Standard and non-standard neutrino-nucleus reactions cross sections and event rates to neutrino detection experiments

TL;DR

This paper provides high-confidence nuclear cross section calculations for neutrino-nucleus interactions, including standard and non-standard processes, to aid neutrino detection experiments like supernova and laboratory neutrino sources.

Contribution

It offers new precise nuclear structure calculations for neutrino interactions, including non-standard channels, and assesses their detectability in current and upcoming experiments.

Findings

Standard Model cross sections are calculated with high confidence.

Non-standard neutrino-nucleus reaction rates are promising within current limits.

Potential detection of supernova and laboratory neutrinos using existing detectors.

Abstract

Open neutrino physics issues require precision studies, both theoretical and experimental ones, and towards this aim coherent neutral current neutrino-nucleus scattering events are expected to be observed soon. In this work, we explore $\nu$-nucleus processes from a nuclear theory point of view and obtain results with high confidence level based on accurate nuclear structure cross sections calculations. Besides cross sections, the present study includes simulated signals expected to be recorded by nuclear detectors, differential event rates as well as total number of events predicted to be measured. Our original cross sections calculations are focused on measurable rates for the Standard Model process, but we also perform calculations for various channels of the non-standard neutrino-nucleus reactions and come out with promising results within the current upper limits of the corresponding exotic parameters. We concentrate on the possibility of detecting (i) supernova neutrinos by using massive detectors like those of the GERDA and SuperCDMS dark matter experiments and (ii) laboratory neutrinos produced near the spallation neutron source facilities (at Oak Ridge National Lab) by the COHERENT experiment. Our nuclear calculations take advantage of the relevant experimental sensitivity and employ the severe bounds extracted for the exotic parameters entering the Lagrangians of various particle physics models and specifically those resulting from the charged lepton flavour violating $\mu^{-} \rightarrow e^{-}$ experiments (Mu2e and COMET experiments).