After the T2K’s indication of non-zero theta13, neutrinos from LNGS throw out another bomb: the neutrino speed > c. The non-zero theta13 might only attract the eyes of particle physicists, but ‘the neutrino speed > c’ is really an earthquake to the fundamentals of whole modern physics and causes worldwide discussions.
Most people regard the T2K’s non-zero theta13 result is an ‘indication’, not a ‘discovery’, because the significance is only 2.5 sigma. Though the significance from OPERA is 6 sigma (http://static.arxiv.org/pdf/1109.4897.pdf), they are very cautious about the anomaly they observed. Almost every number in their paper has been cross-checked independently. Perhaps the neutrinos have some other properties that we never thought before, otherwise some systematic effects are in the dark. After all, the accurate metrology techniques used by OPERA, like GPS and geodesy, are common and mature. We also use them in our Daya Bay experiment to synchronize different experimental sites and measure the reactor baseline, of cause, with relative low precision requirements. So it is very important that other experiment can repeat this measurement with different experimental systematics.
Looking at OPERA’s results, I recall one thing. In this year’s ISSP11, students were asking Prof. Ting about when they will release the first results of AMS. He said it is not about time, it’s about right or wrong. “Likely the human will never send a detector like AMS into space again in next a few decades, so we have to tell people the right thing”, says Prof. Ting when ended his lecture.
Now it seems neutrinos become in a year of wonders. What is the next? I would prefer zero theta13, ^_^.