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Constraints on millicharged neutrinos via analysis of data from atomic ionizations with germanium detectors at sub-keV sensitivities

Jiunn-Wei Chen, Hsin-Chang Chi, Hau-Bin Li, C.-P. Liu, Lakhwinder Singh, Henry T. Wong, Chih-Liang Wu, and Chih-Pan Wu
Phys. Rev. D 90, 011301(R) – Published 24 July 2014

Abstract

With the advent of detectors with sub-keV sensitivities, atomic ionization has been identified as a promising avenue to probe possible neutrino electromagnetic properties. The interaction cross sections induced by millicharged neutrinos are evaluated with the ab initio multiconfiguration relativistic random-phase approximation. There is significant enhancement at atomic binding energies compared to that when the electrons are taken as free particles. Positive signals would distinctly manifest as peaks at specific energies with known intensity ratios. Selected reactor neutrino data with germanium detectors at an analysis threshold as low as 300 eV are studied. No such signatures are observed, and a combined limit on the neutrino charge fraction of |δQ|<1.0×1012 at 90% confidence level is derived.

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  • Received 23 May 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.011301

© 2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jiunn-Wei Chen1,2, Hsin-Chang Chi3, Hau-Bin Li4, C.-P. Liu3, Lakhwinder Singh4,5,*, Henry T. Wong4,†, Chih-Liang Wu1,4,‡, and Chih-Pan Wu1

  • 1Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
  • 2National Center for Theoretical Sciences and Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
  • 3Department of Physics, National Dong Hwa University, Shoufeng, Hualien 97401, Taiwan
  • 4Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
  • 5Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India

  • *lakhwinder@phys.sinica.edu.tw
  • htwong@phys.sinica.edu.tw
  • b97b02002@ntu.edu.tw

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Issue

Vol. 90, Iss. 1 — 1 July 2014

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