Neutrino Dark Matter Research Articles

Impact of Q-balls formed by first-order phase transition on sterile neutrino dark matter

We explore the mechanism that can explain the production of lepton asymmetry and two types of sterile neutrino dark matter. The first type involves heavy sterile dark matter produced directly by the decay of Q-balls which are formed by first-order phase transition in the early universe; the second consists of keV sterile neutrino dark matter, produced resonantly with the aid of lepton asymmetry from Q-ball decay. Besides, gravitational waves from cosmic strings generated during the phase transition process could be detected at future interferometers.

Neutrino mass model and dark matter with Y = 0 inert triplet scalar

We study a one-loop induced neutrino mass model with an inert isospin triplet scalar field of Y=0 and heavier isospin doublet vector-like leptons and singlet Majorana right-handed fermions. In addition to the neutrino mass matrix, we explain sizable scale of muon anomalous magnetic dipole moment 10−9 by introducing a singly-charged boson S±. We show numerical analysis of neutrino oscillation, lepton flavor violations, Z boson decays, and demonstrate our allowed regions in cases of normal and inverted hierarchies. We find the sizable scale of muon anomalous magnetic dipole moment for both cases. Then, we move on to the discussion of dark matter candidates to satisfy the relic density where we have two candidates; fermionic dark matter and bosonic one. And, we classify four cases fermionic dark matter with normal and inverted hierarchies, bosonic one with normal and inverted hierarchies and search for each of the allowed points in the model.

Sterile neutrino dark matter within the νSMEFT

Sterile neutrinos with masses at the keV scale and mixing to the active neutrinos offer an elegant explanation of the observed dark matter (DM) density. However, the very same mixing inevitably leads to radiative photon emission and the non-observation of such peaked X-ray lines rules out this minimal sterile neutrino DM hypothesis. We show that in the context of the Standard Model effective field theory with sterile neutrinos (νSMEFT), higher dimensional operators can produce sterile neutrino DM in a broad range of parameter space. In particular, νSMEFT interactions can open the large mixing parameter space due to their destructive interference, through operator mixing or matching, in the X-ray emission. We also find that, even in the zero mixing limit, the DM density can always be explained by νSMEFT operators. The testability of the studied νSMEFT operators in searches for electric dipole moments, neutrinoless double beta decay, and pion decay measurements is discussed.

Effects of neutrino-ultralight dark matter interaction on the cosmic neutrino background

Ultralight dark matter interacting with sterile neutrinos would modify the evolution and properties of the cosmic neutrino background through active-sterile neutrino mixing. We investigate how such an interaction would induce a redshift dependence in neutrino masses. We highlight that cosmological constraints on the sum of neutrino masses would require reinterpretation due to the effective mass generated by neutrino-dark matter interactions. Furthermore, we present an example where such interactions can alter the mass ordering of neutrinos in the early Universe, compared to what we expect today. We also address the expected changes in the event rates in a PTOLEMY-like experiment, which aims to detect the cosmic neutrino background via neutrino capture and discuss projected constraints. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Simulating heavy neutral leptons with general couplings at collider and fixed target experiments

Heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) are motivated by attempts to explain neutrino masses and dark matter. If their masses are in the MeV to several GeV range, HNLs are light enough to be copiously produced at collider and accelerator facilities, but also heavy enough to decay to visible particles on length scales that can be observed in particle detectors. Previous studies evaluating the sensitivities of experiments have often focused on simple but not particularly well-motivated models in which the HNL mixes with only one active neutrino flavor. In this work, we accurately simulate models for HNL masses between 100 MeV and 10 GeV and arbitrary couplings to e, μ, and τ leptons. We include over 150 HNL production channels and over 100 HNL decay modes, including all of the processes that can be dominant in some region of the general parameter space. The result is , a user-friendly, fast, and flexible library to compute the properties of HNL models. As examples, we implement to extend the package to evaluate the prospects for HNL discovery at forward LHC experiments. We present sensitivity reaches for FASER and FASER2 in five benchmark scenarios with coupling ratios |Ue|2∶|Uμ|2∶|Uτ|2=1∶0∶0, 0∶1∶0, 0∶0∶1, 0∶1∶1, and 1∶1∶1, where the latter two have not been studied previously. Comparing these to current constraints, we identify regions of parameter space with significant discovery prospects. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Dynamical origin of neutrino masses and dark matter from a new confining sector

