Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering as a Precision Test for the Standard Model and Beyond: The COHERENT Proposal Case

Abstract

Several experimental proposals expect to confirm the recent measurement of the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS). Motivated in particular by the next generation experiments of the COHERENT collaboration, we study their sensitivity to different tests of the Standard Model and beyond. We analyze the resolution that can be achieved by each future proposed detector in the measurement of the weak mixing angle; we also perform a similar analysis in the context of Non-Standard Interaction (NSI) and in the case of oscillations into a sterile neutrino state. We show that future perspectives are interesting for these types of new physics searches. I. INTRODUCTIONDespite the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) was proposed more than forty years ago [1], it was only recently that the COHERENT collaboration observed this process for the first time by using a CsI[Na] detector exposed to the neutrino flux generated at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory [2].In a CEvNS process, an incident neutrino interacts coherently with the protons and neutrons within the nucleus. As a result, there is an enhancement in the cross-section, which turns out to be quadratic in the number of nucleons. The necessary condition to observe this phenomenon is that the energy of the neutrino must be sufficiently low so that the momentum transfer satisfies qR << 1, with R the nuclear radius. Since its first

Implications of the first detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) with liquid Argon

“…The discovery of coherent elastic scattering of neutrinos off nuclei at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using a CsI detector [2] has opened new ways to study key weak interaction parameters, such as the electroweak mixing angle [3,4] and the nuclear form factors [5][6][7], as well as to probe novel neutrino properties beyond the Standard Model (SM) [8]. Among the most interesting possibilities, are those addressing non-standard interactions (NSI) [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], electromagnetic neutrino properties [20][21][22][23][24], sterile neutrinos [25][26][27][28], new light mediators [29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and dark matter [36,37]. The study of these scenarios would provide important hints for physics beyond the current three-massive-neutrino paradigm of elementary particles.…”

Recent Probes of Standard and Non-standard Neutrino Physics With Nuclei

“…11 at 90% C.L. Regarding the future prospects of MINER, Ricochet, NUCLEUS and CONNIE, similar studies were conducted concentrating on the non-universal [120] and flavor-changing [121] terms. Indeed, a multitarget strategy can break degeneracies involved between up and down flavor-diagonal NSI terms that survives analysis of neutrino oscillation experiments [14].…”

CP violating effects in coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering processes

“…In fact, since the COHERENT data release [1,21], various analyses involving new physics have been carried out. The scenarios considered include effective neutrino non-standard interactions [22][23][24], light vector and scalar mediators [23,25], neutrino electromagnetic properties [26,27], sterile neutrinos [26] and neutrino generalized interactions [28].…”