Roni Harnik (Fermilab)

A nu Look at Direct Detection

We investigate standard and non-standard solar neutrino signals in direct dark

matter detection experiments.  It is well known that even without new physics,

scattering of solar neutrinos on nuclei or electrons is an irreducible

background for direct dark matter searches, once these experiments reach the

ton.  In the talk I will entertain the possibility that neutrino interactions are

enhanced by couplings to a dark photon (a very light new gauge boson).

I'll consider models with only the three standard neutrino flavors, as well as scenarios with extra sterile neutrinos.

I'll show that low-energy neutrino--electron and neutrino--nucleus scattering

rates can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude, potentially enough to

explain the event excesses observed in CoGeNT and CRESST. I will also discuss

temporal modulation in these neutrino signals, which can arise from geometric

effects, oscillation physics and direction-dependent detection efficiencies. In addition 

to providing potential explanations for existing

signals, models featuring new physics in the neutrino sector can also be very

relevant to future dark matter searches, where, on the one hand, they can be

probed and constrained, but on the other hand, their signatures could also be

confused with dark matter signals.

Nov 4 at 4pm in Geo/Phys Room 407

Link to the slides.