GeV Neutrino Research Articles

Quasithermal GeV neutrinos from neutron-loaded magnetized outflows in core-collapse supernovae: Spectra and light curves

Quasithermal GeV neutrinos from neutron-loaded magnetized outflows in core-collapse supernovae: Spectra and light curves

Search for 10–1000 GeV Neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Bursts with IceCube

We present the results of a search for 10–1000 GeV neutrinos from 2268 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) over 8 yr of IceCube-DeepCore data. This work probes burst physics below the photosphere where electromagnetic radiation cannot escape. Neutrinos of tens of giga electronvolts are predicted in sub-photospheric collision of free-streaming neutrons with bulk-jet protons. In a first analysis, we searched for the most significant neutrino-GRB coincidence using six overlapping time windows centered on the prompt phase of each GRB. In a second analysis, we conducted a search for a group of GRBs, each individually too weak to be detectable, but potentially significant when combined. No evidence of neutrino emission is found for either analysis. The most significant neutrino coincidence is for Fermi-GBM GRB bn 140807500, with a p-value of 0.097 corrected for all trials. The binomial test used to search for a group of GRBs had a p-value of 0.65 after all trial corrections. The binomial test found a group consisting only of GRB bn 140807500 and no additional GRBs. The neutrino limits of this work complement those obtained by IceCube at tera electronvolt to peta electronvolt energies. We compare our findings for the large set of GRBs as well as GRB 221009A to the sub-photospheric neutron-proton collision model and find that GRB 221009A provides the most constraining limit on baryon loading. For a jet Lorentz factor of 300 (800), the baryon loading on GRB 221009A is lower than 3.85 (2.13) at a 90% confidence level.

Testing Heavy Neutral Leptons in Cosmic Ray Beam Dump experiments

In this work, we discuss the possibility to test Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs) using “Cosmic Ray Beam Dump” experiments. In analogy with terrestrial beam dump experiments, where a beam first hits a target and is then absorbed by a shield, we consider high-energy incident cosmic rays impinging on the Earth’s atmosphere and then the Earth’s surface. We focus here on HNL production from atmospherically produced kaon, pion and D-meson decays, and discuss the possible explanation of the appearing Cherenkov showers observed by the SHALON Cherenkov telescope and the ultra-high energy events detected by the neutrino experiment ANITA. We show that these observations can not be explained with a long-lived HNL, as the relevant parameter space is excluded by existing constraints. Then we propose two new experimental setups that are inspired by these experiments, namely a Cherenkov telescope pointing at a sub-horizontal angle and shielded by the mountain cliff at Mount Thor, and a geostationary satellite that observes part of the Sahara desert. We show that the Cherenkov telescope at Mount Thor can probe currently untested HNL parameter space for masses below the kaon mass. We also show that the geostationary satellite experiment can significantly increase the HNL parameter space coverage in the whole mass range from 10 MeV up to 2 GeV and test neutrino mixing |Uα4|2 down to 10−11 for masses around 300 MeV.

MeV, GeV and TeV Neutrinos from Binary-Driven Hypernovae

We analyze neutrino emission channels in energetic (≳1052 erg) long gamma-ray bursts within the binary-driven hypernova model. The binary-driven hypernova progenitor is a binary system composed of a carbon-oxygen star and a neutron star (NS) companion. The gravitational collapse leads to a type Ic supernova (SN) explosion and triggers an accretion process onto the NS. For orbital periods of a few minutes, the NS reaches the critical mass and forms a black hole (BH). Two physical situations produce MeV neutrinos. First, during the accretion, the NS surface emits neutrino–antineutrino pairs by thermal production. We calculate the properties of such a neutrino emission, including flavor evolution. Second, if the angular momentum of the SN ejecta is high enough, an accretion disk might form around the BH. The disk’s high density and temperature are ideal for MeV-neutrino production. We estimate the flavor evolution of electron and non-electron neutrinos and find that neutrino oscillation inside the disk leads to flavor equipartition. This effect reduces (compared to assuming frozen flavor content) the energy deposition rate of neutrino–antineutrino annihilation into electron–positron (e+e−) pairs in the BH vicinity. We then analyze the production of GeV-TeV neutrinos around the newborn black hole. The magnetic field surrounding the BH interacts with the BH gravitomagnetic field producing an electric field that leads to spontaneous e+e− pairs by vacuum breakdown. The e+e− plasma self-accelerates due to its internal pressure and engulfs protons during the expansion. The hadronic interaction of the protons in the expanding plasma with the ambient protons leads to neutrino emission via the decay chain of π-meson and μ-lepton, around and far from the black hole, along different directions. These neutrinos have energies in the GeV-TeV regime, and we calculate their spectrum and luminosity. We also outline the detection probability by some current and future neutrino detectors.

