Sierra, D. A., De Romeri, V., & Rojas, N. (2019). CP violating effects in coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering processes. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 069–22pp.
Abstract: The presence of new neutrino-quark interactions can enhance, deplete or distort the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) event rate. The new interactions may involve CP violating phases that can potentially affect these features. Assuming light vector mediators, we study the effects of CP violation on the CEvNS process in the COHERENT sodium-iodine, liquid argon and germanium detectors. We identify a region in parameter space for which the event rate always involves a dip and another one for which this is never the case. We show that the presence of a dip in the event rate spectrum can be used to constraint CP violating effects, in such a way that the larger the detector volume the tighter the constraints. Furthermore, it allows the reconstruction of the effective coupling responsible for the signal with an uncertainty determined by recoil energy resolution. In the region where no dip is present, we find that CP violating parameters can mimic the Standard Model CEvNS prediction or spectra induced by real parameters. We point out that the interpretation of CEvNS data in terms of a light vector mediator should take into account possible CP violating effects. Finally, we stress that our results are qualitatively applicable for CEvNS induced by solar or reactor neutrinos. Thus, the CP violating effects discussed here and their consequences should be taken into account as well in the analysis of data from multi-ton dark matter detectors or experiments such as CONUS, nu-cleus or CONNIE.
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Barenboim, G., Martinez-Mirave, P., Ternes, C. A., & Tortola, M. (2020). Sterile neutrinos with altered dispersion relations revisited. J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 070–18pp.
Abstract: In this paper we investigate neutrino oscillations with altered dispersion relations in the presence of sterile neutrinos. Modified dispersion relations represent an agnostic way to parameterize new physics. Models of this type have been suggested to explain global neutrino oscillation data, including deviations from the standard three-neutrino paradigm as observed by a few experiments. We show that, unfortunately, in this type of models new tensions arise turning them incompatible with global data.
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Escudero, M., Hooper, D., Krnjaic, G., & Pierre, M. (2019). Cosmology with a very light Lmu – Ltau gauge boson. J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 071–29pp.
Abstract: In this paper, we explore in detail the cosmological implications of an abelian L – L gauge extension of the Standard Model featuring a light and weakly coupled Z. Such a scenario is motivated by the longstanding approximate to 4 sigma discrepancy between the measured and predicted values of the muon's anomalous magnetic moment, (g – 2), as well as the tension between late and early time determinations of the Hubble constant. If sufficiently light, the Z population will decay to neutrinos, increasing the overall energy density of radiation and altering the expansion history of the early universe. We identify two distinct regions of parameter space in this model in which the Hubble tension can be significantly relaxed. The first of these is the previously identified region in which a approximate to 10 – 20 MeV Z reaches equilibrium in the early universe and then decays, heating the neutrino population and delaying the process of neutrino decoupling. For a coupling of g (-) similar or equal to (3 – 8) x 10(-4), such a particle can also explain the observed (g – 2) anomaly. In the second region, the Z is very light (mZ approximate to 1eV to MeV) and very weakly coupled (g (-) approximate to 10(-13) to 10(-9)). In this case, the Z population is produced through freeze-in, and decays to neutrinos after neutrino decoupling. Across large regions of parameter space, we predict a contribution to the energy density of radiation that can appreciably relax the reported Hubble tension, N-eff similar or equal to 0.2.
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de Salas, P. F., Forero, D. V., Gariazzo, S., Martinez-Mirave, P., Mena, O., Ternes, C. A., et al. (2021). 2020 global reassessment of the neutrino oscillation picture. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 071–36pp.
