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de Salas, P. F., & Pastor, S. (2016). Relic neutrino decoupling with flavour oscillations revisited. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 051–18pp.
Abstract: We study the decoupling process of neutrinos in the early universe in the presence of three-flavour oscillations. The evolution of the neutrino spectra is found by solving the corresponding momentum-dependent kinetic equations for the neutrino density matrix, including for the first time the proper collision integrals for both diagonal and off-diagonal elements. This improved calculation modifies the evolution of the off-diagonal elements of the neutrino density matrix and changes the deviation from equilibrium of the frozen neutrino spectra. However, it does not vary the contribution of neutrinos to the cosmological energy density in the form of radiation, usually expressed in terms of the effective number of neutrinos, N-eff. We find a value of N-eff = 3.045, in agreement with previous theoretical calculations and consistent with the latest analysis of Planck data. This result does not depend on the ordering of neutrino masses. We also consider the effect of non-standard neutrino-electron interactions (NSI), predicted in many theoretical models where neutrinos acquire mass. For two sets of NSI parameters allowed by present data, we find that Neff can be reduced down to 3.040 or enhanced up to 3.059.
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Gariazzo, S., de Salas, P. F., & Pastor, S. (2019). Thermalisation of sterile neutrinos in the early universe in the 3+1 scheme with full mixing matrix. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 014–30pp.
Abstract: In the framework of a 3+1 scheme with an additional inert state, we consider the thermalisation of sterile neutrinos in the early Universe taking into account the full 4 x 4 mixing matrix. The evolution of the neutrino energy distributions is found solving the momentum-dependent kinetic equations with full diagonal collision terms, as in previous analyses of flavour neutrino decoupling in the standard case. The degree of thermalisation of the sterile state is shown in terms of the effective number of neutrinos, N-eff, and its dependence on the three additional mixing angles (theta(14), theta(24), theta(34)) and on the squared mass difference Delta m(41)(2) is discussed. Our results are relevant for fixing the contribution of a fourth light neutrino species to the cosmological energy density, whose value is very well constrained by the final Planck analysis. For the preferred region of active-sterile mixing parameters from short-baseline neutrino experiments, we find that the fourth state is fully thermalised (N-eff similar or equal to 4).
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Papoulias, D. K., Kosmas, T. S., & Kuno, Y. (2019). Recent Probes of Standard and Non-standard Neutrino Physics With Nuclei. Front. Physics, 7, 191–25pp.
Abstract: We review standard and non-standard neutrino physics probes that are based on nuclear measurements. We pay special attention on the discussion of prospects to extract new physics at prominent rare event measurements looking for neutrino-nucleus scattering, such as the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE nu NS) that may involve lepton flavor violation (LFV) in neutral-currents (NC). For the latter processes several appreciably sensitive experiments are currently pursued or have been planed to operate in the near future, like the COHERENT, CONUS, CONNIE, MINER, TEXONO, RED100, vGEN, Ricochet, NUCLEUS, etc. We provide a thorough discussion on phenomenological and theoretical studies, in particular those referring to the nuclear physics aspects in order to provide accurate predictions for the relevant experiments. Motivated by the recent discovery of CE nu NS at the COHERENT experiment and the active experimental efforts for a new measurement at reactor-based experiments, we summarize the current status of the constraints as well as the future sensitivities on nuclear and electroweak physics parameters, non-standard interactions, electromagnetic neutrino properties, sterile neutrinos and simplified scenarios with novel vector Z ' or scalar phi mediators. Indirect and direct connections of CE nu NS with astrophysics, direct Dark Matter detection and charge lepton flavor violating processes are also discussed.
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Coloma, P., Gonzalez-Garcia, M. C., Maltoni, M., Pinheiro, J. P., & Urrea, S. (2022). Constraining new physics with Borexino Phase-II spectral data. J. High Energy Phys., 07(7), 138–35pp.
Abstract: We present a detailed analysis of the spectral data of Borexino Phase II, with the aim of exploiting its full potential to constrain scenarios beyond the Standard Model. In particular, we quantify the constraints imposed on neutrino magnetic moments, neutrino non-standard interactions, and several simplified models with light scalar, pseudoscalar or vector mediators. Our analysis shows perfect agreement with those performed by the collaboration on neutrino magnetic moments and neutrino non-standard interactions in the same restricted cases and expands beyond those, stressing the interplay between flavour oscillations and flavour non-diagonal interaction effects for the correct evaluation of the event rates. For simplified models with light mediators we show the power of the spectral data to obtain robust limits beyond those previously estimated in the literature.
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Stadler, J., Boehm, C., & Mena, O. (2019). Comprehensive study of neutrino-dark matter mixed damping. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 08(8), 014–23pp.
Abstract: Mixed damping is a physical effect that occurs when a heavy species is coupled to a relativistic fluid which is itself free streaming. As a cross-case between collisional damping and free-streaming, it is crucial in the context of neutrino-dark matter interactions. In this work, we establish the parameter space relevant for mixed damping, and we derive an analytical approximation for the evolution of dark matter perturbations in the mixed damping regime to illustrate the physical processes responsible for the suppression of cosmological perturbations. Although extended Boltzmann codes implementing neutrino-dark matter scattering terms automatically include mixed damping, this effect has not been systematically studied. In order to obtain reliable numerical results, it is mandatory to reconsider several aspects of neutrino-dark matter interactions, such as the initial conditions, the ultra-relativistic fluid approximation and high order multiple moments in the neutrino distribution. Such a precise treatment ensures the correct assessment of the relevance of mixed damping in neutrino-dark matter interactions.
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