Sterile neutrinos with non-standard interactions in β- and 0νββ-decay experiments

Journal Article · 23 August 2021 · Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep08(2021)128 · OSTI ID:1833379

Dekens, W.  ^[1]; de Vries, J.  ^[2]; Tong, T.  ^[3]

---

1. Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States); University of Oregon
2. Univ. of Amsterdam (Netherlands); Nikhef Theory Group, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
3. Univ. of Amsterdam (Netherlands); Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States)

Charged currents are probed in low-energy precision β-decay experiments and at high-energy colliders, both of which aim to measure or constrain signals of beyond-the-Standard-Model physics. In light of future β-decay and LHC measurements that will further explore these non-standard interactions, we investigate what neutrinoless double-β decay (0νββ) experiments can tell us if a nonzero signal were to be found. Using a recently developed effective-field-theory framework, we consider the effects that interactions with right-handed neutrinos have on 0νββ and discuss the range of neutrino masses that current and future 0νββ measurements can probe, assuming neutrinos are Majorana particles. For non-standard interactions at the level suggested by recently observed hints in β decays, we show that next-generation 0νββ experiments can determine the Dirac or Majorana nature of neutrinos, for sterile neutrino masses larger than $$\mathcal{O}(10)$$ eV.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0011640
• OSTI ID: 1833379
• Journal Information: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online), Journal Name: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 2021; ISSN 1029-8479
• Publisher: Springer NatureCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English