2025/07/02 by Yutao Zhu, Haoyang Fu, Zhu, Yutao +10
Physics and Astronomy · #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex) #High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph) #Neutrino Physics Research #Radioactive Decay and Measurement Techniques #hep-ex #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.01675
9 pages, 12 figures. Submitted to CPC
openalex publication_date 2025/07/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01 · arxiv created 2026/08/02 · arxiv updated 2026/08/04
A sensitivity study of the search for heavy sterile neutrinos (νH) in the MeV mass range using solar neutrino experiments is presented. νH, with masses ranging from a few MeV up to around 15 MeV, can be produced in the Sun through 8B decay and subsequently decay into νe e+ e-. Its flux and lifetime strongly depend on the mixing parameter |UeH|2 and mass mνH. The νH signal can be detected via its decay products, either the e+e- pair or νe, depending on whether νH decays inside or outside the detector. Expected signal yields for both detection methods (detecting e+e- or νe signal) are presented across the full |UeH|2 and mνH parameter space. These two methods are found to be complementary in different regions of the |UeH|2 and mνH phase space. By combining both approaches, we anticipate observing at least a handful of signal events across most of the parameter space of 10-6 < |UeH|2 < 1 and 2 MeV < mνH < 14 MeV, assuming a 500-ton solar neutrino experiment operating for one year. Key variables, such as the energy spectra and opening angle of νe or e+e- and the solar angle of νe and its scattered electron, are also discussed to help distinguish signal from major backgrounds, such as solar neutrino events.