Diffuse non-thermal emission in the disks of the Magellanic Clouds

Context. The Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxy companions to the Milky Way, are among the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) brightest γ-ray sources. Aims. We present comprehensive modeling of the non-thermal electromagnetic and neutrino emission in both Clouds. Methods. We self-consistently model the radio and γ-ray spectral energy distribution from their disks based on recently published Murchison Widefield Array and Fermi/LAT data. All relevant radiative processes involving relativistic and thermal electrons (synchrotron, Compton scattering, and bremsstrahlung) and relativistic protons (neutral pion decay following interaction with thermal protons) are considered, using exact emission formulae. Results. Joint spectral analyses indicate that radio emission in the Clouds has both primary and secondary electron synchrotron and thermal bremsstrahlung origin, whereas γ rays originate mostly from π0 decay with some contributions from relativistic bremsstrahlung and Comptonized starlight. The proton spectra in both galaxies are modeled as power laws in energy with similar spectral indices, ~2.4, and energy densities, ~1 eV cm−3. The predicted 0.1–10 GeV neutrino flux is too low for detection by current and upcoming experiments. Conclusions. We confirm earlier suggestions of a largely hadronic origin of the γ-ray emission in both Magellanic Clouds.

Monojet search for heavy neutrinos at future Z-factories

The existence of heavy neutrinos is the most prominent feature of type-I seesaw-like mechanisms, which naturally explain tiny masses of observed neutrinos. Various experiments have been conducted to search for heavy neutrinos, with meson decays sensitive to heavy neutrinos lighter than B mesons and high energy collider experiments sensitive to the ones with masses larger than {mathcal {O}}(0.1) TeV. In between, there is a mass gap uncovered by these two kinds of experiments, and by this work, we investigate the 3–15 GeV neutrino searches at future Z-factories via the process e^{-}e^{+}rightarrow Z rightarrow nu N rightarrow nu ell {bar{q}}q' with ell =e,mu . Based on the simulation of signal and background events, we find that the signals appear as monojet events owning to the large Lorentz boost of the heavy neutrinos. Furthermore, the substructures of such monojet are essential to reconstruct the signal and suppress the background. The upper bounds on the cross section of the signal process and the mixing parameter {left| V_{ell N} right| }^2 are obtained. Compared with other experiments, the monojet method at future Z-factories will be able to fill the gap around this mass range.

Search for Neutrino-Induced Neutral-Current Δ Radiative Decay in MicroBooNE and a First Test of the MiniBooNE Low Energy Excess under a Single-Photon Hypothesis.

We report results from a search for neutrino-induced neutral current (NC) resonant Δ(1232) baryon production followed by Δ radiative decay, with a ⟨0.8⟩ GeV neutrino beam. Data corresponding to MicroBooNE's first three years of operations (6.80×10^{20} protons on target) are used to select single-photon events with one or zero protons and without charged leptons in the final state (1γ1p and 1γ0p, respectively). The background is constrained via an insitu high-purity measurement of NC π^{0} events, made possible via dedicated 2γ1p and 2γ0p selections. A total of 16 and 153 events are observed for the 1γ1p and 1γ0p selections, respectively, compared to a constrained background prediction of 20.5±3.65(syst) and 145.1±13.8(syst) events. The data lead to a bound on an anomalous enhancement of the normalization of NC Δ radiative decay of less than 2.3 times the predicted nominal rate for this process at the 90%confidence level (C.L.). The measurement disfavors a candidate photon interpretation of the MiniBooNE low-energy excess as a factor of 3.18 times the nominal NC Δ radiative decay rate at the 94.8%C.L., in favor of the nominal prediction, and represents a greater than 50-fold improvement over the world's best limit on single-photon production in NC interactions in the sub-GeV neutrino energy range.

