Kuo, J. L., Lattanzi, M., Cheung, K., & Valle, J. W. F. (2018). Decaying warm dark matter and structure formation. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 12(12), 026–24pp.
Abstract: We examine the cosmology of warm dark matter (WDM), both stable and decaying, from the point of view of structure formation. We compare the matter power spectrum associated to WDM masses of 1.5 keV and 0.158 keV, with that expected for the stable cold dark matter ACDM Xi SCDM paradigm, taken as our reference model. We scrutinize the effects associated to the warm nature of dark matter, as well as the fact that it decays. The decaying warm dark matter (DWDM) scenario is well-motivated, emerging in a broad class of particle physics theories where neutrino masses arise from the spontaneous breaking of a continuous global lepton number symmetry. The majoron arises as a Nambu-Goldstone boson, and picks up a mass from gravitational effects, that explicitly violate global symmetries. The majoron necessarily decays to neutrinos, with an amplitude proportional to their tiny mass, which typically gives it cosmologically long lifetimes. Using N-body simulations we show that our DWDM picture leads to a viable alternative to the ACDM scenario, with predictions that can differ substantially on small scales.
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Reig, M., Valle, J. W. F., & Yamada, M. (2019). Light majoron cold dark matter from topological defects and the formation of boson stars. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 09(9), 029–25pp.
Abstract: We show that for a relatively light majoron (<< 100 eV) non-thermal production from topological defects is an efficient production mechanism. Taking the type I seesaw as benchmark scheme, we estimate the primordial majoron abundance and determine the required parameter choices where it can account for the observed cosmological dark matter. The latter is consistent with the scale of unification. Possible direct detection of light majorons with future experiments such as PTOLEMY and the formation of boson stars from the majoron dark matter are also discussed.
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DUNE Collaboration(Abi, B. et al), Antonova, M., Barenboim, G., Cervera-Villanueva, A., De Romeri, V., Fernandez Menendez, P., et al. (2021). Searching for solar KDAR with DUNE. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 10(10), 065–28pp.
Abstract: The observation of 236 MeV muon neutrinos from kaon-decay-at-rest (KDAR) originating in the core of the Sun would provide a unique signature of dark matter annihilation. Since excellent angle and energy reconstruction are necessary to detect this monoenergetic, directional neutrino flux, DUNE with its vast volume and reconstruction capabilities, is a promising candidate for a KDAR neutrino search. In this work, we evaluate the proposed KDAR neutrino search strategies by realistically modeling both neutrino-nucleus interactions and the response of DUNE. We find that, although reconstruction of the neutrino energy and direction is difficult with current techniques in the relevant energy range, the superb energy resolution, angular resolution, and particle identification offered by DUNE can still permit great signal/background discrimination. Moreover, there are non-standard scenarios in which searches at DUNE for KDAR in the Sun can probe dark matter interactions.
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de Campos, F., Eboli, O. J. P., Hirsch, M., Magro, M. B., Porod, W., Restrepo, D., et al. (2010). Probing neutrino oscillations in supersymmetric models at the Large Hadron Collider. Phys. Rev. D, 82(7), 075002–8pp.
Abstract: The lightest supersymmetric particle may decay with branching ratios that correlate with neutrino oscillation parameters. In this case the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has the potential to probe the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle with sensitivity competitive to its low-energy determination by underground experiments. Under realistic detection assumptions, we identify the necessary conditions for the experiments at CERN's LHC to probe the simplest scenario for neutrino masses induced by minimal supergravity with bilinear R parity violation.
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Esteves, J. N., Joaquim, F. R., Joshipura, A. S., Romao, J. C., Tortola, M., & Valle, J. W. F. (2010). A(4)-based neutrino masses with Majoron decaying dark matter. Phys. Rev. D, 82(7), 073008–8pp.
Abstract: We propose an A(4) flavor-symmetric SU(3) circle times SU(2) circle times U(1) seesaw model where lepton number is broken spontaneously. A consistent two-zero texture pattern of neutrino masses and mixing emerges from the interplay of type-I and type-II seesaw contributions, with important phenomenological predictions. We show that, if the Majoron becomes massive, such seesaw scenario provides a viable candidate for decaying dark matter, consistent with cosmic microwave background lifetime constraints that follow from current WMAP observations. We also calculate the subleading one-loop-induced decay into photons which leads to a monoenergetic emission line that may be observed in future x-ray missions such as Xenia.
