Testing Nonstandard Neutrino Properties with a M\"ossbauer Oscillation Experiment

TL;DR

This paper explores how a hypothetical M"ossbauer neutrino experiment could detect nonstandard neutrino properties, such as sterile neutrinos, extra dimensions, decoherence, and mass variation, with potential for precise constraints.

Contribution

It analyzes the sensitivity of a M"ossbauer neutrino experiment to various beyond-standard-model neutrino physics scenarios, highlighting its potential for new physics discovery.

Findings

Potential to constrain sterile neutrino mixing parameters

Ability to test models with extra dimensions

Sensitivity to quantum decoherence effects

Abstract

If the neutrino analogue of the M\"ossbauer effect, namely, recoiless emission and resonant capture of neutrinos is realized, one can study neutrino oscillations with much shorter baselines and smaller source/detector size when compared to conventional experiments. In this work, we discuss the potential of such a M\"ossbauer neutrino oscillation experiment to probe nonstandard neutrino properties coming from some new physics beyond the standard model. We investigate four scenarios for such new physics that modify the standard oscillation pattern. We consider the existence of a light sterile neutrino that can mix with \bar \nu_e, the existence of a Kaluza-Klein tower of sterile neutrinos that can mix with the flavor neutrinos in a model with large flat extra dimensions, neutrino oscillations with nonstandard quantum decoherence and mass varying neutrinos, and discuss to which extent one can constrain these scenarios. We also discuss the impact of such new physics on the determination of the standard oscillation parameters.