arXiv subjects

R. Zukanovich Funchal

Publications and source records attributed to R. Zukanovich Funchal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decays from Operator Mixing

We perform a complete one-loop Renormalization Group (RG) analysis of neutrinoless double-beta decays within the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). Although several effective operators do not contribute to these processes at tree level, we show that they can generate sizable contributions through operator mixing. By accounting for the full one-loop RG evolution within the SMEFT, we find that the resulting constraints provide the most stringent bounds on numerous dimension-seven operators, improving upon limits derived from meson decays. We also highlight the importance of contributions beyond the first leading logarithm, which can provide the leading effects for specific operators and flavor combinations.

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arXiv2024

Correlating $0νββ$ decays and flavor observables in leptoquark models

In this paper, we investigate minimal scalar leptoquark models that dynamically generate neutrino Majorana masses at the one-loop level and examine their implications for low-energy processes. We show that these models can produce viable neutrino masses, consistent with neutrino oscillation and cosmological data. By using leptoquark couplings fixed by neutrino data, we predict additional contributions to neutrinoless double-beta decays ($0νββ$), which are chirality enhanced and compete with the standard contributions from the Majorana masses. Our analysis demonstrates that these effects are sizable for leptoquark masses as large as $\mathcal{O}(300~\mathrm{TeV})$, potentially increasing or decreasing the $0νββ$ half-life, and creating an ambiguity between the normal and inverted mass ordering scenarios. Furthermore, we explore the correlation between $0νββ$ and flavor observables, such as kaon decays and $μ\to e$ conversion in nuclei, emphasizing that the latter is complementary to $0νββ$ decays.

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arXiv2015

On the Viability of Minimal Neutrinophilic Two-Higgs-Doublet Models

We study the constraints that electroweak precision data can impose, after the discovery of the Higgs boson by the LHC, on neutrinophilic two-Higgs-doublet models which comprise one extra $SU(2)\times U(1)$ doublet and a new symmetry, namely a spontaneously broken $\mathbb{Z}_2$ or a softly broken global $U(1)$. In these models the extra Higgs doublet, via its very small vacuum expectation value, is the sole responsible for neutrino masses. We find that the model with a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry is basically ruled out by electroweak precision data, even if the model is slightly extended to include extra right-handed neutrinos, due to the presence of a very light scalar. While the other model is still perfectly viable, the parameter space is considerably constrained by current data, specially by the $T$ parameter. In particular, the new charged and neutral scalars must have very similar masses.

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arXiv2013

What can we learn about the lepton CP phase in the next 10 years?

We discuss how the lepton CP phase can be constrained by accelerator and reactor measurements in an era without dedicated experiments for CP violation search. To characterize globally the sensitivity to the CP phase δ_{CP}, we introduce a new measure, the CP exclusion fraction, which quantifies what fraction of the δ_{CP} space can be excluded at a given input values of θ_{23} and δ_{CP}. Using the measure we study the CP sensitivity which may be possessed by the accelerator experiments T2K and NOvA. We show that, if the mass hierarchy is known, T2K and NOvA alone may exclude, respectively, about 50%-60% and 40%-50% of the δ_{CP} space at 90% CL by 10 years running, provided that a considerable fraction of beam time is devoted to the antineutrino run. The synergy between T2K and NOvA is remarkable, leading to the determination of the mass hierarchy through CP sensitivity at the same CL.

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arXiv2013

Revisiting the Triangulation Method for Pointing to Supernova and Failed Supernova with Neutrinos

In view of the advent of large-scale neutrino detectors such as IceCube, the future Hyper-Kamiokande and the ones proposed for the Laguna project in Europe, we re-examine the determination of the directional position of a Galactic supernova by means of its neutrinos using the triangulation method. We study the dependence of the pointing accuracy on the arrival time resolution of supernova neutrinos at different detectors. For a failed supernova, we expect better results due to the abrupt termination of the neutrino emission which allows one to measure the arrival time with higher precision. We found that for the time resolution of $\pm$ 2 (4) ms, the supernova can be located with a precision of $\sim$ 5 (10)$^\circ$ on the declination and of $\sim$ 8 (15)$^\circ$ on the right ascension angle, if we combine the observations from detectors at four different sites.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Neutrino Mass Matrix Textures: A Data-driven Approach