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Escrihuela, F. J., Tortola, M., Valle, J. W. F., & Miranda, O. G. (2011). Global constraints on muon-neutrino nonstandard interactions. Phys. Rev. D, 83(9), 093002–8pp.
Abstract: The search for new interactions of neutrinos beyond those of the standard model may help to elucidate the mechanism responsible for neutrino masses. Here, we combine existing accelerator neutrino data with restrictions coming from a recent atmospheric neutrino data analysis in order to lift parameter degeneracies and improve limits on new interactions of muon neutrinos with quarks. In particular, we reconsider the results of the E-815 experiment at Fermilab (NuTeV) in view of a new evaluation of its systematic uncertainties. We find that, although constraints for muon neutrinos are better than those applicable to tau or electron neutrinos, they lie at the few X 10(-2) level, not as strong as previously believed. We briefly discuss prospects for further improvement.
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Bazzocchi, F., Cerdeño, D. G., Muñoz, C., & Valle, J. W. F. (2010). Calculable inverse-seesaw neutrino masses in supersymmetry. Phys. Rev. D, 81(5), 051701–5pp.
Abstract: We provide a scenario where naturally small and calculable neutrino masses arise from a supersymmetry-breaking renormalization-group-induced vacuum expectation value. The construction consists of an extended version of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model and the mechanism is illustrated for a universal choice of the soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters. The lightest supersymmetric particle can be an isosinglet scalar neutrino state, potentially viable as WIMP dark matter through its Higgs new boson coupling. The scenario leads to a plethora of new phenomenological implications at accelerators including the Large Hadron Collider.
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Hirsch, M., Morisi, S., Peinado, E., & Valle, J. W. F. (2010). Discrete dark matter. Phys. Rev. D, 82(11), 116003–5pp.
Abstract: We propose a new motivation for the stability of dark matter (DM). We suggest that the same non-Abelian discrete flavor symmetry which accounts for the observed pattern of neutrino oscillations, spontaneously breaks to a Z(2) subgroup which renders DM stable. The simplest scheme leads to a scalar doublet DM potentially detectable in nuclear recoil experiments, inverse neutrino mass hierarchy, hence a neutrinoless double beta decay rate accessible to upcoming searches, while theta(13) = 0 gives no CP violation in neutrino oscillations.
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Esteban-Pretel, A., Tomas, R., & Valle, J. W. F. (2010). Interplay between collective effects and nonstandard interactions of supernova neutrinos. Phys. Rev. D, 81(6), 063003–16pp.
Abstract: We consider the effect of nonstandard neutrino interactions (NSI, for short) on the propagation of neutrinos through the supernova (SN) envelope within a three-neutrino framework and taking into account the presence of a neutrino background. We find that for given NSI parameters, with strength generically denoted by epsilon(ij), neutrino evolution exhibits a significant time dependence. For vertical bar epsilon(tau tau)vertical bar greater than or similar to 10(-3) the neutrino survival probability may become sensitive to the V-23 octant and the sign of epsilon(tau tau). In particular, if epsilon(tau tau) greater than or similar to 10(-2) an internal I-resonance may arise independently of the matter density. For typical values found in SN simulations this takes place in the same dense-neutrino region above the neutrinosphere where collective effects occur, in particular, during the synchronization regime. This resonance may lead to an exchange of the neutrino fluxes entering the bipolar regime. The main consequences are (i) bipolar conversion taking place for normal neutrino mass hierarchy and (ii) a transformation of the flux of low-energy v(e), instead of the usual spectral swap.
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Morisi, S., Peinado, E., Shimizu, Y., & Valle, J. W. F. (2011). Relating quarks and leptons without grand unification. Physical Review D, 84(3), 036003.
Abstract: In combination with supersymmetry, flavor symmetry may relate quarks with leptons, even in the absence of a grand-unification group. We propose an SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1) model where both supersymmetry and the assumed A(4) flavor symmetries are softly broken, reproducing well the observed fermion mass hierarchies and predicting: (i) a relation between down-type quarks and charged lepton masses, and (ii) a correlation between the Cabibbo angle in the quark sector and the reactor angle theta(13) characterizing CP violation in neutrino oscillations.
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