Abstract: We present an updated global fit of neutrino oscillation data in the simplest three-neutrino framework. In the present study we include up-to-date analyses from a number of experiments. Concerning the atmospheric and solar sectors, besides the data considered previously, we give updated analyses of IceCube DeepCore and Sudbury Neutrino Observatory data, respectively. We have also included the latest electron antineutrino data collected by the Daya Bay and RENO reactor experiments, and the long-baseline T2K and NO nu A measurements, as reported in the Neutrino 2020 conference. All in all, these new analyses result in more accurate measurements of theta (13), theta (12), Delta m212 and Delta m312. The best fit value for the atmospheric angle theta (23) lies in the second octant, but first octant solutions remain allowed at similar to 2.4 sigma. Regarding CP violation measurements, the preferred value of delta we obtain is 1.08 pi (1.58 pi) for normal (inverted) neutrino mass ordering. The global analysis still prefers normal neutrino mass ordering with 2.5 sigma statistical significance. This preference is milder than the one found in previous global analyses. These new results should be regarded as robust due to the agreement found between our Bayesian and frequentist approaches. Taking into account only oscillation data, there is a weak/moderate preference for the normal neutrino mass ordering of 2.00 sigma. While adding neutrinoless double beta decay from the latest Gerda, CUORE and KamLAND-Zen results barely modifies this picture, cosmological measurements raise the preference to 2.68 sigma within a conservative approach. A more aggressive data set combination of cosmological observations leads to a similar preference for normal with respect to inverted mass ordering, namely 2.70 sigma. This very same cosmological data set provides 2 sigma upper limits on the total neutrino mass corresponding to Sigma m(nu)< 0.12 (0.15) eV in the normal (inverted) neutrino mass ordering scenario. The bounds on the neutrino mixing parameters and masses presented in this up-to-date global fit analysis include all currently available neutrino physics inputs.
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Simpson, F., Jimenez, R., Pena-Garay, C., & Verde, L. (2018). Dark energy from the motions of neutrinos. Phys. Dark Universe, 20, 72–77.
Abstract: Ordinarily, a scalar field may only play the role of dark energy if it possesses a potential that is either extraordinarily flat or extremely fine-tuned. Here we demonstrate that these restrictions are lifted when the scalar field undergoes persistent energy exchange with another fluid. In this scenario, the field is prevented from reversing its direction of motion, and instead may come to rest while displaced from the local minimum of its potential. Therefore almost any scalar potential is capable of initiating a prolonged phase of cosmic acceleration. If the rate of energy transfer is modulated via a derivative coupling, the field undergoes a rapid process of freezing, after which the field's equation of state mimicks that of a cosmological constant. We present a physically motivated realisation in the form of a neutrino-majoron coupling, which avoids the dynamical instabilities associated with mass-varying neutrino models. Finally we discuss possible means by which this model could be experimentally verified.
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ANTARES Collaboration(Albert, A. et al), Alves, S., Calvo, D., Carretero, V., Gozzini, R., Hernandez-Rey, J. J., et al. (2023). Review of the online analyses of multi-messenger alerts and electromagnetic transient events with the ANTARES neutrino telescope. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 08(8), 072–23pp.
Abstract: By constantly monitoring a very large portion of the sky, neutrino telescopes are well-designed to detect neutrinos emitted by transient astrophysical events. Real-time searches with the ANTARES telescope have been performed to look for neutrino candidates coincident with gamma-ray bursts detected by the Swift and Fermi satellites, high-energy neutrino events registered by IceCube, transient events from blazars monitored by HAWC, photon-neutrino coincidences by AMON notices and gravitational wave candidates observed by LIGO/Virgo. By requiring temporal coincidence, this approach increases the sensitivity and the significance of a potential discovery. This paper summarises the results of the followup performed of the ANTARES telescope between January 2014 and February 2022, which corresponds to the end of the data-taking period.
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Coloma, P., Donini, A., Fernandez-Martinez, E., & Hernandez, P. (2012). Precision on leptonic mixing parameters at future neutrino oscillation experiments. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 073–27pp.
Abstract: We perform a comparison of the different future neutrino oscillation experiments based on the achievable precision in the determination of the fundamental parameters theta(13) and the CP phase, delta, assuming that theta(13) is in the range indicated by the recent Daya Bay measurement. We study the non-trivial dependence of the error on delta on its true value. When matter effects are small, the largest error is found at the points where CP violation is maximal, and the smallest at the CP conserving points. The situation is different when matter effects are sizable. As a result of this effect, the comparison of the physics reach of different experiments on the basis of the CP discovery potential, as usually done, can be misleading. We have compared various proposed super-beam, beta-beam and neutrino factory setups on the basis of the relative precision of theta(13) and the error on delta. Neutrino factories, both high-energy or low-energy, outperform alternative beam technologies. An ultimate precision on theta(13) below 3% and an error on delta of <= 7 degrees at 1 sigma (1 d.o.f.) can be obtained at a neutrino factory.
