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arXiv · 2111.01519

Searching for Hidden Neutrons with a Reactor Neutrino Experiment: Constraints from the STEREO Experiment

H. Almazán·L. Bernard·A. Blanchet·A. Bonhomme·C. Buck·P. del Amo Sanchez·I. El Atmani·L. Labit·J. Lamblin·A. Letourneau·D. Lhuillier·M. Licciardi·M. Lindner·T. Materna·O. Méplan·H. Pessard·G. Pignol·J. -S. Réal·J. -S. Ricol·C. Roca·R. Rogly·T. Salagnac·M. Sarrazin·V. Savu·S. Schoppmann·T. Soldner·A. Stutz·M. Vialat
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Abstract

Different extensions of the standard model of particle physics, such as braneworld or mirror matter models, predict the existence of a neutron sterile state, possibly as a dark matter candidate. This Letter reports a new experimental constraint on the probability $p$ for neutron conversion into a hidden neutron, set by the STEREO experiment at the high flux reactor of the Institut Laue-Langevin. The limit is $p<3.1\times 10^{-11}$ at $95 \%$ C.L. improving the previous limit by a factor 13. This result demonstrates that short-baseline neutrino experiments can be used as competitive passing-through-walls neutron experiments to search for hidden neutrons.

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H. Almazán, L. Bernard, A. Blanchet, A. Bonhomme, C. Buck, P. del Amo Sanchez, I. El Atmani, L. Labit, J. Lamblin, A. Letourneau, D. Lhuillier, M. Licciardi, M. Lindner, T. Materna, O. Méplan, H. Pessard, G. Pignol, J. -S. Réal, J. -S. Ricol, C. Roca, R. Rogly, T. Salagnac, M. Sarrazin, V. Savu, S. Schoppmann, T. Soldner, A. Stutz, M. Vialat. 2021-11-02. Searching for Hidden Neutrons with a Reactor Neutrino Experiment: Constraints from the STEREO Experiment. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.128.061801

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