arXiv subjects

Manfred Lindner

Publications and source records attributed to Manfred Lindner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

The Waning of the WIMP: Endgame?

Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) continue to be considered some of the best-motivated Dark Matter (DM) candidates. No conclusive signal, despite an extensive search program that combines, often in a complementary way, direct, indirect, and collider probes, has been however detected so far. This situation might change in the near future with the advent of even larger, multi-ton Direct Detection experiments. We provide here an updated review of the WIMP paradigm, with a focus on selected models that can be probed with upcoming facilities, all relying on the standard freeze-out paradigm for the relic density. We also discuss Collider and Indirect Searches when they provide complementary experimental information.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Inferring astrophysical neutrino sources from the Glashow resonance

We infer the ultrahigh energy neutrino source by using the Glashow resonance candidate event recently identified by the IceCube Observatory. For the calculation of the cross section for the Glashow resonance, we incorporate both the atomic Doppler broadening effect and initial state radiation $\overlineν^{}_{e} e^- \to W^- γ$, which correct the original cross section considerably. Using available experimental information, we have set a generic constraint on the $\overlineν^{}_{e}$ fraction of astrophysical neutrinos, which excludes the $μ$-damped ${\rm p}γ$ source around $2σ$ confidence level under the assumption that neutrino production is dominated by the $Δ$-resonance. While a weak preference has been found for the pp source, next-generation measurements will be able to distinguish between ideal pp and p$γ$ sources with a high significance assuming an optimistic single power-law neutrino spectrum. The inclusion of multi-pion production at very high energies for the neutrino source can weaken the discrimination power. In this case additional multimessenger information is needed to distinguish between pp and p$γ$ sources.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Probing New Physics at Future Tau Neutrino Telescopes

We systematically investigate new physics scenarios that can modify the interactions between neutrinos and matter at upcoming tau neutrino telescopes, which will test neutrino-proton collisions with energies $ \gtrsim 45~{\rm TeV}$, and can provide unique insights to the elusive tau neutrino. At such high energy scales, the impact of parton distribution functions of second and third generations of quarks (usually suppressed) can be comparable to the contribution of first generation with small momentum fraction, hence making tau neutrino telescopes an excellent facility to probe new physics associated with second and third families. Among an inclusive set of particle physics models, we identify new physics scenarios at tree level that can give competitive contributions to the neutrino cross sections while staying within laboratory constraints: charged/neutral Higgs and leptoquarks. Our analysis is close to the actual experimental configurations of the telescopes, and we perform a $χ^2$-analysis on the energy and angular distributions of the tau events. By numerically solving the propagation equations of neutrino and tau fluxes in matter, we obtain the sensitivities of representative upcoming tau neutrino telescopes, GRAND, POEMMA and Trinity, to the charged Higgs and leptoquark models. While each of the experiments can achieve a sensitivity better than the current collider reaches for certain models, their combination is remarkably complementary in probing the new physics. In particular, the new physics will affect the energy and angular distributions in different ways at those telescopes.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Implications of a matter-antimatter mass asymmetry in Penning-trap experiments

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, being a local, unitary and Lorentz-invariant quantum field theory, remains symmetric under the combined action of Charge, Parity, and Time Reversal (CPT) symmetry. This automatically implies that fundamental properties of particles and antiparticles should be equal in magnitude. These fundamental tenets of the CPT principle have been put to stringent tests in recent Penning-trap experiments, where the matter-antimatter mass asymmetry has been measured. In light of these recent advances, we compare the bounds arising on CPT invariance from kaon systems with those from Penning-trap experiments. Using a simple yet powerful argument of mass decomposition of hadrons, we show that bounds on quark-antiquark mass differences from kaon oscillations are way beyond the reach of Penning-trap experiments. We lay out a roadmap to discuss possible reformulations of our understanding of the SM in the case of a discovery of CPT violation by these precision experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Cosmology-friendly time-varying neutrino masses via the sterile neutrino portal

