Low-Energy Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering and New Physics

Summary

Low-energy neutrino-nucleus scattering provides a unique window to explore Standard Model (SM) and Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) processes. The recent observation of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) has generated significant interest across disciplines.

Highlights

• CEvNS offers a powerful probe for light, weakly coupled new physics.
• Ongoing global experimental efforts aim to leverage CEvNS to test SM predictions and search for BSM signals.
• The event rate due to the inclusion of neutrino magnetic moment is also discussed.
• Liquid argon-based experiments are being used to probe CEvNS and new physics signals.
• The number of nuclear recoil events obtained per day for different experiments is presented.
• The existence of massive neutrinos indicates physics beyond the standard model.
• The neutrino magnetic moment arises naturally from the neutrino electromagnetic vertex.

Key Insights

• CEvNS is a powerful tool for exploring SM and BSM physics due to its high cross-section and suitability for compact detectors, particularly with stopped pion neutrinos.
• The CEvNS process leads to a coherent contribution from all nucleons, enhancing the cross-section roughly proportional to the square of the number of neutrons in the target nucleus.
• The event rate due to the inclusion of neutrino magnetic moment enhances the recoil spectrum, particularly at low energies, providing a potential method for probing the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos.
• Liquid argon-based experiments, such as CENNS10, CENNS750, CCM, and PIP2-BD at F2D2, are being used to probe CEvNS and new physics signals using stopped-pion neutrino sources.
• The nuclear recoil event rates due to the addition of neutrino magnetic moment are shown to be enhanced, providing a potential signature of new physics.
• The neutrino magnetic moment arises naturally from the neutrino electromagnetic vertex and is a clear indication of physics beyond the standard model.
• Direct dark matter detection experiments and COHERENT have put bounds on the magnetic moment of the neutrino of the order 10−10µB.

Mindmap

Citation

Carey, S., & Pandey, V. (2024). Low-Energy Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering and New Physics (Version 1). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/ARXIV.2412.18055