Super-weakly Coupled U(1)\(_z\) and GeV Neutrinos

Super-weakly Coupled U(1)\(_z\) and GeV Neutrinos

Multi-detector approach to enhance the sensitivity of neutrino telescopes to low-energy astrophysical sources

While large neutrino telescopes have so far mainly focused on the detection of TeV-PeV astrophysical neutrinos, several efforts are ongoing to extend the sensitivity down to the GeV level for transient sources. Only a handful of neutrino searches have been carried out at the moment leaving the signature of astrophysical transients poorly known in this energy range. In this contribution, we discuss the motivations for high-energy neutrino telescopes to explore the GeV energy range and summarize the current limitations of detectors, such as IceCube and KM3NeT. We then present and compare different approaches for multi-detector analyses that may enhance the sensitivity to a transient GeV neutrino flux.

Graph neural networks for reconstruction and classification in KM3NeT

KM3NeT, a neutrino telescope currently under construction in the Mediterranean Sea, consists of a network of large-volume Cherenkov detectors. Its two different sites, ORCA and ARCA, are optimised for few GeV and TeV-PeV neutrino energies, respectively. This allows for studying a wide range of physics topics spanning from the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy to the detection of neutrinos from astrophysical sources. Deep learning techniques provide promising methods to analyse the signatures induced by charged particles traversing the detector. This document will cover a deep learning based approach using graph convolutional networks to classify and reconstruct events in both the ORCA and ARCA detector. Performance studies on simulations as well as applications to real data will be presented, together with comparisons to classical approaches.

Search for GeV neutrino emission during intense gamma-ray solar flares with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

Solar flares convert magnetic energy into thermal and non-thermal plasma energy, the latter implying particle acceleration of charged particles such as protons. Protons are injected out of the coronal acceleration region and can interact with dense plasma in the lower solar atmosphere, producing mesons that subsequently decay into gamma rays and neutrinos at O(MeV-GeV) energies. We present the results of the first search for GeV neutrinos emitted during solar flares carried out with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. While the experiment was originally designed to detect neutrinos with energies between 10 GeV and a few PeV, a new approach allowing for a O(GeV) energy threshold will be presented. The resulting limits allow us to constrain some of the theoretical estimates of the expected neutrino flux.

Leptogenesis and dark matter from a low scale seesaw mechanism

In this paper, we perform a detail analysis on leptogenesis and dark matter form low scale seesaw. In the framework of $\nu$2HDM, we further introduce one scalar singlet $\phi$ and one Dirac fermion singlet $\chi$, which are charged under a $Z_2$ symmetry. Assuming the coupling of $\chi$ is extremely small, it serves as a FIMP dark matter. The heavy right hand neutrinos $N$ provide a common origin for tiny neutrino mass (via seesaw mechanism), leptogenesis (via $N\to \ell_L \Phi_\nu^*,\bar{\ell}_L \Phi_\nu$) and dark matter (via $N\to \chi\phi$). With hierarchical right hand neutrino masses, the explicit calculation shows that success thermal leptogenesis is viable even for TeV scale $N_1$ with $0.4 \lesssim v_\nu\lesssim1$ GeV and lightest neutrino mass $m_1\lesssim 10^{-11}$ eV. In such scenario, light FIMP dark matter in the keV to MeV range is naturally expected. The common parameter space for neutrino mass, natural leptogenesis and FIMP DM is also obtained in this paper.