We analyze the neutrino mass matrix entries and their correlations in a probabilistic fashion, constructing probability distribution functions using the latest results from neutrino oscillation fits. Two cases are considered: the standard three neutrino scenario as well as the inclusion of a new sterile neutrino that potentially explains the reactor and gallium anomalies. We discuss the current limits and future perspectives on the mass matrix elements that can be useful for model building.

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arXiv2012

Potential of a Neutrino Detector in the ANDES Underground Laboratory for Geophysics and Astrophysics of Neutrinos

The construction of the Agua Negra tunnels that will link Argentina and Chile under the Andes, the world longest mountain range, opens the possibility to build the first deep underground labo- ratory in the Southern Hemisphere. This laboratory has the acronym ANDES (Agua Negra Deep Experiment Site) and its overburden could be as large as \sim 1.7 km of rock, or 4500 mwe, providing an excellent low background environment to study physics of rare events like the ones induced by neutrinos and/or dark matter. In this paper we investigate the physics potential of a few kiloton size liquid scintillator detector, which could be constructed in the ANDES laboratory as one of its possible scientific programs. In particular, we evaluate the impact of such a detector for the studies of geoneutrinos and galactic supernova neutrinos assuming a fiducial volume of 3 kilotons as a reference size. We emphasize the complementary roles of such a detector to the ones in the Northern Hemisphere neutrino facilities through some advantages due to its geographical location.

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arXiv2012

Bulk Neutrinos as an Alternative Cause of the Gallium and Reactor Anti-neutrino Anomalies

We consider an alternative explanation for the deficit of nu_e in Ga solar neutrino calibration experiments and of the anti nu_e in short baseline reactor experiments by a model where neutrinos can oscillate into sterile Kaluza-Klein modes that can propagate in compactified sub-micrometer flat extra dimensions. We have analyzed the results of the Gallium radioactive source experiments and 19 reactor experiments with baseline shorter than 100 m, and showed that these data can be fitted into this scenario. The values of the lightest neutrino mass and of the size of the largest extra dimension that are compatible with these experiments are mostly not excluded by other neutrino oscillation experiments.

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arXiv2012

Combining Accelerator and Reactor Measurements of theta_13; The First Result

The lepton mixing angle theta_13, the only unknown angle in the standard three-flavor neutrino mixing scheme, is finally measured by the recent reactor and accelerator neutrino experiments. We perform a combined analysis of the data coming from T2K, MINOS, Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO experiments and find sin^2 2theta_13 = 0.096 \pm 0.013 (\pm 0.040) at 1 sigma (3 sigma) CL and that the hypothesis theta_13 = 0 is now rejected at a significance level of 7.7 sigma. We also discuss the near future expectation on the precision of the theta_13 determination by using expected data from these ongoing experiments.

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arXiv2011

A Rationale for Long-lived Quarks and Leptons at the LHC: Low Energy Flavour Theory

In the framework of gauged flavour symmetries, new fermions in parity symmetric representations of the standard model are generically needed for the compensation of mixed anomalies. The key point is that their masses are also protected by flavour symmetries and some of them are expected to lie way below the flavour symmetry breaking scale(s), which has to occur many orders of magnitude above the electroweak scale to be compatible with the available data from flavour changing neutral currents and CP violation experiments. We argue that, actually, some of these fermions would plausibly get masses within the LHC range. If they are taken to be heavy quarks and leptons, in (bi)-fundamental representations of the standard model symmetries, their mixings with the light ones are strongly constrained to be very small by electroweak precision data. The alternative chosen here is to exactly forbid such mixings by breaking of flavour symmetries into an exact discrete symmetry, the so-called proton-hexality, primarily suggested to avoid proton decay. As a consequence of the large value needed for the flavour breaking scale, those heavy particles are long-lived and rather appropriate for the current and future searches at the LHC for quasi-stable hadrons and leptons. In fact, the LHC experiments have already started to look for them.

