Search results for " Neutrinos"

Neutrino-nucleus scattering off 136Xe

2015

Background: Theoretical estimates of the cross sections for the neutrino-nucleus scattering off relevant nuclei for supernova neutrinos are essential for many applications in neutrino physics and astrophysics. The double- β-decaying nucleus 136Xe nucleus is used by the EXO Collaboration in the search for neutrinoless double-β decay. A ton-scale experiment based on 136Xe could also be used for studies of supernova neutrinos and/or solar neutrinos. Purpose: The purpose of the present work is, thus, to perform a study of the charged-current and neutral-current nuclear responses to supernova neutrinos for 136Xe. Method: The cross sections are computed by using the well-established framework for…

Nuclear structure and neutrino-nucleus reactions at supernova energies

2015

Supernova-(anti-)neutrino–nucleus scattering is discussed with reference to neutral-current (NC) and charged-current (CC) processes in heavy stable nuclei. The Donnelly-Walecka method with the associated multipole expansion of the nucleonic current has been adopted as the basic framework in deriving the neutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections. The needed nuclear wave functions are computed by using the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) for the even-even target nuclei in the NC processes and the proton-neutron QRPA (pnQRPA) has been used to compute the CC processes for the mentioned nuclei. The wave functions of the stable odd-mass target nuclei have been obtained by the use…

Solar neutrino spectroscopy in Borexino

2018

International audience; In more than ten years of operation, Borexino has performed a precision measurement of the solar neutrino spectrum, resolving almost all spectral components originating from the proton-proton fusion chain. The presentation will review the results recently released for the second data taking phase 2012–2016 during which the detector excelled by its unprecedentedly low background levels. New results on the rate of pp, 7Be, pep and 8B neutrinos as well as their implications for solar neutrino oscillations and metallicity are discussed.

Self-interacting dark matter and cosmology of a light scalar mediator

2015

We consider a fermionic dark matter candidate interacting via a scalar mediator coupled with the Standard Model through a Higgs portal. We consider general setting including both scalar and pseudoscalar interactions between the scalar and fermion, and illustrate the relevant features for dark matter abundance, direct search limits and collider constraints. The case where dark matter has a self-interaction strength $\left\langle \sigma_V \right\rangle/m_\psi \sim 0.1-1 \,\mathrm{cm}^2/\mathrm{g}$ is strongly constrained, in particular by the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. We show that these constraints can be alleviated by introducing a new light sterile neutrino $N$. The allowed region for the e…

Shell-model computed cross sections for charged-current scattering of astrophysical neutrinos off 40Ar

2018

Charged-current (anti)neutrino- 40 Ar cross sections for astrophysical neutrinos have been calculated. The initial and final nuclear states were calculated using the nuclear shell model. The folded solar-neutrino scattering cross section was found to be 1.78 ( 23 ) × 10 − 42 cm 2 , which is higher than what the previous papers have reported. The contributions from the 1 − and 2 − multipoles were found to be significant at supernova-neutrino energies, confirming the random-phase approximation (RPA) result of a previous study. The effects of neutrino flavor conversions in dense stellar matter (matter oscillations) were found to enhance the neutrino-scattering cross sections significantly for …

Effective Field Theories for heavy probes in a hot QCD plasma and in the early universe

2017

There are many interesting problems in heavy-ion collisions and in cosmology that involve the interaction of a heavy particle with a medium. An example is the dissociation of heavy quarkonium seen in heavy-ion collisions. This was believed to be due to the screening of chromoelectric fields that prevents the heavy quarks from binding, however in the last years several perturbative and lattice computations have pointed out to the possibility that dissociation is due to the finite lifetime of a quarkonium state inside the medium. Regarding cosmology, the study of the behavior of heavy Majorana neutrinos in a hot medium is important to understand if this model can explain the origin of dark ma…

Shell-model computed cross sections for charged-current scattering of astrophysical neutrinos off 40Ar

2018

Charged-current (anti)neutrino-$^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ cross sections for astrophysical neutrinos have been calculated. The initial and final nuclear states were calculated using the nuclear shell model. The folded solar-neutrino scattering cross section was found to be $1.78(23)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}42}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, which is higher than what the previous papers have reported. The contributions from the ${1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ multipoles were found to be significant at supernova-neutrino energies, confirming the random-phase approximation (RPA) result of a previous study. The effects of neutrino flavor conve…

Supernova-neutrino induced reactions on molybdenum via neutral-currents

2012

In this thesis which consists of an introductory part and six publications the neutralcurrent neutrino-nucleus scatterings o the stable molybdenum nuclei are studied using microscopic nuclear models. The main focus is on supernova neutrinos and the nuclear responses to them for the aforementioned nuclei are computed by folding the computed cross sections with realistic neutrino-energy spectra. In this work both the coherent and incoherent contributions to the cross sections are considered. The contributions from the prominent multipole channels to the incoherent cross sections are also discussed in great detail.

Extending Physics Potential of Large Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detectors

2016

Ultra-High Energy Neutrinos at the Pierre Auger Observatory

2013

The observation of ultrahigh energy neutrinos (UHE nu s) has become a priority in experimental astroparticle physics. UHE nu s can be detected with a variety of techniques. In particular, neutrinos can interact in the atmosphere (downward-going nu) or in the Earth crust (Earth-skimming nu), producing air showers that can be observed with arrays of detectors at the ground. With the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory we can detect these types of cascades. The distinguishing signature for neutrino events is the presence of very inclined showers produced close to the ground (i.e., after having traversed a large amount of atmosphere). In this work we review the procedure and …