Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor Neutrinos
Liquid xenon is one of the leading targets to search for dark matter via its elastic scattering on nuclei or electrons. Due to their low-threshold and low-background capabilities, liquid xenon detectors can also detect coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering (CE<inline-formula><math xm...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/3/54 |
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| author | Kaixuan Ni Jianyang Qi Evan Shockley Yuehuan Wei |
| author_facet | Kaixuan Ni Jianyang Qi Evan Shockley Yuehuan Wei |
| author_sort | Kaixuan Ni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Liquid xenon is one of the leading targets to search for dark matter via its elastic scattering on nuclei or electrons. Due to their low-threshold and low-background capabilities, liquid xenon detectors can also detect coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering (CE<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ν</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>NS) or neutrino–electron scattering. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of a compact and movable liquid xenon detector with an active target mass of <i>O</i>(10∼100) kg and single-electron sensitivity to detect CE<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ν</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>NS from anti-neutrinos from a nuclear reactor. Assuming a single- and few-electron background rate at the level achieved by the XENON10/100 experiments, we expect a 5-<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>σ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> detection of CE<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ν</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>NS with less than 400 kg-days of exposure. We further investigate the sensitivity of such a detector to neutrino magnetic moment with neutrino electron scattering. If an electronic recoil background rate of 0.01∼0.1 events/keV/kg/day above 1 keV can be achieved with adequate shielding, a liquid xenon detector can reach a neutrino magnetic moment sensitivity of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mn>10</mn><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>11</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="3.33333pt"></mspace><msub><mi>μ</mi><mi>B</mi></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, which would improve upon the current most-constraining laboratory limits from the GEMMA and Borexino experiments. Additionally, such a detector would be able to probe the region compatible with a magnetic moment interpretation of the low-energy excess electronic recoil events recently reported by XENON1T. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:42:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-548663c241794f5cad743b661452b610 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-1997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:42:08Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Universe |
| spelling | doaj.art-548663c241794f5cad743b661452b6102023-12-03T12:23:55ZengMDPI AGUniverse2218-19972021-03-01735410.3390/universe7030054Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor NeutrinosKaixuan Ni0Jianyang Qi1Evan Shockley2Yuehuan Wei3Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADepartment of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADepartment of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADepartment of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USALiquid xenon is one of the leading targets to search for dark matter via its elastic scattering on nuclei or electrons. Due to their low-threshold and low-background capabilities, liquid xenon detectors can also detect coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering (CE<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ν</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>NS) or neutrino–electron scattering. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of a compact and movable liquid xenon detector with an active target mass of <i>O</i>(10∼100) kg and single-electron sensitivity to detect CE<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ν</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>NS from anti-neutrinos from a nuclear reactor. Assuming a single- and few-electron background rate at the level achieved by the XENON10/100 experiments, we expect a 5-<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>σ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> detection of CE<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ν</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>NS with less than 400 kg-days of exposure. We further investigate the sensitivity of such a detector to neutrino magnetic moment with neutrino electron scattering. If an electronic recoil background rate of 0.01∼0.1 events/keV/kg/day above 1 keV can be achieved with adequate shielding, a liquid xenon detector can reach a neutrino magnetic moment sensitivity of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mn>10</mn><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>11</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="3.33333pt"></mspace><msub><mi>μ</mi><mi>B</mi></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, which would improve upon the current most-constraining laboratory limits from the GEMMA and Borexino experiments. Additionally, such a detector would be able to probe the region compatible with a magnetic moment interpretation of the low-energy excess electronic recoil events recently reported by XENON1T.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/3/54neutrino–nucleus interactionsolar neutrinoreactor neutrinodark matter searches |
| spellingShingle | Kaixuan Ni Jianyang Qi Evan Shockley Yuehuan Wei Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor Neutrinos Universe neutrino–nucleus interaction solar neutrino reactor neutrino dark matter searches |
| title | Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor Neutrinos |
| title_full | Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor Neutrinos |
| title_fullStr | Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor Neutrinos |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor Neutrinos |
| title_short | Sensitivity of a Liquid Xenon Detector to Neutrino–Nucleus Coherent Scattering and Neutrino Magnetic Moment from Reactor Neutrinos |
| title_sort | sensitivity of a liquid xenon detector to neutrino nucleus coherent scattering and neutrino magnetic moment from reactor neutrinos |
| topic | neutrino–nucleus interaction solar neutrino reactor neutrino dark matter searches |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/3/54 |
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