Thermal expansion of the earth and the speed of neutrinos

Abstract

It is pointed out that one of the systematic effects that can affect the measurement of the speed of neutrinos significantly is the variability of the unaveraged measurement of the distance between two points on the earth due to thermal expansion. Possible difference between estimates done with surface GPS apparatus and the true underground baseline can change substantially the statistical significance of the result of superluminal speed of neutrinos, reported recently.