Abada, A., De Romeri, V., Lucente, M., Teixeira, A. M., & Toma, T. (2018). Effective Majorana mass matrix from tau and pseudoscalar meson lepton number violating decays. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 169–57pp.
Abstract: An observation of any lepton number violating process will undoubtedly point towards the existence of new physics and indirectly to the clear Majorana nature of the exchanged fermion. In this work, we explore the potential of a minimal extension of the Standard Model via heavy sterile fermions with masses in the [0.1-10] GeV range concerning an extensive array of “neutrinoless” meson and tau decay processes. We assume that the Majorana neutrinos are produced on-shell, and focus on three-body decays. We conduct an update on the bounds on the active-sterile mixing elements, vertical bar U-l alpha 4,U-l beta 4 vertical bar, taking into account the most recent experimental bounds (and constraints) and new theoretical inputs, as well as the effects of a finite detector, imposing that the heavy neutrino decay within the detector. This allows to establish up-to-date comprehensive constraints on the sterile fermion parameter space. Our results suggest that the branching fractions of several decays are close to current sensitivities (likely within reach of future facilities), some being already in conflict with current data (as is the case of K-broken vertical bar -> l(alpha)(broken vertical bar)+l(beta)(+)pi(-), and tau(-)->mu(broken vertical bar)pi(-)pi(-)). We use these processes to extract constraints on all entries of an enlarged definition of a 3 x 3 “effective” Majorana neutrino mass matrix m(v)(alpha beta).
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Cerdeño, D. G., De Romeri, V., Martin Lozano, V., Olive, K. A., & Seto, O. (2018). The Constrained NMSSM with right-handed neutrinos. Eur. Phys. J. C, 78(4), 290–12pp.
Abstract: In this article, we demonstrate that the inclusion of right-handed neutrino superfields in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) makes it possible to impose universality conditions on the soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters at the Grand Unification scale, alleviating many of the problems of the so-called Constrained NMSSM. We have studied the renormalization group equations of this model, showing that right-handed neutrinos greatly contribute to driving the singlet Higgs mass-squared parameter negative, which makes it considerably easier to satisfy the conditions for radiative electroweak symmetry breaking. The new fields also lead to larger values of the Standard Model Higgs mass, thus making it easier to reproduce the measured value. As a consequence, all bounds from colliders and low-energy observables can be fulfilled in wide areas of the parameter space. However, the relic density in these regions is generally too high requiring some form of late entropy production to dilute the density of the lightest supersymmetric particle.
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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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de Gouvea, A., De Romeri, V., & Ternes, C. A. (2020). Probing neutrino quantum decoherence at reactor experiments. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 049–17pp.
Abstract: We explore how well reactor antineutrino experiments can constrain or measure the loss of quantum coherence in neutrino oscillations. We assume that decoherence effects are encoded in the size of the neutrino wave-packet, sigma. We find that the current experiments Daya Bay and the Reactor Experiment for Neutrino Oscillation (RENO) already constrain sigma >1.0x10(-4) nm and estimate that future data from the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) would be sensitive to sigma <2.1x10(-3) nm. If the effects of loss of coherence are within the sensitivity of JUNO, we expect sigma to be measured with good precision. The discovery of nontrivial decoherence effects in JUNO would indicate that our understanding of the coherence of neutrino sources is, at least, incomplete.
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Avila, I. M., De Romeri, V., Duarte, L., & Valle, J. W. F. (2020). Phenomenology of scotogenic scalar dark matter. Eur. Phys. J. C, 80(10), 908–19pp.
Abstract: We reexamine the minimal Singlet + Triplet Scotogenic Model, where dark matter is the mediator of neutrino mass generation. We assume it to be a scalar WIMP, whose stability follows from the same Z(2) symmetry that leads to the radiative origin of neutrino masses. The scheme is the minimal one that allows for solar and atmospheric mass scales to be generated. We perform a full numerical analysis of the signatures expected at dark matter as well as collider experiments. We identify parameter regions where dark matter predictions agree with theoretical and experimental constraints, such as neutrino oscillations, Higgs data, dark matter relic abundance and direct detection searches. We also present forecasts for near future direct and indirect detection experiments. These will further probe the parameter space. Finally, we explore collider signatures associated with the mono jet channel at the LHC, highlighting the existence of a viable light dark matter mass range.
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