A dynamical mechanism, based on a confining non-Abelian dark symmetry, which generates Majorana masses for hyperchargeless fermions, is proposed. We apply it to the inverse seesaw scenario, which allows us to generate light neutrino masses from the interplay of TeV-scale pseudo-Dirac mass terms and a small explicit breaking of lepton number. A single generation of vectorlike dark quarks, transforming under a SU(3)D gauge symmetry, is coupled to a real singlet scalar, which serves as a portal between the dark quark condensate and three generations of heavy sterile neutrinos. Such a dark sector and the Standard Model (SM) are kept in thermal equilibrium with each other via sizable Yukawa couplings to the heavy neutrinos. In this framework, the lightest dark baryon, which has spin 3/2 and is stabilized at the renormalizable level by an accidental dark baryon number symmetry, can account for the observed relic density via thermal freeze-out from annihilations into the lightest dark mesons. These mesons, in turn, decay to heavy neutrinos, which produce SM final states upon decay. This model may be probed by next generation neutrino telescopes via neutrino lines produced from dark matter annihilations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Scotogenic model from an extended electroweak symmetry

We argue that the higher weak isospin SU(3)L manifestly unifies dark matter and normal matter in its isomultiplets for which dark matter carries a conserved dark charge while normal matter does not. The resultant gauge symmetry is given by SU(3)C⊗SU(3)L⊗U(1)X⊗U(1)G, where the first factor is the color group, while the rest defines a scotoelectroweak theory in which X and G determine electric charge Q=T3−1/3T8+X and dark charge D=−2/3T8+G. This setup provides both appropriate scotogenic neutrino masses and dark matter stability as preserved by a residual dark parity PD=(−1)D. Interpretation of the dark charge is further discussed, given that SU(3)L is broken at very high energy scale. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Affleck-Dine leptogenesis scenario for resonant production of sterile neutrino dark matter

Sterile neutrino is a fascinating candidate for dark matter.In this paper, we examine the Affleck-Dine (AD) leptogenesis scenario generating a large lepton asymmetry,which can inducethe resonant production of sterile neutrino dark mattervia the Shi-Fuller (SF) mechanism.We also revisit the numerical calculation of the SF mechanism and the constraints from current X-ray and Lyman-α forest observations.We find that the AD leptogenesis scenario can explain the production of sterile neutrino dark matter by incorporating a non-topological soliton with a lepton charge called L-ball.Finally, we discussan enhancement of second-order gravitational waves at the L-ball decay and investigate the testability of our scenario with future gravitational wave observations.

Constraining neutrino-DM interactions with Milky Way dwarf spheroidals and supernova neutrinos

We constrain the neutrino-dark matter cross section using properties of the dark matter density profiles of Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The constraint arises from core-collapse supernova neutrinos scattering on dark matter as a form of energy injection, allowing the transformation of the dark matter density profile from a cusped profile to a flatter profile. We assume a standard cosmology of dark energy and cold, collisionless, and non-self-interacting dark matter. By requiring that the dark matter cores do not lose too much mass or overshoot constraints from stellar kinematics, we place an upper limit on the cross section of σν−DM(Eν=15 MeV,mχ≲130 GeV)≈3.4×10−23 cm2 and σν−DM(Eν=15 MeV,mχ≳130 GeV)≈3.2×10−27(mχ1 GeV)2 cm2, which is stronger than previous bounds for these energies. Consideration of baryonic feedback or host galaxy effects on the dark matter profile can strengthen this constraint. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Generation of the CMB cosmic birefringence through axion-like particles, sterile and active neutrinos

The cosmic birefringence (CB) angle refers to the rotation of the linear polarization plane of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiations when parity-violating theories are considered. We analyzed the Quantum Boltzmann equation for an ensemble of CMB photons interacting with the right-handed sterile neutrino dark matter (DM) and axion-like particles (ALPs) DM in the presence of the scalar metric perturbation. We used the birefringence angle of CMB to study those probable candidates of DM. It is shown that the CB angle contribution of sterile neutrino is much less that two other sources considered here. Next, we combined the results of the cosmic neutrinos’ contribution and the contribution of the ALPs to producing the CMB birefringence and discussed the uncertainty on the parameter space of axions caused by the share of CMB-cosmic neutrino interaction in generating this effect. Finally, we plotted the EB power spectrum of the CMB and showed that this spectrum behaves differently in the presence of cosmic neutrinos and ALPs interactions in small l. Hence, future observed data for CEBl,\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$C^{l}_{EB},$$\\end{document} will help us to distinguish the CB angle value due to the various sources of its production.

