neutrino flux. Experimental biases and uncertainties in the prediction of neutrino fluxes and cross sections are unable to explain our observation. The data are consistent, however, with two-flavor νμ↔ντ oscillations with sin22θ>0.82 and 5×10−4<Δm2<6×10−3eV2 at 90% confidence level.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1562– Published 24 August, 1998
  • Received 6 July 1998

© 1998 American Physical Society

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