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arXiv2011

Testing Nonstandard Neutrino Properties with a Mössbauer Oscillation Experiment

If the neutrino analogue of the Mössbauer effect, namely, recoiless emission and resonant capture of neutrinos is realized, one can study neutrino oscillations with much shorter baselines and smaller source/detector size when compared to conventional experiments. In this work, we discuss the potential of such a Mössbauer neutrino oscillation experiment to probe nonstandard neutrino properties coming from some new physics beyond the standard model. We investigate four scenarios for such new physics that modify the standard oscillation pattern. We consider the existence of a light sterile neutrino that can mix with \bar ν_e, the existence of a Kaluza-Klein tower of sterile neutrinos that can mix with the flavor neutrinos in a model with large flat extra dimensions, neutrino oscillations with nonstandard quantum decoherence and mass varying neutrinos, and discuss to which extent one can constrain these scenarios. We also discuss the impact of such new physics on the determination of the standard oscillation parameters.

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arXiv2011

Large Extra Dimensions and Neutrino Oscillations

We consider a model where right-handed neutrinos propagate in a large compactified extra dimension, engendering Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes, while the standard model particles are restricted to the usual 4-dimensional brane. A mass term mixes the KK modes with the standard left-handed neutrinos, opening the possibility of change the 3 generation mixing pattern. We derive bounds on the maximum size of the extra dimension from neutrino oscillation experiments. We show that this model provides a possible explanation for the deficit of nu_e in Ga solar neutrino calibration experiments and of the anti-nu_e in short baseline reactor experiments.

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arXiv2011

Testing for Large Extra Dimensions with Neutrino Oscillations

We consider a model where sterile neutrinos can propagate in a large compactified extra dimension giving rise to Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes and the standard model left-handed neutrinos are confined to a 4-dimensional spacetime brane. The KK modes mix with the standard neutrinos modifying their oscillation pattern. We examine former and current experiments such as CHOOZ, KamLAND, and MINOS to estimate the impact of the possible presence of such KK modes on the determination of the neutrino oscillation parameters and simultaneously obtain limits on the size of the largest extra dimension. We found that the presence of the KK modes does not essentially improve the quality of the fit compared to the case of the standard oscillation. By combining the results from CHOOZ, KamLAND and MINOS, in the limit of a vanishing lightest neutrino mass, we obtain the stronger bound on the size of the extra dimension as ~ 1.0(0.6) micrometer at 99% C. L. for normal (inverted) mass hierarchy. If the lightest neutrino mass turn out to be larger, 0.2 eV, for example, we obtain the bound ~ 0.1 micrometer. We also discuss the expected sensitivities on the size of the extra dimension for future experiments such as Double CHOOZ, T2K and NOvA.

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arXiv2011

Probing Extra Dimensions with Neutrino Oscillations

We consider a model where sterile neutrinos can propagate in a large compactified extra dimension (a) giving rise to Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes and the Standard Model left-handed neutrinos are confined to a 4-dimensional spacetime brane. The KK modes mix with the standard neutrinos modifying their oscillation pattern. We examine current experiments in this framework obtaining stringent limits on a.

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arXiv2009

Resolving CP Violation by Standard and Nonstandard Interactions and Parameter Degeneracy in Neutrino Oscillations

