Unraveling neutrino parameters with a magical beta-beam experiment at INO

We expound in detail the physics reaches of an experimental set-up in which the proposed large magnetized iron detector at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) would serve as the far detector for a so-called beta-beam. If this pure v(e) and/or (v) over bar (e) beam is shot from some source location like CERN such that the source-detector distance L similar or equal to 7500 km, the impact of the CP phase delta(CP) on the oscillation probability and associated parameter correlation and degeneracies are almost negligible. This magical beta-beam experiment would have unprecedented sensitivity to the neutrino mass hierarchy and theta(13), two of the missing ingredients needed for our understanding of the neutrino sector. With Lorentz boost gamma = 650 and irrespective of the true value of delta(CP), the neutrino mass hierarchy could be determined at 3 sigma C.L. if sin(2)2 theta(13)(true) > 5.6 x 10(-4) and we can expect an unambiguous signal for theta(13) at 3 sigma C.L. if sin(2)2 theta(13) (true) > 5.1 x 10(-4) independent of the true neutrino mass hierarchy. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.