We investigate a consistent scenario of time-varying neutrino masses, and discuss its impact on cosmology, beta decay, and neutrino oscillation experiments. Such time-varying masses are assumed to be generated by the coupling between a sterile neutrino and an ultralight scalar field, which in turn affects the light neutrinos by mixing. Besides, the scalar could act as an ultralight dark matter candidate. We demonstrate how various cosmological bounds, such as those coming from Big Bang nucleosynthesis, the cosmic microwave background, as well as large scale structures, can be evaded in this model. This scenario can be further constrained using multiple terrestrial experiments. In particular, for beta-decay experiments like KATRIN, non-trivial distortions to the electron spectrum can be induced, even when time-variation is fast and gets averaged out. Furthermore, the presence of time-varying masses of sterile neutrinos will alter the interpretation of light sterile neutrino parameter space in the context of the reactor and gallium anomalies. In addition, we also study the impact of such time-varying neutrino masses on results from the BEST collaboration, which have recently strengthened the gallium anomaly. If confirmed, we find that the time-varying neutrino mass hypothesis could give a better fit to the recent BEST data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Generating the Electro-Weak Scale by Vector-like Quark Condensation

We show that vector-like quarks in the fundamental or higher-dimensional representations of QCD can generate the electro-weak scale in a phenomenologically viable way by chiral symmetry breaking condensates. The thereby generated scales are determined by numerically solving the Dyson-Schwinger equation and these scales are sizable, because they grow with the hard vector-like mass. Communicating such a scale to the Standard Model via a conformally invariant scalar sector can dynamically generate the electro-weak scale without a naturalness problem, because all non-dynamical mass scales are protected by chiral symmetry. We present a minimal setup which requires only a new neutral scalar with mass not too far above the electro-weak scale, as well as vector-like quarks at the (multi-)TeV scale. Both are consistent with current bounds and are attractive for future experimental searches at the LHC and future colliders. Depending on the hypercharge of the vector-like quarks, hadrons made of them are color-neutral bound states which would be interesting Dark Matter candidates.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Flavor Seesaw Mechanism

In the Standard Model, Yukawa couplings parametrize the fermion masses and mixing angles with the exception of neutrino masses. The hierarchies and apparent regularities among the quark and lepton masses are, however, otherwise a mystery. We propose a new class of models having vector-like fermions that can potentially address this problem and provide a new mechanism for fermion mass generation. The masses of the third and second generations of quarks and leptons arise at tree level via the seesaw mechanism from new physics at moderately higher scales, while loop corrections produce the masses for the first generation. This mechanism has a number of interesting and testable consequences. Among them are unavoidable flavor-violating signals at the upcoming experiments and the fact that neutrinos have naturally only Dirac masses.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Microscopic and Macroscopic Effects in the Decoherence of Neutrino Oscillations

We present a generic structure (the layer structure) for decoherence effects in neutrino oscillations, which includes decoherence from quantum mechanical and classical uncertainties. The calculation is done by combining the concept of open quantum system and quantum field theory, forming a structure composed of phase spaces from microscopic to macroscopic level. Having information loss at different levels, quantum mechanical uncertainties parameterize decoherence by an intrinsic mass eigenstate separation effect, while decoherence for classical uncertainties is typically dominated by a statistical averaging effect. With the help of the layer structure, we classify the former as state decoherence (SD) and the latter as phase decoherence (PD), then further conclude that both SD and PD result from phase wash-out effects of different phase structures on different layers. Such effects admit for simple numerical calculations of decoherence for a given width and shape of uncertainties. While our structure is generic, so are the uncertainties, nonetheless, a few notable ones are: the wavepacket size of the external particles, the effective interaction volume at production and detection, the energy reconstruction model and the neutrino production profile. Furthermore, we estimate the experimental sensitivities for SD and PD parameterized by the uncertainty parameters, for reactor neutrinos and decay-at-rest neutrinos, using a traditional rate measuring method and a novel phase measuring method.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Unraveling the $0νββ$ Decay Mechanisms

We discuss the possibilities of distinguishing among different mechanisms of neutrinoless double beta decay arising in the effective field theory framework. Following the review and detailed investigation of the particular ways of discrimination, we conclude that the 32 different low-energy effective operators can be split into multiple groups that are in principle distinguishable from each other by measurements of the phase-space observables and by comparison of the decay rates obtained using different isotopes. This would require not only a substantial experimental precision but necessarily also a considerable improvement of the current theoretical knowledge of the underlying nuclear physics. Specifically, the limiting aspect in our approach turns out to be the currently unknown or uncertain values of low-energy constants. Besides the study adopting the effective field theory language we also look into several typical UV models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Probing Heavy Sterile Neutrinos at Ultrahigh Energy Neutrino Telescopes via the Dipole Portal

