New results on $\nu_\mu \to \nu_\tau$ appearance with the OPERA experiment in the CNGS beam

Understand

The OPERA neutrino experiment is designed to perform the first observation of neutrino oscillations in direct appearance mode in the $\nu_\mu \to \nu_\tau$ channel, via the detection of the $\tau$-leptons created in charged current $\nu_\tau$ interactions.

• The detector, located in the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory, consists of an emulsion/lead target with an average mass of about 1.2 kt, complemented by electronic detectors.
• It is exposed to the CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso beam, with a baseline of 730 km and a mean energy of 17 GeV.
• The observation of the first $\nu_\tau$ candidate event and the analysis of the 2008-2009 neutrino sample have been reported in previous publications.