Particle physics origin of the 5 MeV bump in the reactor antineutrino spectrum?
Abstract
One of the most puzzling questions in neutrino physics is the origin of the excess at 5 MeV in the reactor antineutrino spectrum. In this paper, we explore the excess via the reaction 13C(v¯,v¯'n)12C(*) in organic scintillator detectors. The deexcitation of 12C(*) yields a prompt 4.4 MeV photon, while the thermalization of the product neutron causes proton recoils, which in turn yield an additional prompt energy contribution with finite width. Together, these effects can mimic an inverse beta decay event with around 5 MeV energy. We consider several nonstandard neutrino interactions to produce such a process and find that the parameter space preferred by Daya Bay is disfavored by measurements of neutrino-induced deuteron disintegration and coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. While nonminimal particle physics scenarios may be viable, a nuclear physics solution to this anomaly appears more appealing.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1503911
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1612936
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0018327
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review D
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Physical Review D Journal Volume: 99 Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; Astronomy & Astrophysics; Physics; Extensions of gauge sector; Neutrino interactions
Citation Formats
Berryman, Jeffrey M., Brdar, Vedran, and Huber, Patrick. Particle physics origin of the 5 MeV bump in the reactor antineutrino spectrum?. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.99.055045.
Berryman, Jeffrey M., Brdar, Vedran, & Huber, Patrick. Particle physics origin of the 5 MeV bump in the reactor antineutrino spectrum?. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.99.055045
Berryman, Jeffrey M., Brdar, Vedran, and Huber, Patrick. Thu .
"Particle physics origin of the 5 MeV bump in the reactor antineutrino spectrum?". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.99.055045.
@article{osti_1503911,
title = {Particle physics origin of the 5 MeV bump in the reactor antineutrino spectrum?},
author = {Berryman, Jeffrey M. and Brdar, Vedran and Huber, Patrick},
abstractNote = {One of the most puzzling questions in neutrino physics is the origin of the excess at 5 MeV in the reactor antineutrino spectrum. In this paper, we explore the excess via the reaction 13C(v¯,v¯'n)12C(*) in organic scintillator detectors. The deexcitation of 12C(*) yields a prompt 4.4 MeV photon, while the thermalization of the product neutron causes proton recoils, which in turn yield an additional prompt energy contribution with finite width. Together, these effects can mimic an inverse beta decay event with around 5 MeV energy. We consider several nonstandard neutrino interactions to produce such a process and find that the parameter space preferred by Daya Bay is disfavored by measurements of neutrino-induced deuteron disintegration and coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. While nonminimal particle physics scenarios may be viable, a nuclear physics solution to this anomaly appears more appealing.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.99.055045},
journal = {Physical Review D},
number = 5,
volume = 99,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Thu Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.99.055045
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