Abstract
It has been recently suggested that the vacuum magnetic dichroism observed by the PVLAS experiment could be explained by pair production of a new light, ${m}_{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$, millicharged, ${q}_{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}\ensuremath{\simeq}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}e$, fermions ($\ensuremath{\epsilon}$). In addition, it has been pointed out that millicharged particles with ${q}_{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}e$ appear naturally in models based on the string theory. We show that low energy reactor neutrino experiments provide a sensitive probe of millicharged particles. Considering, as an example, recent results of the TEXONO experiment searching for the neutrino magnetic moment, a new upper bound ${q}_{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}e$ for the mass region ${m}_{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}<1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$ is derived. These results enhance motivations for a more sensitive search for such particles in near future experiments. Furthermore, a direct experimental limit on the electric charge of the electron antineutrino ${q}_{{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}}<3.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}e$ is obtained.
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