Testing light and heavy vector mediators with solar CE$\nu$NS measurements

TL;DR

This paper analyzes solar neutrino data from dark matter detectors to test the Standard Model and constrain new light and heavy vector mediators, showing these detectors are becoming competitive neutrino observatories.

Contribution

It provides the first combined analysis of multiple dark matter experiments to constrain nonstandard neutrino interactions and vector mediators, extending the reach of neutrino physics beyond traditional experiments.

Findings

Dark matter detectors set competitive bounds on light vector mediators.

Constraints on nonstandard neutrino interactions are derived from solar neutrino data.

The analysis improves understanding of solar neutrino flux and weak mixing angle at low momentum transfer.

Abstract

The recent observation of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering from solar $^8$B neutrinos in dark matter direct detection experiments has inaugurated the \emph{neutrino fog} era, highlighting the extended potential of these experiments as precision neutrino observatories. Recent measurements by the XENONnT, PandaX-4T, and LUX-ZEPLIN experiments provide new opportunities to test Standard Model predictions and to probe physics beyond it, in complementarity with dedicated neutrino facilities. We perform a combined analysis of nuclear recoil data from these three facilities to extract information on the solar $^8$B neutrino flux normalization and on the weak mixing angle at low-momentum transfer. We further investigate the impact of new vector interactions on the solar neutrino event rate, deriving constraints on nonstandard neutrino interactions and on scenarios with light vector mediators. Our results demonstrate that dark matter detectors are rapidly becoming complementary to terrestrial neutrino experiments in probing neutrino interactions, and already set competitive bounds on both light and heavy vector mediators.