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arXiv · 2608.01496

Search for active-sterile neutrino transitions using Pierre Auger Observatory data

The Pierre Auger Collaboration·A. Abdul Halim·P. Abreu·M. Aglietta·M. Ahmed·I. Allekotte·K. Almeida Cheminant·R. Aloisio·J. Alvarez-Muñiz·A. Ambrosone·J. Ammerman Yebra·L. Anchordoqui·B. Andrada·L. Andrade Dourado·L. Apollonio·C. Aramo·J. C. Arteaga Velázquez·P. Assis·G. Avila·E. Avocone·A. Bakalova·Y. Balibrea·A. Baluta·F. Barbato·A. Bartz Mocellin·O. Batalla Cruz·J. P. Behler·C. Berat·M. E. Bertaina·M. Bianciotto·P. L. Biermann·V. Binet·K. Bismark·T. Bister·J. Biteau·J. Blazek·J. Blümer·M. Boháčová·D. Boncioli·C. Bonifazi·N. Borodai·J. Brack·P. G. Brichetto Orquera·S. Buitink·A. Bwembya·T. R. Caba Pineda·K. S. Caballero-Mora·S. Cabana-Freire·L. Caccianiga·J. Caraça-Valente·R. Caruso·A. Castellina·F. Catalani·G. Cataldi·L. Cazon·M. Cerda·B. Čermáková·A. Cermenati·K. Cerny·J. A. Chinellato·J. Chudoba·L. Chytka·R. W. Clay·A. C. Cobos Cerutti·R. Colalillo·R. Conceição·A. Condorelli·G. Consolati·M. Conte·F. Convenga·D. Correia dos Santos·P. J. Costa·C. E. Covault·M. Cristinziani·C. S. Cruz Sanchez·S. Dasso·K. Daumiller·B. R. Dawson·R. M. de Almeida·E. -T. de Boone·B. de Errico·J. de Jesús·S. J. de Jong·J. R. T. de Mello Neto·I. De Mitri·D. de Oliveira Franco·F. de Palma·V. de Souza·E. De Vito·A. Del Popolo·O. Deligny·N. Denner·K. Denner Syrokvas·L. Deval·A. di Matteo·C. Dobrigkeit·J. C. D'Olivo·L. M. Domingues Mendes·T. Dominguez·Y. Dominguez Ballesteros
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Abstract

We investigate the sensitivity of the Pierre Auger Observatory to physics beyond the Standard Model arising from magnetic-moment-induced transitions between active and heavy sterile neutrinos. Such dipole portal interactions can enhance neutrino-nucleon cross sections above a kinematic threshold set by the sterile neutrino mass, leading to observable modifications of neutrino detection rates at ultrahigh energies (UHE). We estimate the impact of these interactions on both down-going and Earth-skimming neutrino detection channels, the contrasting responses of which enable discrimination between an enhanced neutrino flux and a modified interaction cross section. Using the non-observation of UHE neutrino candidates, we derive neutrino-flux-dependent constraints with 90% confidence-level on the transition magnetic moment for sterile neutrino masses in the range 1 TeV-100 TeV. Under the assumed flux scenarios, the resulting flavor-independent limits extend existing bounds into previously unexplored parameter space.

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The Pierre Auger Collaboration, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, M. Ahmed, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, R. Aloisio, J. Alvarez-Muñiz, A. Ambrosone, J. Ammerman Yebra, L. Anchordoqui, B. Andrada, L. Andrade Dourado, L. Apollonio, C. Aramo, J. C. Arteaga Velázquez, P. Assis, G. Avila, E. Avocone, A. Bakalova, Y. Balibrea, A. Baluta, F. Barbato, A. Bartz Mocellin, O. Batalla Cruz, J. P. Behler, C. Berat, M. E. Bertaina, M. Bianciotto, P. L. Biermann, V. Binet, K. Bismark, T. Bister, J. Biteau, J. Blazek, J. Blümer, M. Boháčová, D. Boncioli, C. Bonifazi, N. Borodai, J. Brack, P. G. Brichetto Orquera, S. Buitink, A. Bwembya, T. R. Caba Pineda, K. S. Caballero-Mora, S. Cabana-Freire, L. Caccianiga, J. Caraça-Valente, R. Caruso, A. Castellina, F. Catalani, G. Cataldi, L. Cazon, M. Cerda, B. Čermáková, A. Cermenati, K. Cerny, J. A. Chinellato, J. Chudoba, L. Chytka, R. W. Clay, A. C. Cobos Cerutti, R. Colalillo, R. Conceição, A. Condorelli, G. Consolati, M. Conte, F. Convenga, D. Correia dos Santos, P. J. Costa, C. E. Covault, M. Cristinziani, C. S. Cruz Sanchez, S. Dasso, K. Daumiller, B. R. Dawson, R. M. de Almeida, E. -T. de Boone, B. de Errico, J. de Jesús, S. J. de Jong, J. R. T. de Mello Neto, I. De Mitri, D. de Oliveira Franco, F. de Palma, V. de Souza, E. De Vito, A. Del Popolo, O. Deligny, N. Denner, K. Denner Syrokvas, L. Deval, A. di Matteo, C. Dobrigkeit, J. C. D'Olivo, L. M. Domingues Mendes, T. Dominguez, Y. Dominguez Ballesteros. 2026-08-02. Search for active-sterile neutrino transitions using Pierre Auger Observatory data. https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.01496

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