Reassessment of the NuTeV determination of the weak mixing angle

• Published in: Physics letters. B Vol. 693; no. 4; pp. 462 - 466
• Main Authors: Bentz, W., Cloët, I.C., Londergan, J.T., Thomas, A.W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01-10-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Asymmetry; Charge; Charge symmetry; Cross sections; Elementary particles; Exact sciences and technology; Mathematical models; Neutrino deep inelastic scattering; Nuclear physics; NuTeV; Physics; PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; Standard deviation; Strange quark asymmetry; The physics of elementary particles and fields; Weak mixing angle; Neutrino deep inelastic scattering; Charge symmetry; Strange quark asymmetry; Weak mixing angle; NuTeV; Mixing; Neutral currents; Quarks; Asymmetry; Violations; Neutrinos; Elementary particles; Antineutrinos; Isovectors; Standard model; Standard deviation; Massless particles; Cross sections; Corrections
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2010.09.001

In light of the recent discovery of the importance of the isovector EMC effect for the interpretation of the NuTeV determination of sin2θW, it seems timely to reassess the central value and the errors on this fundamental Standard Model parameter derived from the NuTeV data. We also include earlier work on charge symmetry violation and the recent limits on a possible asymmetry between s and s¯ quarks. With these corrections we find a revised NuTeV result of sin2θW=0.2221±0.0013(stat)±0.0020(syst), which is in excellent agreement with the running of sin2θW predicted by the Standard Model. As a further check, we find that the separate ratios of neutral current to charge current cross-sections for neutrinos and for antineutrinos are both in agreement with the Standard Model, at just over one standard deviation, once the corrections described here are applied.