3+1 sterile neutrinos at the CNGS

We study the potential of the CNGS beam in constraining the parameter space of a model with three active plus one sterile neutrino such as to explain the LSND results. We perform our analysis using the OPERA detector as a reference (our analysis can be upgraded including a detailed simulation of the ICARUS detector). We point out that the best channel to look for sterile neutrinos at the CNGS beam is νμ → ντ , that is precisely the main signal for which both OPERA and ICARUS have been designed. We also analyse νμ → νe oscillations. We take advantage of the expected efficiencies and backgrounds for these signals and evaluate the OPERA potential to look for sterile neutrinos. Combination of data from both channels permit to cover almost all of the allowed CP-conserving 3+1 neutrino model parameter space. 6 sol atm LSND 6 sol atm LSND 6sol atm LSND 6sol atm LSND | {z } (3+1) 6sol atm LSND 6 sol atm LSND | {z } (2+2) Fig. 1. The two classes of four–neutrino mass spectra, (3+1) and (2+2).