Elastic neutrino-atom scattering as a probe of neutrino millicharge and magnetic moment

TL;DR

This paper explores how low-energy neutrino scattering on atoms can reveal neutrino electromagnetic properties like millicharge and magnetic moment, aiding experimental searches using atomic recoil spectra.

Contribution

Theoretical calculations of coherent elastic neutrino-atom scattering on various atomic targets, highlighting atomic effects and electromagnetic properties influence.

Findings

Atomic effects influence recoil spectra.

Neutrino millicharge affects scattering signals.

Magnetic moment impacts atomic recoil measurements.

Abstract

Neutrino scattering on atomic systems at low-energy transfer is a powerful tool for searching the neutrino electromagnetic interactions. The regime of coherent elastic neutrino-atom scattering, i.e., when the atom recoils as a pointlike particle, can be effectively fulfilled in the case of tritium antineutrinos. We present theoretical calculations for coherent elastic neutrino-atom scattering processes on such targets as the H, $^2$H, $^3$He, and $^4$He %, and $^{12}$C atoms. We show how the atomic effects and neutrino electromagnetic properties, namely the neutrino millicharge and magnetic moment, may manifest themselves in the atomic-recoil spectra. Our results can be used in planning the experiments on coherent elastic neutrino-atom scattering (in particular, with superfluid He-4).