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Marzocca, D., Petcov, S. T., Romanino, A., & Sevilla, M. C. (2013). Nonzero |U_e3| from charged lepton corrections and the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle. J. High Energy Phys., 05(5), 073–27pp.
Abstract: After the successful determination of the reactor neutrino mixing angle theta(13) not equal 0.16 not equal 0, a new feature suggested by the current neutrino oscillation data is a sizeable deviation of the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle theta(23) from pi/4. Using the fact that the neutrino mixing matrix U = (UeU nu)-U-dagger, where U-e and U-nu result from the diagonalisation of the charged lepton and neutrino mass matrices, and assuming that U-nu has a i) bimaximal (BM), H) tri-bimaximal (TBM) form, or else Hi) corresponds to the conservation of the lepton charge L' = L-e – L μ- L-tau (LC), we investigate quantitatively what are the minimal forms of U-e, in terms of angles and phases it contains, that can provide the requisite corrections to U-nu so that theta(13), theta(23) and the solar neutrino mixing angle theta(12) have values compatible with the current data. Two possible orderings of the 12 and the 23 rotations in U-e, “standard” and “inverse”, are considered. The results we obtain depend strongly on the type of ordering. In the case of “standard” ordering, in particular, the Dirac CP violation phase delta, present in U, is predicted to have a value in a narrow interval around i) delta similar or equal to pi in the BM (or LC) case, H) delta congruent to 3 pi/2 or pi/2 in the TBM case, the CP conserving values delta = 0, pi, 2 pi being excluded in the TBM case at more than 4 sigma.
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Bennett, J. J., Buldgen, G., de Salas, P. F., Drewes, M., Gariazzo, S., Pastor, S., et al. (2021). Towards a precision calculation of the effective number of neutrinos N-eff in the Standard Model. Part II. Neutrino decoupling in the presence of flavour oscillations and finite-temperature QED. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 04(4), 073–33pp.
Abstract: We present in this work a new calculation of the standard-model benchmark value for the effective number of neutrinos, N-eff(SM), that quantifies the cosmological neutrinoto-photon energy densities. The calculation takes into account neutrino flavour oscillations, finite-temperature effects in the quantum electrodynamics plasma to O(e(3)), where e is the elementary electric charge, and a full evaluation of the neutrino-neutrino collision integral. We provide furthermore a detailed assessment of the uncertainties in the benchmark N(eff)(SM )value, through testing the value's dependence on (i) optional approximate modelling of the weak collision integrals, (ii) measurement errors in the physical parameters of the weak sector, and (iii) numerical convergence, particularly in relation to momentum discretisation. Our new, recommended standard-model benchmark is N-eff(SM) 3.0440 +/- 0.0002, where the nominal uncertainty is attributed predominantly to errors incurred in the numerical solution procedure (vertical bar delta N-eff vertical bar similar to 10(-4)), augmented by measurement errors in the solar mixing angle sin(2) theta(12) (vertical bar delta N-eff vertical bar similar to 10(-4)).
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Breso-Pla, V., Falkowski, A., Gonzalez-Alonso, M., & Monsalvez-Pozo, K. (2023). EFT analysis of New Physics at COHERENT. J. High Energy Phys., 05(5), 074–53pp.
Abstract: Using an effective field theory approach, we study coherent neutrino scattering on nuclei, in the setup pertinent to the COHERENT experiment. We include non-standard effects both in neutrino production and detection, with an arbitrary flavor structure, with all leading Wilson coefficients simultaneously present, and without assuming factorization in flux times cross section. A concise description of the COHERENT event rate is obtained by introducing three generalized weak charges, which can be associated (in a certain sense) to the production and scattering of nu(e), nu(mu) and (nu) over bar (mu) on the nuclear target. Our results are presented in a convenient form that can be trivially applied to specific New Physics scenarios. In particular, we find that existing COHERENT measurements provide percent level constraints on two combinations of Wilson coefficients. These constraints have a visible impact on the global SMEFT fit, even in the constrained flavor-blind setup. The improvement, which affects certain 4-fermion LLQQ operators, is significantly more important in a flavor-general SMEFT. Our work shows that COHERENT data should be included in electroweak precision studies from now on.
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