Future CEvNS experiments as probes of lepton unitarity and light sterile neutrinos

2020/08/31 by O. G. Miranda, Dimitrios K. Papoulias, D. K. Papoulias +3 · 65 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Electron #Lepton #Neutrino #Neutrino Physics Research #Neutrino oscillation #Neutron #Nuclear physics #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Spallation #Spallation Neutron Source #Sterile neutrino #Unitarity #hep-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.102.113014

published in Physical review. D/Physical review. D. 102(11) (American Physical Society) · 22 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables. V2: analysis improved with BRN backgrounds, new figures, matches the published version

arxiv created 2020/12/24 · openalex publication_date 2020/12/24 · arxiv updated 2021/01/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We determine the sensitivities of short-baseline coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE\ensuremathνNS) experiments using a pion decay at rest neutrino source as a probe for nonunitarity in the lepton sector, as expected in low-scale type-I seesaw schemes. We also identify the best configuration for probing light sterile neutrinos at future ton-scale liquid argon CE\ensuremathνNS experiments, estimating the projected sensitivities on the sterile neutrino parameters. Possible experimental setups at the Spallation Neutron Source, Lujan facility and the European Spallation Source are discussed. Provided that systematic uncertainties remain under control, we find that CE\ensuremathνNS experiments will be competitive with oscillation measurements in the long run.

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