Detailed nuclear structure calculations for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering

TL;DR

This paper refines the Standard Model predictions for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering by calculating nuclear form factors with reduced uncertainties, aiding future searches for new physics.

Contribution

It provides a consistent calculation of CEvNS cross sections using the nuclear shell model and explores uncertainties with various interactions and radii evaluations.

Findings

Cross sections agree with previous predictions

Uncertainties reduced by up to a factor of 10

Improved predictions enhance sensitivity to new physics

Abstract

Any discovery of `new physics' in the neutrino sector first requires a precise prediction of the expected Standard Model cross section. Currently, Coherent Elastic neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS) experiments are statistics limited. However, as new and future experiments scale up, it will be necessary to improve the theoretical predictions. Here we review the calculation of the CEvNS cross section in a consistent theory of hadronic currents and compute the relevant nuclear form factors using the nuclear shell model. The uncertainty on the form factors is explored by repeating the calculation for various shell model interactions and with Skyme-Hartree-Fock evaluations of the Weak-charge radii. We then refine the Standard Model predictions for the recent experimental results of the COHERENT experiment. We find that our cross sections are in good agreement with previous predictions, but with significantly smaller uncertainties - by up to a factor of 10. Near-future CEvNS experiments will meaningfully benefit from improved predictions through an increased sensitivity to new-physics signals.