The question of how heavy a sterile neutrino can be probed in experiments leads us to investigate the Primakoff production of heavy sterile neutrinos up to PeV masses from ultrahigh-energy neutrinos via the magnetic dipole portal. Despite the suppression from the small magnetic moment, the transition is significantly enhanced by tiny $t$-channel momentum transfers, similar to the resonant production of pions and axions in an external electromagnetic field. Based on the current IceCube measurement of astrophysical neutrinos up to PeV energies, strong constraints can already be derived on the transition magnetic moments of sterile neutrinos up to TeV masses. Moreover, we investigate the sensitivity of future tau neutrino telescopes, which are designed for EeV cosmogenic neutrino detection. We find that sterile neutrino masses as large as $30~{\rm TeV}$ can be probed at tau neutrino telescopes such as GRAND, POEMMA, and Trinity.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Large Neutrino Magnetic Moments in the Light of Recent Experiments

The excess in electron recoil events reported recently by the XENON1T experiment may be interpreted as evidence for a sizable transition magnetic moment $μ_{ν_eν_μ}$ of Majorana neutrinos. We show the consistency of this scenario when a single component transition magnetic moment takes values $μ_{ν_eν_μ} \in(1.65 - 3.42) \times 10^{-11} μ_B$. Such a large value typically leads to unacceptably large neutrino masses. In this paper we show that new leptonic symmetries can solve this problem and demonstrate this with several examples. We first revive and then propose a simplified model based on $SU(2)_H$ horizontal symmetry. Owing to the difference in their Lorentz structures, in the $SU(2)_H$ symmetric limit, $m_ν$ vanishes while $μ_{ν_eν_μ}$ is nonzero. Our simplified model is based on an approximate $SU(2)_H$, which we also generalize to a three family $SU(3)_H$-symmetry. Collider and low energy tests of these models are analyzed. We have also analyzed implications of the XENON1T data for the Zee model and its extensions which naturally generate a large $μ_{ν_eν_μ}$ with suppressed $m_ν$ via a spin symmetry mechanism, but found that the induced $μ_{ν_eν_μ}$ is not large enough to explain recent data. Finally, we suggest a mechanism to evade stringent astrophysical limits on neutrino magnetic moments arising from stellar evolution by inducing a medium-dependent mass for the neutrino.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Muon ${g-2}$ Anomaly and Neutrino Magnetic Moments

We show that a unified framework based on an $SU(2)_H$ horizontal symmetry which generates a naturally large neutrino transition magnetic moment and explains the XENON1T electron recoil excess also predicts a positive shift in the muon anomalous magnetic moment. This shift is of the right magnitude to be consistent with the Brookhaven measurement as well as the recent Fermilab measurement of the muon $g-2$. A relatively light neutral scalar from a Higgs doublet with mass near 100 GeV contributes to muon $g-2$, while its charged partner induces the neutrino magnetic moment. In contrast to other multi-scalar theories, in the model presented here there is no freedom to control the sign and strength of the muon $g-2$ contribution. We analyze the collider tests of this framework and find that the HL-LHC can probe the entire parameter space of these models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Prospects for Finding Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter at KATRIN

We discuss under what circumstances a signal in upcoming laboratory searches for keV-scale sterile neutrinos would be compatible with those particles being a sizable part or all of dark matter. In the parameter space that will be experimentally accessible by KATRIN/TRISTAN, strong X-ray limits need to be relaxed and dark matter overproduction needs to be avoided. We discuss postponing the dark matter production to lower temperatures, a reduced sterile neutrino contribution to dark matter, and a reduction of the branching ratio in photons and active neutrinos through cancellation with a new physics diagram. Both the Dodelson-Widrow and the Shi-Fuller mechanisms for sterile neutrino dark matter production are considered. As a final exotic example, potential consequences of CPT violation are discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Status and Perspectives of Neutrino Physics

This review demonstrates the unique role of the neutrino by discussing in detail the physics of and with neutrinos. We deal with neutrino sources, neutrino oscillations, absolute masses, interactions, the possible existence of sterile neutrinos, and theoretical implications. In addition, synergies of neutrino physics with other research fields are found, and requirements to continue successful neutrino physics in the future, in terms of technological developments and adequate infrastructures, are stressed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Robustness of ARS Leptogenesis in Scalar Extensions