120 GeV neutrino physics graphite target damage assessment using electron microscopy and high-energy x-ray diffraction

The NT-02 neutrino physics target made of the isotropic graphite grade produced neutrinos for the MINOS and MINERVA high-energy physics experiments. The segmented, 95-cm-long NT-02 target was bombarded with a 340 kW, Gaussian 1.1 mm sigma beam of 120 GeV protons reaching $6.516\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{20}$ protons on target and a peak fluence of $8.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{21}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{protons}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Reductions in detected neutrino events during the experiment were attributed to radiation-induced damage on the target material leading to the NT-02 target replacement. With future neutrino physics targets aiming at the multimegawatt power regime, identifying life expectancy or fluence thresholds of target materials is of paramount importance, and, therefore, pinpointing the exact cause and target failure mode triggering the neutrino yield reduction is critical. To help unravel the effects of the 120 GeV beam on the isotropic graphite structure at the microstructural or lattice level, x-ray beams from National Synchrotron Light Source II were utilized to study failed in-beam as well as intact NT-02 target segments. The primary objective was to arrive at a scientifically sound explanation of the processes responsible for the target failure by correlating macroscopic observations with microstructural analyses. Results from transmission electron microscopy studies were integrated in assessing the microstructural evolution. The x-ray diffraction study revealed (a) the diffused state reached by the graphite microstructure within the $1\ensuremath{\sigma}$ of the beam where the graphite lattice structure transforms into a nanocrystalline structure, a finding supported by electron microscopy examination, thus providing an indication of the fluence threshold, and (b) the dominant role of the irradiation temperature profile exhibiting a high gradient from the beam center to the heat sink and aggravating the damage induced in the microstructure by the high proton fluence. The effects of the 120 GeV protons on the isotropic graphite target structure are corroborated by observed damage induced by 160-MeV protons and by fast neutrons to comparative doses on similar graphite, an assessment that will aid the design of next-generation megawatt-class neutrino targets.

Fermion mass hierarchy and double seesaw mechanism in a 3-3-1 model with an axion

We present a model based on the $SU(3)_C\otimes SU(3)_L\otimes U(1)_X$ gauge symmetry that relates the mass hierarchy of the fermions with the solution to the strong CP problem through the $U(1)_{PQ}$ Peccei-Quinn symmetry. This last symmetry arises accidentally with the imposition of a discrete $Z_9$ symmetry, which also secludes the different scales in the double seesaw mechanism taking place in the neutrino sector. The symmetry breakdown is performed by three scalar triplets plus a scalar singlet hosting an axion field, whose particle excitation can be a component of dark matter. We show a mechanism where a small effective vev is generated for a scalar triplet which is supposed to have a bare mass above the energy scale where the $SU(3)_L\otimes U(1)_X$ symmetry is broken. Combined with the energy scale in which the $U(1)_{PQ}$ is broken, such a mechanism gives rise to a natural hierarchy to the fermions. Beyond the Standard Model particle content, the model predicts an invisible axion, $a$, three GeV neutrinos, $N_{iL}$, plus several new particles at the TeV scale which are: five vector bosons, $U^\pm$, $V^0$, $V^{0\dagger}$, and $Z^\prime$; one up-type $U$, and two down-type $D_a$ quarks; and at least a CP-even, $H_1$, plus non-hermitian neutral, $\phi^0$, $\phi^{0\dagger}$, scalar bosons. The model may be tested by looking for the possible production of such particles at the LHC.

Progress in Measurements of 0.1–10 GeV Neutrino–Nucleus Scattering and Anticipated Results from Future Experiments

Neutrino interactions with nuclei have been the subject of intense interest during the last 15 years. Current and future measurements of neutrino oscillation and exotic physics use order 0.1–10 GeV neutrinos on a range of nuclear targets (12C,16O,40Ar). As the precision of these experiments has increased, information from their detectors and dedicated experiments has indicated deficiencies in the modeling of neutrino interactions on nuclear targets. Here, we present the current state of knowledge about neutrino–nucleus interactions, the challenge of extracting the cross section of these processes, and current experimental puzzles in the field. We also look forward to new and novel measurements and future efforts that seek to resolve these questions.

Probing the sterile neutrino portal to Dark Matter with γ rays

Sterile neutrinos could provide a link between the Standard Model particles and a dark sector, besides generating active neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism type I. We show that, if dark matter annihilation into sterile neutrinos determines its observed relic abundance, it is possible to explain the Galactic Center γ-ray excess reported by the Fermi-LAT Collaboration as due to an astrophysical component plus dark matter annihilations. We observe that sterile neutrino portal to dark matter provides an impressively good fit, with a p-value of 0.78 in the best fit point, to the Galactic Center γ-ray flux, for DM masses in the range (40-80) GeV and sterile neutrino masses 20 GeV ≲ MN < MDM. Such values are compatible with the limits from Fermi-LAT observations of the dwarfs spheroidal galaxies in the Milky Way halo, which rule out dark matter masses below ∼ 50 GeV (90 GeV), for sterile neutrino masses MN ≲ MDM (MN ≪ MDM). We also estimate the impact of AMS-02 anti-proton data on this scenario.

