Sensitivity to Z-prime and non-standard neutrino interactions from ultra-low threshold neutrino-nucleus coherent scattering

TL;DR

This paper explores how ultra-low threshold silicon and germanium detectors can detect non-standard neutrino interactions and Z-prime particles, offering a promising complementary approach to collider experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental approach using ultra-low energy detectors to probe Z-prime and non-standard neutrino interactions with enhanced sensitivity.

Findings

Sensitivity to Z-prime mass is several TeV, complementing LHC searches.

Detects neutrino magnetic moments surpassing terrestrial limits.

Combining silicon and germanium detectors improves model discrimination.

Abstract

We discuss prospects for probing Z-prime and non-standard neutrino interactions using neutrino-nucleus coherent scattering with ultra-low energy (~ 10 eV) threshold Si and Ge detectors. The analysis is performed in the context of a specific and contemporary reactor-based experimental proposal, developed in cooperation with the Nuclear Science Center at Texas A&M University, and referencing available technology based upon economical and scalable detector arrays. For expected exposures, we show that sensitivity to the Z-prime mass is on the order of several TeV, and is complementary to the LHC search with low mass detectors in the near term. This technology is also shown to provide sensitivity to the neutrino magnetic moment, at a level that surpasses terrestrial limits, and is competitive with more stringent astrophysical bounds. We demonstrate the benefits of combining silicon and germanium detectors for distinguishing between classes of models of new physics, and for suppressing correlated systematic uncertainties.