Extensions of the Standard Model (SM) with sterile neutrinos are well motivated from the observed oscillations of the light neutrinos and they have shown to successfully explain the Baryon Asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) through, for instance, the so-called ARS leptogenesis. Sterile neutrinos can be added in minimal ways to the SM, but many theories exist where sterile neutrinos are not the only new fields. Such theories often include scalar bosons, which brings about the possibility of further interactions between the sterile neutrinos and the SM. In this paper we consider an extension of the SM with two sterile neutrinos and one scalar singlet particle and investigate the effect that an additional, thermalised, scalar has on the ARS leptogenesis mechanism. We show that in general the created asymmetry is reduced due to additional sterile neutrino production from scalar decays. When sterile neutrinos and scalars are discovered in the laboratory, our results will provide information on the applicability of the ARS leptogenesis mechanism.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Unified Emergence of Energy Scales and Cosmic Inflation

In the quest for unification of the Standard Model with gravity, classical scale invariance can be utilized to dynamically generate the Planck mass $M_\mathrm{Pl}$. Then, the relation of Planck scale physics to the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking $μ_H$ requires further explanation. In this paper, we propose a model that uses the spontaneous breaking of scale invariance in the scalar sector as a unified origin for dynamical generation of both scales. Using the Gildener-Weinberg approximation, only one scalar acquires a vacuum expectation value of $v_S \sim (10^{16-17})\,\mathrm{GeV}$, thus radiatively generating $M_\mathrm{Pl} \approx β_S^{1/2} v_S$ and $μ_H$ via the neutrino option with right handed neutrino masses $m_N = y_M v_S \sim 10^7 \,\mathrm{GeV}$. Consequently, active SM neutrinos are given a mass with the inclusion of a type-I seesaw mechanism. Furthermore, we adopt an unbroken $Z_2$ symmetry and a $Z_2$-odd set of right-handed Majorana neutrinos $χ$ that do not take part in the neutrino option and are able to produce the correct dark matter relic abundance (dominantly) via inflaton decay. The model also describes cosmic inflation and the inflationary CMB observables are predicted to interpolate between those of $R^2$ and linear chaotic inflationary model and are thus well within the strongest experimental constraints.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Semi-secretly interacting ALP as an explanation of Fermilab muon $g-2$ measurement

The muon anomalous magnetic moment measurement has, for more than a decade, been a long-standing anomaly hinting the physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). The recently announced results from muon $g-2$ collaboration, corresponding to 3.3$σ$ deviation from Standard Model value (4.2$σ$ in combination with previous measurement) are strengthening the need for new physics coupled to muons. In this letter, we propose a novel scenario in which Standard Model (SM) is augmented by an axion-like particle (ALP) and vector-like fermions. We find that such a model admits an excellent interpretation of recent muon $g-2$ measurement through quantum process featuring ALP interacting with muons and newly introduced fermions. Previously proposed explanations with ALPs utilize interactions with photons and/or SM fermions. Therefore, in this letter we complement and extend such scenarios. We also discuss collider prospects for the model as well as the possibility that ALP is long lived or stable dark matter (DM) candidate.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Gravitational wave induced baryon acoustic oscillations

We study the impact of gravitational waves originating from a first order phase transition on structure formation. To do so, we perform a second order perturbation analysis in the $1+3$ covariant framework and derive a wave equation in which second order, adiabatic density perturbations of the photon-baryon fluid are sourced by the gravitational wave energy density during radiation domination and on sub-horizon scales. The scale on which such waves affect the energy density perturbation spectrum is found to be proportional to the horizon size at the time of the phase transition times its inverse duration. Consequently, structure of the size of galaxies and bigger can only be affected in this way by relatively late phase transitions at $\ge 10^{6}\,\text{s}$. Using cosmic variance as a bound we derive limits on the strength $α$ and the relative duration $(β/H_*)^{-1}$ of phase transitions as functions of the time of their occurrence which results in a new exclusion region for the energy density in gravitational waves today. We find that the cosmic variance bound forbids only relative long lasting phase transitions, e.g. $β/H_*\lesssim 6.8$ for $t_*\approx 5\times10^{11}\,\text{s}$, which exhibit a substantial amount of supercooling $α>20$ to affect the matter power spectrum.

gr-qc↗