In neutrino oscillation with non-standard interactions (NSI) the system is enriched with CP violation caused by phases due to NSI in addition to the standard lepton Kobayashi-Maskawa phase δ. In this paper we show that it is possible to disentangle the two CP violating effects by measurement of muon neutrino appearance by a near-far two detector setting in neutrino factory experiments. Prior to the quantitative analysis we investigate in detail the various features of the neutrino oscillations with NSI, but under the assumption that only one of the NSI elements, ε_{e μ} or ε_{e τ}, is present. They include synergy between the near and the far detectors, the characteristic differences between the ε_{e μ} and ε_{eτ} systems, and in particular, the parameter degeneracy. Finally, we use a concrete setting with the muon energy of 50 GeV and magnetized iron detectors at two baselines, one at L=3000 km and the other at L=7000 km, each having a fiducial mass of 50 kton to study the discovery potential of NSI and its CP violation effects. We demonstrate, by assuming 4 \times 10^{21} useful muon decays for both polarities, that one can identify non-standard CP violation down to | epsilon_{e μ} | \simeq \text{a few} \times 10^{-3}, and | ε_{e τ} | \simeq 10^{-2} at 3σCL for θ_{13} down to \sin^2 2θ_{13} = 10^{-4} in most of the region of δ. The impact of the existence of NSI on the measurement of δand the mass hierarchy is also worked out.

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arXiv2008

Constraints from Solar and Reactor Neutrinos on Unparticle Long-Range Forces

We have investigated the impact of long-range forces induced by unparticle operators of scalar, vector and tensor nature coupled to fermions in the interpretation of solar neutrinos and KamLAND data. If the unparticle couplings to the neutrinos are mildly non-universal, such long-range forces will not factorize out in the neutrino flavour evolution. As a consequence large deviations from the observed standard matter-induced oscillation pattern for solar neutrinos would be generated. In this case, severe limits can be set on the infrared fix point scale, Lambda_u, and the new physics scale, M, as a function of the ultraviolet (d_UV) and anomalous (d) dimension of the unparticle operator. For a scalar unparticle, for instance, assuming the non-universality of the lepton couplings to unparticles to be of the order of a few per mil we find that, for d_UV=3 and d=1.1, M is constrained to be M > O(10^9) TeV (M > O(10^10) TeV) if Lambda_u= 1 TeV (10 TeV). For given values of Lambda_u and d, the corresponding bounds on M for vector [tensor] unparticles are approximately 100 [3/Sqrt(Lambda_u/TeV)] times those for the scalar case. Conversely, these results can be translated into severe constraints on universality violation of the fermion couplings to unparticle operators with scales which can be accessible at future colliders.

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arXiv2007

Probing Non-Standard Neutrino Interactions with Neutrino Factories

We discuss the sensitivity reach of a neutrino factory measurement to non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI), which may exist as a low-energy manifestation of physics beyond the Standard Model. We use the muon appearance mode ν_e --> ν_μand consider two detectors, one at 3000 km and the other at 7000 km. Assuming the effects of NSI at the production and the detection are negligible, we discuss the sensitivities to NSI and the simultaneous determination of θ_{13} and δby examining the effects in the neutrino propagation of various systems in which two NSI parameters ε_{αβ} are switched on. The sensitivities to off-diagonal ε's are found to be excellent up to small values of θ_{13}. We demonstrate that the two-detector setting is powerful enough to resolve the θ_{13}-NSI confusion problem. We believe that the results obtained in this paper open the door to the possibility of using neutrino factory as a discovery machine for NSI while keeping its primary function of performing precision measurements of the lepton mixing parameters.

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arXiv2006

Probing long-range leptonic forces with solar and reactor neutrinos

In this work we study the phenomenological consequences of the existence of long-range forces coupled to lepton flavour numbers in solar neutrino oscillations. We study electronic forces mediated by scalar, vector or tensor neutral bosons and analyze their effect on the propagation of solar neutrinos as a function of the force strength and range. Under the assumption of one mass scale dominance, we perform a global analysis of solar and KamLAND neutrino data which depends on the two standard oscillation parameters, Δm^2_{21} and \tan^2θ_{12}, the force coupling constant, its range and, for the case of scalar-mediated interactions, on the neutrino mass scale as well. We find that, generically, the inclusion of the new interaction does not lead to a very statistically significant improvement on the description of the data in the most favored MSW LMA (or LMA-I) region. It does, however, substantially improve the fit in the high-Δm^2 LMA (or LMA-II) region which can be allowed for vector and scalar lepto-forces (in this last case if neutrinos are very hierarchical) at 2.5σ. Conversely, the analysis allows us to place stringent constraints on the strength versus range of the leptonic interaction.

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