Light scalar dark matter at neutrino oscillation experiments

TL;DR

This paper explores how light scalar dark matter interacting with neutrinos can alter neutrino oscillation measurements, proposing a specific model and analyzing the potential for future experiments to detect or exclude this scenario.

Contribution

It introduces a $- au$ symmetric model where dark matter interactions generate the observed  mixing angle, and assesses experimental sensitivities to this effect.

Findings

DUNE cannot exclude the dark matter scenario at more than 3 C.L.

JUNO can rule out the scenario at more than 6 C.L.

The model predicts suppressed CP violation sensitivity in long-baseline experiments.

Abstract

Couplings between light scalar dark matter (DM) and neutrinos induce a perturbation to the neutrino mass matrix. If the DM oscillation period is smaller than ten minutes (or equivalently, the DM particle is heavier than $0.69\times10^{-17}$ eV), the fast-averaging over an oscillation cycle leads to a modification of the measured oscillation parameters. We present a specific $\mu-\tau$ symmetric model in which the measured value of $\theta_{13}$ is entirely generated by the DM interaction, and which reproduces the other measured oscillation parameters. For a scalar DM particle lighter than $10^{-15}$ eV, adiabatic solar neutrino propagation is maintained. A suppression of the sensitivity to CP violation at long-baseline neutrino experiments is predicted in this model. We find that DUNE cannot exclude the DM scenario at more than $3\sigma$ C.L. for bimaximal, tribimaximal and hexagonal mixing, while JUNO can rule it out at more than $6\sigma$ C.L. by precisely measuring both $\theta_{12}$ and $\theta_{13}$.