A New Light Higgs Boson and Short-Baseline Neutrino Anomalies

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel neutrino oscillation mechanism involving a light neutrinophilic Higgs boson to explain MiniBooNE anomalies, predicting distinctive signatures for future experiments and surpassing traditional models in fit quality.

Contribution

It introduces a new oscillation mechanism with a light neutrinophilic Higgs boson that explains low-energy neutrino anomalies more effectively than existing models.

Findings

Enhanced fit to MiniBooNE data with the new model

Prediction of energy-specific resonance effects

Distinctive signatures at different baselines for future tests

Abstract

The low-energy excesses observed by the MiniBooNE experiment have, to date, defied a convinc- ing explanation under the standard model even with accommodation for non-zero neutrino mass. In this paper we explore a new oscillation mechanism to explain these anomalies, invoking a light neu- trinophilic Higgs boson, conceived to induce a low Dirac neutrino mass in accord with experimental limits. Beam neutrinos forward-scattering off of a locally over-dense relic neutrino background give rise to a novel matter-effect with an energy-specific resonance. An enhanced oscillation around this resonance peak produces flavor transitions which are highly consistent with the MiniBooNE neutrino- and antineutrino-mode data sets. The model provides substantially improved $\chi^2$ values beyond either the no-oscillation hypothesis or the more commonly explored 3+1 sterile neutrino hy- pothesis. This mechanism would introduce distinctive signatures at each baseline in the upcoming SBN program at Fermilab, presenting opportunities for further exploration.