Unleashing the Power of EFT in Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering

Abstract

Neutrino physics is advancing into a precision era with the construction of new experiments, particularly in the few GeV energy range. Within this energy range, neutrinos exhibit diverse interactions with nucleons and nuclei. This study delves in particular into neutrino--nucleus quasi-elastic cross sections, taking into account both standard and, for the first time, non-standard interactions, all within the framework of effective field theory (EFT). The main uncertainties in these cross sections stem from uncertainties in the nucleon-level form factors, and from the approximations necessary to solve the nuclear many-body problem. We explore how these uncertainties influence the potential of neutrino experiments to probe new physics introduced by left-handed, right-handed, scalar, pseudoscalar, and tensor interactions. For some of these interactions the cross section is enhanced, making long-baseline experiments an excellent place to search for them. Our results, including tabulated cross sections for all interaction types and all neutrino flavors, can serve as the foundation for such searches.

27 pages, 3 figures; v2: Corrected typos, as appears in JHEP

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• Inclusive quasi-elastic electron-nucleus scattering
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• Large gauge invariant non-standard neutrino interactions
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• Discovery reach for non-standard interactions in a neutrino factory
• Reactor neutrino oscillations as constraints on Effective Field Theory
• EFT at FASER$\nu$
• Nucleon form factors from quenched lattice QCD with domain wall fermions
• Electron scattering on $\mathbf{A}=3$ nuclei from quantum Monte Carlo based approaches
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• Constraints on subleading interactions in beta decay Lagrangian

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Constraining non-standard neutrino interactions with neutral current events at long-baseline oscillation experiments
• Neutrino nucleus Quasi-Elastic and resonant Neutral Current scatterings with Non-Standard Interactions
• Alleviating the present tension between T2K and NO$\nu$A with nonstandard neutrino interactions
• Neutrino-nucleon elastic scattering in presence of non-standard interactions: cross sections and nucleon polarizations
• Neutrino Nonstandard Interactions and Lepton Flavor Universality violation at SND@LHC via charm production