Determining neutrino mass hierarchy from electron disappearance at a Low energy neutrino factory

Abstract

Recent measurements of large theta_{13} by Daya Bay and RENO reactor experiments have opened up the possibility of determining the neutrino mass hierarchy, i.e. the sign of the mass squared splitting Delta m_{31}^2, the CP-violating phase delta_{CP} and the octant of theta_{23}. In the light of this result, we study the performance of a low energy neutrino factory (LENF) for determination of the mass hierarchy. In particular, we explore the potential of the nu_e$ and bar{\nu}_e disappearance channels at LENF to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, that is free from the uncertainties arising from the unknown delta_{CP} phase and the theta_{23} octant. We find that using these electron neutrino (antineutrino) disappearance channels with a standard LENF, it is possible to exclude the wrong hierarchy at 5 sigma with only 2 years of running.