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Pena-Garay, C., Verde, L., & Jimenez, R. (2017). Neutrino footprint in large scale structure. Phys. Dark Universe, 15, 31–34.
Abstract: Recent constrains on the sum of neutrino masses inferred by analyzing cosmological data, show that detecting a non-zero neutrino mass is within reach of forthcoming cosmological surveys. Such a measurement will imply a direct determination of the absolute neutrino mass scale. Physically, the measurement relies on constraining the shape of the matter power spectrum below the neutrino free streaming scale: massive neutrinos erase power at these scales. However, detection of a lack of small-scale power from cosmological data could also be due to a host of other effects. It is therefore of paramount importance to validate neutrinos as the source of power suppression at small scales. We show that, independent on hierarchy, neutrinos always show a footprint on large, linear scales; the exact location and properties are fully specified by the measured power suppression (an astrophysical measurement) and atmospheric neutrinos mass splitting (a neutrino oscillation experiment measurement). This feature cannot be easily mimicked by systematic uncertainties in the cosmological data analysis or modifications in the cosmological model. Therefore the measurement of such a feature, up to 1% relative change in the power spectrum for extreme differences in the mass eigenstates mass ratios, is a smoking gun for confirming the determination of the absolute neutrino mass scale from cosmological observations. It also demonstrates the synergy between astrophysics and particle physics experiments.
Keywords: Cosmology; Neutrinos; Large scale structure
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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.
Keywords: Neutrinos; Dark energy; Interactions in the dark sector
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Serenelli, A., Pena-Garay, C., & Haxton, W. C. (2013). Using the standard solar model to constrain solar composition and nuclear reaction S factors. Phys. Rev. D, 87(4), 043001–9pp.
Abstract: While standard solar model (SSM) predictions depend on approximately 20 input parameters, SSM neutrino flux predictions are strongly correlated with a single model output parameter, the core temperature T-c. Consequently, one can extract physics from solar neutrino flux measurements while minimizing the consequences of SSM uncertainties, by studying flux ratios with appropriate power-law weightings tuned to cancel this T-c dependence. We reexamine an idea for constraining the primordial C + N content of the solar core from a ratio of CN-cycle O-15 to pp-chain B-8 neutrino fluxes, showing that non-nuclear SSM uncertainties in the ratio are small and effectively governed by a single parameter, the diffusion coefficient. We point out that measurements of both CN-I cycle neutrino branches-O-15 and N-13 beta-decay-could, in principle, lead to separate determinations of the core C and N abundances, due to out-of-equilibrium CN-cycle burning in the cooler outer layers of the solar core. Finally, we show that the strategy of constructing “minimum uncertainty” neutrino flux ratios can also test other properties of the SSM. In particular, we demonstrate that a weighted ratio of Be-7 and B-8 fluxes constrains a product of S-factors to the same precision currently possible with laboratory data.
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Borexino Collaboration(Bellini, G. et al), & Pena-Garay, C. (2014). Final results of Borexino Phase-I on low-energy solar neutrino spectroscopy. Phys. Rev. D, 89(11), 112007–68pp.
Abstract: Borexino has been running since May 2007 at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy with the primary goal of detecting solar neutrinos. The detector a large unsegmented liquid scintillator calorimeter characterized by unprecedented low levels of intrinsic radioactivity is optimized for the study of the lower energy part of the spectrum. During Phase-I (2007-2010) Borexino first detected and then precisely measured the flux of the Be-7 solar neutrinos ruled out any significant day-night asymmetry of their interaction rate made the first direct observation of the pep neutrinos and set the tightest upper limit on the flux of solar neutrinos produced in the CNO cycle (carbon nitrogen oxigen) where carbon nitrogen and oxygen serve as catalysts in the fusion process. In this paper we discuss the signal signature and provide a comprehensive description of the backgrounds quantify their event rates describe the methods for their identification selection or subtraction and describe data analysis. Key features are an extensive in situ calibration program using radioactive sources the detailed modeling of the detector response the ability to define an innermost fiducial volume with extremely low background via software cuts and the excellent pulse-shape discrimination capability of the scintillator that allows particle identification. We report a measurement of the annual modulation of the Be-7 neutrino interaction rate. The period the amplitude and the phase of the observed modulation are consistent with the solar origin of these events and the absence of their annual modulation is rejected with higher than 99% C.L. The physics implications of Phase-I results in the context of the neutrino oscillation physics and solar models are presented.
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Caputo, A., Pena-Garay, C., & Witte, S. J. (2018). Looking for axion dark matter in dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Phys. Rev. D, 98(8), 083024–6pp.
Abstract: We study the extent to which the decay of cold dark matter axions can be probed with forthcoming radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). In particular, we focus on signals arising from dwarf spheroidal galaxies, where astrophysical uncertainties are reduced and the expected magnetic field strengths are such that signals arising from axion decay may dominate over axion-photon conversion in a magnetic field. We show that with similar to 100 hr of observing time, SKA could improve current sensitivity by 2-3 orders of magnitude-potentially obtaining sufficient sensitivity to begin probing the decay of cold dark matter axions.
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