COHERENT analysis of neutrino generalized interactions

TL;DR

This paper uses COHERENT data to set constraints on all possible Lorentz-invariant neutrino-quark interactions, including non-standard scalar, pseudoscalar, axial, and tensor types, expanding the understanding of neutrino interactions beyond the Standard Model.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive constraints on the full set of Lorentz-invariant neutrino-quark generalized interactions using recent experimental data.

Findings

Scalar interactions are most tightly constrained.

Tensor and non-standard vector interactions remain sizable.

Additional vector interactions improve the fit to data.

Abstract

Effective neutrino-quark generalized interactions are entirely determined by Lorentz invariance, so they include all possible four-fermion non derivative Lorentz structures. They contain neutrino-quark non-standard interactions as a subset, but span over a larger set that involves effective scalar, pseudoscalar, axial and tensor operators. Using recent COHERENT data, we derive constraints on the corresponding couplings by considering scalar, vector and tensor quark currents and assuming no lepton flavor dependence. We allow for mixed neutrino-quark Lorentz couplings and consider two types of scenarios in which: (i) one interaction at the nuclear level is present at a time, (ii) two interactions are simultaneously present. For scenarios (i) our findings show that scalar interactions are the most severely constrained, in particular for pseudoscalar-scalar neutrino-quark couplings. In contrast, tensor and non-standard vector interactions still enable for sizable effective parameters. We find as well that an extra vector interaction improves the data fit when compared with the result derived assuming only the standard model contribution. In scenarios (ii) the presence of two interactions relaxes the bounds and opens regions in parameter space that are otherwise closed, with the effect being more pronounced in the scalar-vector and scalar-tensor cases. We point out that barring the vector case, our results represent the most stringent bounds on effective neutrino-quark generalized interactions for mediator masses of order $\sim 1\,$GeV. They hold as well for larger mediator masses, case in which they should be compared with limits from neutrino deep-inelastic scattering data.