Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$\nu$NS) event rates for Ge, Zn and Si detector materials

Abstract

Realistic nuclear structure calculations are presented for the event rates due to coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$\nu$NS), assuming neutrinos from pion-decay at-rest, from nuclear reactors and from Earth's interior. We focus on the currently interesting Germanium isotopes, ${}^{70,73,76}$Ge, which constitute detector materials of the recently planned CE$\nu$NS experiments. We study in addition the potential use of ${}^{64,70}$Zn and ${}^{28}$Si isotopes as promising CE$\nu$NS detectors. From nuclear physics perspectives, recently, calculations have been carried out within the framework of the deformed shell-model (DSM), based on realistic nuclear forces, and assessed on the reproducibility of spectroscopic nuclear properties. The high confidence level acquired by their agreement with experimental results and by their comparison with other mostly phenomenological calculations encouraged the use of DSM to extract predictions for the CE$\nu$NS event rates of the above isotopes. Our detailed estimation of the nuclear physics aspects of the recently observed neutral current coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering may shed light on unravelling the still remaining uncertainties for the CE$\nu$NS process within and beyond the Standard Model.

13 pages, 1 table, 6 figures. V2: References added, discussion on the h.o. parameter expanded, matches the published version

References in corpus (7)

• The Reactor Antineutrino Anomaly
• COHERENT constraints on nonstandard neutrino interactions
• Constraints on elastic neutrino nucleus scattering in the fully coherent regime from the CONUS experiment
• Recent probes of standard and non-standard neutrino physics with nuclei
• Physics reach of a low threshold scintillating argon bubble chamber in coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering reactor experiments
• Impact of COHERENT measurements, cross section uncertainties and new interactions on the neutrino floor
• A reference Earth model for the heat producing elements and associated geoneutrino flux