Unambiguously Resolving the Potential Neutrino Magnetic Moment Signal at Large Liquid Scintillator Detectors

TL;DR

This paper proposes that large liquid scintillator detectors can definitively identify a neutrino magnetic moment signal by focusing on higher energy thresholds where background events are minimized, clarifying the nature of the excess observed in experiments like XENON1T.

Contribution

It introduces a method for future large liquid scintillator detectors to distinguish neutrino magnetic moments from background signals at higher energies.

Findings

Sensitivity of <10^{-11} μ_B at >40 keV energy threshold.

Potential to resolve neutrino magnetic moment signals unambiguously.

Enhanced detection capabilities with 100 kton·year exposure.

Abstract

Non-vanishing electromagnetic properties of the neutrinos have been predicted by many theories beyond the Standard Model, and an enhanced neutrino magnetic moment can have profound implications for fundamental physics. The XENON1T experiment recently detected an excess of electron recoil events in the 1-7 keV energy range, which can be compatible with solar neutrino magnetic moment interaction at a most probable value of $\mu_{\nu} = 2.1 \times 10^{-11} \mu_{\text{B}}$. However, tritium backgrounds and solar axion interaction in this energy window are equally plausible causes. Upcoming multi-tonne noble liquid detectors will test these scenarios more in depth, but will continue to face similar ambiguity. We report a unique capability of future large liquid scintillator detectors to help resolve the potential neutrino magnetic moment scenario. With a liquid scintillator exposure of $O$(100) kton$\cdot$year, a sensitivity of $\mu_{\nu} < 10^{-11} \mu_{\text{B}}$ can be reached at an energy threshold greater than 40 keV, where no tritium or solar axion events but only neutrino magnetic moment signal is still present.