Neutrino Phenomenology and keV Dark Matter in the Two-Higgs Doublet Model with A4 Symmetry

Abstract We propose a minimal extended seesaw scheme based on the discrete symmetry $A_4\times Z_4\times Z_2\times Z_8$, which can successfully address neutrino phenomenology and keV sterile neutrino dark matter. The lepton mass hierarchy is naturally achieved. Active neutrino mixing angles can reached the best-fit points with the predictive Dirac CP violation phase. The active–sterile mixing matrix elements are small enough to access the observed cosmological dark matter abundance constraint with keV sterile neutrino dark matter. The effective neutrino masses are predicted to be in the ranges of the recent experimental limits.

Scotogenic gauge mechanism for neutrino mass and dark matter

Scotogenic is a scheme for neutrino mass generation through the one-loop contribution of an inert scalar doublet and three sterile neutrinos. This work argues that such inert scalar doublet is a Goldstone boson mode associated with a gauge symmetry breaking. Hence, the resultant scotogenic gauge mechanism is very predictive, generating neutrino mass as contributed by a new gauge boson doublet that eats such Goldstone bosons. The dark matter stability is manifestly ensured by a matter parity as residual gauge symmetry for which a vector dark matter candidate is hinted.

Instruments and methods for coating of wavelength-shifting materials used for noble liquid technology

The use of wavelength-shifting coatings is of primary interest in the area of liquified noble gases detectors. Argon and xenon are used as active medium in the neutrino physics and dark matter experiments, because charged particles crossing the noble liquid volume produce excitation and ionization followed by recombination and both the processes lead to the emission of VUV light. Noble liquid scintillation light emitted in the VUV range needs to be converted to be detected by conventional photosensors. Wavelength-shifting materials, such as TetraPhenyl-Butadiene and p-TerPhenyl, are used for this conversion to the visible range. The wavelength-shifters are particularly important in the case of large area detectors since only a fraction of the surface can be instrumented. To this purpose dedicated set-ups have been built and specific techniques have been adopted to produce and characterize very uniform wavelength-shifting coatings on highly reflecting material substrates, optical filters and optical guides. Some type of the facilities used to this task, with particular attention to the vacuum deposition systems, will be described, operations for production of the coatings will be reported, methods for the characterization of the samples will be briefly presented.

Freeze-in production of sterile neutrino dark matter in a gauged U(1)′ model with inverse seesaw

We consider a general, anomaly free U(1)′ extension of the Standard Model (SM) where the neutrino mass is generated at the tree level via the inverse seesaw mechanism. The model contains three right handed neutrinos, three additional singlet fermions, one extra complex scalar and a neutral gauge boson (Z′). Instead of resorting to a specific U(1) extension, we consider a class of models by taking the U(1)′ charges of the scalars to be free parameters. Here, we assign one pair of the pseudo-Dirac degenerate sterile neutrinos as Dark Matter (DM) candidates which are produced by the freeze-in mechanism. Considering different mass regimes of the DM, Z′ and reheating temperature, we obtain constraints on the U(1)′ charges giving the correct relic abundance. We have also obtained constraints on Z′ mass and coupling from consideration of relic density as well as high energy collider experiments like ATLAS in case of heavy Z′ or in intensity and lifetime frontier experiments like DUNE, FASERs, and ILC beam dump which are looking for light Z′. Additionally, in this model, the decay of pseudo-Dirac DM into active neutrinos can explain the 511 keV line observed by the INTEGRAL satellite.

Thermal relic right-handed neutrino dark matter

It is known that two heavy Majorana right-handed neutrinos are sufficient to generate the baryon asymmetry in the present universe. Thus, it is interesting to identify the third right-handed neutrino N with the dark matter. We impose a new discrete symmetry Z2 on this dark matter neutrino to stabilize it. However, the U(1)B−L gauge boson A′ couples to the right-handed neutrino N. If the B−L breaking scale VB−L is sufficiently low, the dark matter neutrino N can be in the thermal bath. We find that the thermal relic N can explain the dark matter abundance for the B−L breaking scale VB−L∼O(10) TeV. After considering all the constraints from the existing experiments, a narrow mass region of the thermal produced right-handed neutrino dark matter N is still surviving.

