Oscillations and Sterile Neutrinos

Abstract

In this work I aim to introduce neutrino physics from its fairly mundane beginnings all the way up to the discovery of neutrino oscillations, the latest detectors and theoretical extensions to current models. When viewed individually, many of the detector methods and theories for oscillation seem to make overly specific and somewhat arbitrary assumptions. However, upon knowing the full picture of oscillations, such assumptions become better motivated and a fuller understanding of the modern field can be gained. On the way to understanding the modern field of neutrino oscillations I will make several asides, notably on the specifics of detector types and the concept of neutrino mass. Finally I will introduce GLoBES simulation and present examples of my published work on simulations of oscillation with one light sterile neutrino. These analyses study the effect of adding one light (∼1 eV) sterile neutrino to the current 3-flavour neutrino scenario and the theoretical change in predictive power of certain experiments in this new 4-flavour regime. The main focus for experiment sensitivity is the hierarchy, octant and CP violation detection power of these detectors. Finally, once I have summarised the history, theory and current state of neutrino studies I will comment on the future outlook for neutrino physics in general.