Constraints on New Neutrino Interactions via Light Abelian Vector Bosons

TL;DR

This paper derives new experimental constraints on light Abelian vector bosons mediating neutrino interactions, impacting models of neutrinophilic dark matter and small-scale structure solutions in cosmology.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive bounds on neutrino interactions via light Abelian vectors with Stuckelberg mass generation, considering multiple decay and scattering processes.

Findings

Constraints are strong and limit neutrinophilic dark matter models.

Neutrino interaction models for small-scale structure problems are significantly constrained.

Experimental data from decays and scattering restrict new gauge boson parameters.

Abstract

We calculate new constraints on extra neutrino interactions via light Abelian vector bosons, where the boson mass arises from Stuckelberg mechanism. We use the requirement that $Z$, $W$, and kaon decays, as well as electron-neutrino scattering, are not altered by the new interactions beyond what is allowed by experimental uncertainties. These constraints are strong and apply to neutrinophilic dark matter, where interactions of neutrinos and dark matter via a new gauge boson are important. In particular, we show that models where neutrino interactions are needed to solve the small-scale structure problems in the $\Lambda$CDM cosmology are constrained.