Pulse shape discrimination technique for diffuse supernova neutrino background search with JUNO

Pulse shape discrimination (PSD) is widely used in particle and nuclear physics. Specifically in liquid scintillator detectors, PSD facilitates the classification of different particle types based on their energy deposition patterns. This technique is particularly valuable for studies of the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB), nucleon decay, and dark matter searches. This paper presents a detailed investigation of the PSD technique, applied in the DSNB search performed with the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). Instead of using conventional cut-and-count methods, we employ methods based on boosted decision trees and neural networks and compare their capability to distinguish the DSNB signals from the atmospheric neutrino neutral-current background events. The two methods demonstrate comparable performance, resulting in a 50–80% improvement in signal efficiency compared to a previous study performed for JUNO (An et al. [JUNO] in J Phys G 43(3):030401, 2016). Moreover, we study the dependence of the PSD performance on the visible energy and final state composition of the events and find a significant dependence on the presence/absence of 11\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{11}$$\\end{document}C. Finally, we evaluate the impact of the detector effects (photon propagation, PMT dark noise, and waveform reconstruction) on the PSD performance.

Sterile neutrinos as dark matter

I describe the sterile neutrino dark matter candidate and discuss how it may fit into the overall picture of physics beyond the Standard Model.

Measurement of the photon detection efficiency of Hamamatsu VUV4 SiPMS at cryogenic temperature

Liquid argon time projection chambers (TPC) are widely used in neutrino oscillation and dark matter experiments. Detection of scintillation light in liquid argon TPC’s is challenging because of its short wavelength, in the VUV range, and the cryogenic temperatures (∼86 K) at which the sensors must operate. Wavelength shifters (WLS) are typically needed to take advantage of the high Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) in the visible range of most of photondetectors. The Hamamatsu VUV4 S13370–6075CN SiPMs can directly detect VUV light without the use of WLS, which main benefit is an improved PDE at these short wavelengths, but also the visible light from WLS. The manufacturer (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.) provides a complete characterization of these devices at room temperature; however, previous studies have indicated a decrease of the PDE at cryogenic temperature for VUV light. In this work, we present the measurement of the PDE of VUV4 SiPMs at cryogenic temperature for different wavelengths in the range [270, 570] nm. A dedicated measurement at 127 nm is also shown.

Radiative neutrino mass with electroweak scale Majorana dark matter in the Scotogenic model

Non-zero neutrino mass and dark matter (DM) overshadow the success of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. The most straightforward extension of the SM to explain these two issues is the Scotogenic model, where the SM particle spectrum extends with three isospin singlet right-handed neutrinos and one doublet scalar, all odd under a Z2 symmetry. The neutrino masses and mixings result from the Weinberg operator induced at one-loop level. The particle spectrum of this model contains a few weakly interacting stable massive particles, each of which can be a good candidate for DM. In this work, we have considered the lightest right-handed neutrino as DM candidate. The Yukawa couplings that give rise to the observed flavor mixings in the neutrino sector also lead to flavor violation in the SM charged lepton sector and hence, get tightly constrained from the charged lepton flavor violating (CLFV) observables. The same Yukawa couplings also contribute to the DM annihilation in the early universe and hence, determine the relic density of the DM. In this work, we address the tension between the constraints from CLFV observables and measured DM relic density to obtain the large Yukawa couplings with the help of a parameterization that reduces the phenomenology relevant parameters to merely three and enhances the detection prospect at the collider experiments. We have explored the parameter space consistent with current CLFV bounds, the observed DM relic density, and the absolute neutrino mass limit. To search for these scenarios, we have identified two promising signals at the proposed lepton colliders: the mono-photon plus missing energy and di-lepton plus missing energy signals. We have studied the collider phenomenology of these signatures and estimated the 5σ detection required luminosity for the center of mass energies at 500 GeV and 1 TeV.

Predicting the XRISM dark matter decay signal in the Milky Way halo

ABSTRACT Dark matter may be detected in X-ray decay, including from the decay of the dark matter particles that make up the Milky Way (MW) halo. We use a range of density profiles to compute X-ray line intensity profiles, with a focus on the resonantly produced sterile neutrino dark matter candidate. Compared to the Navarro–Frenk–White density profile, we show that using an adiabatically contracted halo profile suppresses the line intensity in the halo outskirts and enhances it in the Galactic Centre (GC), although this enhancement is eliminated by the likely presence of a core within 3 kpc. Comparing our results to MW halo observations, other X-ray observations, and structure formation constraints implies a sterile neutrino mixing angle parameter s11 ≡ sin 2(2θ) × 1011 ∼ [3, 4] (particle lifetime $\tau _{28}\equiv \tau /(10^{28}\rm {s})\sim [1.0,1.3]$), which is nevertheless is strong tension with some reported non-detections. We make predictions for the likely decay flux that the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) satellite would measure in the GC, plus the Virgo and Perseus clusters, and outline further steps to determine whether the dark matter is indeed resonantly produced sterile neutrinos as detected in X-ray decay.