Propagation of GeV neutrinos through Earth

We have studied the Earth matter effect on the oscillation of upward going GeV neutrinos by taking into account the three active neutrino flavors. For neutrino energy in the range 3 to 12 GeV we observed three distinct resonant peaks for the oscillation process νe↔νμ,τ in three distinct densities. However, according to the most realistic density profile of the Earth, the second peak at neutrino energy 6.18 GeV corresponding to the density 6.6 g/cm3 does not exist. So the resonance at this energy can not be of MSW-type. For the calculation of observed flux of these GeV neutrinos on Earth, we considered two different flux ratios at the source, the standard scenario with the flux ratio 1:2:0 and the muon damped scenario with 0:1:0. It is observed that at the detector while the standard scenario gives the observed flux ratio 1:1:1, the muon damped scenario has a different ratio. For muon damped case with Eν<20 GeV, we always get observed neutrino fluxes as Φνe<Φνμ≃Φντ and for Eν>20 GeV, we get the average Φνe∼0 and Φνμ≃Φντ≃0.45. The upcoming PINGU will be able to shed more light on the nature of the resonance in these GeV neutrinos and hopefully will also be able to discriminate among different processes of neutrino production at the source in GeV energy range.

Jet substructure shedding light on heavy Majorana neutrinos at the LHC

The existence of tiny neutrino masses and flavor mixings can be explained naturally in various seesaw models, many of which typically having additional Majorana type SM gauge singlet right handed neutrinos (N). If they are at around the electroweak scale and furnished with sizable mixings with light active neutrinos, they can be produced at high energy colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). A characteristic signature would be same sign lepton pairs, violating lepton number, together with light jets — pp → Nℓ±, N → ℓ±W∓, W∓ → jj. We propose a new search strategy utilising jet substructure techniques, observing that for a heavy right handed neutrino mass MN much above MW ±, the two jets coming out of the boosted W± may be interpreted as a single fat-jet (J). Hence, the distinguishing signal topology will be ℓ±ℓ±J . Performing a comprehensive study of the different signal regions along with complete background analysis, in tandem with detector level simulations, we compute statistical significance limits. We find that heavy neutrinos can be explored effectively for mass ranges 300 GeV ≤ MN ≤ 800 GeV and different light-heavy neutrino mixing |VμN|2. At the 13 TeV LHC with 3000 fb−1 integrated luminosity one can competently explore mixing angles much below present LHC limits, and moreover exceed bounds from electroweak precision data.

On the role of neutrinos telescopes in the search for Dark Matter annihilations in the Sun

The observation of GeV neutrinos coming from the Sun would be a clear signal of dark matter if neutrinos produced by cosmic rays interaction are an irreducible but suppressed background. Current neutrino detectors have so far failed to detect such a signal, however, and bounds from direct and indirect dark matter searches may significantly restrict the possibility of observing it in future experiments such as Hyper-Kamiokande or IceCube-Gen2. In this work we assess, in the light of current data and of expected experimental sensitivities, the prospects for the detection of a neutrino signal from dark matter annihilations in the Sun. To be as general as possible, equilibrium between the capture and the annihilation rates in the Sun is not assumed in our analysis; instead, the dark matter scattering and annihilation cross sections are taken as free and independent parameters. We consider capture via both spin-dependent and spin-independent interactions, and annihilations into three representative final states: bb̄, W^+W^−, and τ+τ−. We find that when the capture in the Sun is dominated by spin-independent interactions, current direct detection bounds already preclude the observation of a neutrino signal in future experiments. For capture via spin-dependent interactions, a strong complementarity is observed, over most of the parameter space, between future neutrino detectors and planned direct and indirect dark matter detection experiments, such as PICO-500 and CTA. In this case, we also identify some regions of the parameter space that can be probed, via the neutrino flux from the Sun, only by future neutrino experiments.

MINERvA Measurements of Partonic Nuclear Effects with Neutrinos

Measurements of the Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) neutrino cross-section ratios between Carbon, Iron, and Lead to Scintillator are presented by the MINERvA collaboration. These flux-integrated cross-section ratios are presented as a function of the Bjorken scaling variable x, and as a function of neutrino energy. Events in this sample span the neutrino-energy range of 5-50 GeV. Data is low relative to the GENIE prediction in the nuclear shadowing region, x < 0.1. These results have been published and can be found in Reference [2]. Future measurements using a 〈6〉 GeV neutrino beam will also be discussed.