The Results of MINOS and the Future with MINOS+

Abstract

The MINOS experiment took data from 2005 up until 2012. This was superseded by MINOS+, the continuation of the two-detector, on-axis, long-baseline experiment based at Fermilab, and at the Soudan Underground Laboratory in northern Minnesota. By searching for the deficit of muon neutrinos at the Far Detector, MINOS/MINOS+ is sensitive to the atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters $\Delta m^{2}_{32}$ and $\theta_{23}$. By using the full MINOS data set looking at both \numu disappearance and \nue appearance in both neutrino and anti-neutrino configurations at the NuMI beam along with atmospheric neutrino data recorded at the FD, MINOS has made the most precise measurement of $\Delta m^{2}_{32}$. Using a full three-flavour framework and searching for \nue appearance MINOS/MINOS+ gains sensitivity to $\theta_{13}$, the mass hierarchy and the octant of $\theta_{23}$. Exotic phenomenon is also explored with the MINOS detectors looking for non-standard interactions and sterile neutrinos. The current MINOS+ era goals are to build on the previous MINOS results improving the precision on the three-flavour oscillation parameter measurements and strengthening the constraints placed on the sterile neutrino parameter space.