Constraining sterile neutrino interpretations of the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies with coherent neutrino scattering experiments

Abstract

Results from the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments have been interpreted as evidence for a sterile neutrino with a mass near the electronvolt scale. Here we propose to test such a scenario by measuring the coherent elastic scattering rate of neutrinos from a pulsed spallation source. Coherent scattering is universal across all active neutrino flavors, and thus can provide a measurement of the total Standard Model neutrino flux. By performing measurements over different baselines and making use of timing information, it is possible to significantly reduce the systematic uncertainties and to independently measure the fluxes of neutrinos that originate as νµ or as either νe orνµ. We find that a 100 kg CsI detector would be sensitive to the large fraction of the sterile neutrino parameter space that could potentially account for the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies.

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering at the European Spallation Source

“…IV B. There are however a few exceptions where a distinction between prompt and delayed signals is mandatory, such as the search schemes described in [31,34]. As shown by COHERENT [2] an opportunity exists at the SNS to (partially) isolate prompt from delayed neutrino components via timing, but only for detectors sited in a small area of the "neutrino alley" [2], of roughly 10×1 m 2 .…”

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

“…To accommodate sterile neutrinos the lepton mixing matrix is minimally extended so that the flavor eigenstates ν α , (α = e, µ, τ, s, · · · ) are related to the mass eigenstates ν i (i = 1, 2, 3, 4, · · · ) by the unitary transformation ν α = i U αi ν i . Then, for the short-baseline CEνNS experiments the survival probability of an active neutrino at a distance L is written [26]…”

“…By exploiting timing data the potential of a future measurement at the next generation of COHERENT with a 100 kg CsI detector has been demonstrated in Ref. [26], concluding that the prospects of probing the exclusion regions in the (∆m 2 41 -sin 2 2θ eµ ) plane from the latest MiniBooNE [142] and LSND [149] are promising. Finally, focusing at CONUS in Ref.…”

“…[12] for various applications). In particular, the recent works have concentrated on non-standard interactions (NSI) [13][14][15][16][17][18][19], electromagnetic properties [20][21][22][23], sterile neutrinos [24][25][26], CP-violation [27] and novel mediators [28][29][30][31]. Nuclear and atomic effects are explored in Refs.…”

Probing new neutral gauge bosons with CEνNS and neutrino-electron scattering

“…[25]). New constraints have been placed on non-standard and generalized interactions [26][27][28][29], nuclear physics parameters [30][31][32], neutrino electromagnetic properties [33,34] and sterile neutrinos [35][36][37]. It has been noted [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] that light mediators may be accessible to CEνNS experiments, providing information that is complementary to what can be achieved from high-energy and/or precision measurements.…”