Precision Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters with KamLAND

This dissertation describes a measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters #1;{Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 21}, θ{sub 12} and constraints on θ{sub 13} based on a study of reactor antineutrinos at a baseline of ∼ 180 km with the KamLAND detector. The data presented here was collected between April 2002 and November 2009, and amounts to a total exposure of 2.64 0.07 10{sup 32} proton-years. For this exposure we expect 2140 74(syst) antineutrino candidates from reactors, assuming standard model neutrino behavior, and 35088(syst) candidates from background. The number observed is 1614. The ratio of background-subtracted candidates observed to expected is (N{sub Obs} − N{sub Bkg})/N{sub Exp} = 0.59 0.02(stat) 0.045(syst) which confirms reactor neutrino disappearance at greater than 5σ significance. Interpreting this deficit as being due to neutrino oscillation, the best-fit oscillation parameters from a three-flavor analysis are #1;{Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 21} = 7.60{sup +0.20}{sub −0.19}10{sup −5}eV{sup 2}, θ{sub 12} = 32.5 2.9 degrees and sin{sup 2} θ{sub 13} = 0.025{sup +0.035}{sub −0.035}, the 95% confidence-level upper limit on sin{sup 2} θ{sub 13} is sin{sup 2} θ{sub 13} < 0.083. Assuming CPT invariance, a combined analysis of KamLAND and solar neutrino data yields best-fit values: #1;{Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 21} = 7.60{sup +0.20}{sub −0.20} 10{sup −5}eV{sup 2}, θ{sub 12} = 33.5{sup +1.0}{sub −1.1} degrees, and sin{sup 2} θ{sub 13} = 0.013 0.028 or sin{sup 2} θ{sub 13} < 0.06 at the 95% confidence level