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Y. Itow

Publications and source records attributed to Y. Itow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Search for proton decay into a single charged antilepton and a massless invisible particle using the full pure water data set of Super-Kamiokande

A search for proton decay via $p\rightarrow l^{+}+X$, where $l^{+}$ is a positively charged lepton and $X$ is an invisible, massless, neutral particle, was performed using a 401~kton$\cdot$years exposure representing the entire pure water phase of Super-Kamiokande. No significant indication of a proton decay was observed beyond the expected atmospheric neutrino background. Lower limits on the partial lifetime of the proton were set to at $1.72\times10^{33}$ years for $p\rightarrow e^{+}+X$ and $0.61\times10^{33}$ years for $p\rightarrow \mu^{+}+X$ at the $90\%$ confidence level. These results improve on previous limits by factors of 2 and 1.5, respectively.

hep-ex

First Measurement of Solar Neutrinos through Elastic Neutrino-Electron Scattering at the keV Scale

We report on the first measurement of low-energy solar neutrinos through elastic neutrino-electron scattering in a dark matter experiment, establishing the lowest energy threshold for any neutrino detection to date. The measurement utilizes data from the first two science runs of XENONnT, corresponding to an exposure of 2.46 t $\cdot$ y, and covers electron recoil energies between 1 keV and 140 keV, providing sensitivity to solar neutrinos with energies down to 17 keV. We reject the background-only hypothesis with a statistical significance of $5.0\sigma$ and measure a solar $pp$ neutrino flux of $(10.2 \pm 2.0) \times 10^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. The result is larger, but statistically consistent with the previous measurement by Borexino at $1.9\sigma$. Together with recent observations of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering of $^8$B solar neutrinos in XENONnT and other liquid-xenon time projection chambers, these results demonstrate the growing potential of liquid xenon detectors for neutrino physics down to the keV-scale and represent an important milestone towards a next-generation multipurpose observatory.

hep-ex

Search for Magnetic and Spin-Independent Inelastic Dark Matter with XENONnT

We present a search for Magnetic and Spin-Independent inelastic Dark Matter using 2.1 tonne-years of data from the XENONnT experiment. We consider both single- and double-site event topologies, targeting the unique signature of an initial nuclear recoil followed by a delayed de-excitation photon. To suppress backgrounds, we introduce novel directional and kinematic selections based on the inferred speed and direction of the excited dark matter particle between the scatter and decay sites. We find that the collected data are consistent with background expectations, and report 90% C.L. upper limits for both models across the GeV/c2-TeV/c2 mass range.

hep-ex

Direct Measurement of the $^{212}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $^{214}\mathrm{Pb}$ $\beta$ Decay Branching Ratios with the XENONnT Experiment

We present precision measurements of $^{212}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $^{214}\mathrm{Pb}$ $\beta$ decay branching ratios using $^{220}\mathrm{Rn}$ and $^{222}\mathrm{Rn}$ calibration data from the XENONnT detector, a dual-phase liquid xenon time projection chamber. Characterizing these isotopes is critical, as they lead to significant low-energy backgrounds in rare-event searches. We report ground-state branching ratios of $(14.75 \pm 0.20(\mathrm{stat}) ^{+0.14}_{-0.40}(\mathrm{sys}))\%$ for $^{212}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $(9.8 \pm 0.3(\mathrm{stat}) ^{+0.8}_{-0.2}(\mathrm{sys}))\%$ for $^{214}\mathrm{Pb}$, providing the most precise direct measurements of these transitions to date. These results contribute to enhancing background modeling for dark matter and neutrino experiments, improving sensitivity to solar neutrinos and physics beyond the Standard Model.

nucl-ex

TeV-scale neutrino cross-section measurement using upward through-going muons in Super-Kamiokande

Neutrinos provide a unique probe of both particle physics and the high-energy universe, traversing astronomical distances with minimal interaction. Their charged-current scattering cross section encodes fundamental information about weak interactions and nucleon structure across a vast energy range, yet measurements at TeV energies remain sparse. Here we report the first determination of the flux-averaged muon neutrino and anti-neutrino charged-current total cross section using high-energy atmospheric neutrinos observed in Super-Kamiokande. Using 3989 upward through-going muon events collected over 4269 days, together with a Bayesian fit to atmospheric flux and detector simulations, we measure the flux-averaged charged-current cross section in the 500-5000 GeV range to be $\sigma/E_\nu=(0.51\pm 0.11)\times 10^{-38}$ cm$^2$GeV$^{-1}$, with the highest precision to date in the TeV regime. Our results are consistent with accelerator-based measurements at lower energies and collider-based measurements at higher energies, bridging a critical gap between accelerator experiments and neutrino telescopes. This work demonstrates the capability of large underground detectors to perform precision cross-section measurements with atmospheric neutrinos, opening a new window for probing Standard Model physics and potential new physics searches at multi-TeV energies.

hep-ex

Search for proton decay via $p \to e^{+}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}$ and $p \to \mu^{+}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}$ in 0.401 megaton-years exposure of Super-Kamiokande I-V

We searched for proton decay via $p \to e^{+}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}$ and $p \to \mu^{+}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}$ in 0.401 megaton-years of data collected in all pure water detector phases of Super-Kamiokande (SK) I-V. A theoretical study predicts proton decay rates without assuming a particular grand unified theory and suggests that three-body proton decays involving two pions can have decay rates comparable to those of $p \to e^{+}\pi^{0}$ and $p \to \mu^{+}\pi^{0}$. This is the first search for proton decay into a charged anti-lepton and two neutral pions in SK. One data candidate event was found for each of the two decay modes, which is consistent with the expected atmospheric neutrino background. We set lower limits on the lifetime of $\tau/B(p \to e^{+}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}) > 7.2 \times 10^{33}$ years and $\tau/B(p \to \mu^{+}\pi^{0}\pi^{0}) > 4.5 \times 10^{33}$ years at 90 $\%$ confidence level. These limits are more than one order of magnitude higher than those of the previous experiment.

hep-ex

Development of Faster and More Accurate Supernova Localization at Super-Kamiokande

The next nearby core-collapse supernova (SN) promises to yield a treasure of scientific information through multi-messenger astronomy. Early observations of the shock breakout (SBO) emissions are especially critical to understand the SN explosive mechanism as well as the properties of the progenitor star. Neutrino observatories are able to provide an early alert of a SN before the arrival of the SBO radiation. Super-Kamiokande (SK) has the unique capability to independently reconstruct an accurate SN pointing direction as part of its real-time monitoring system, ``SNWATCH.'' Recent upgrades to SK by adding gadolinium (Gd) to the detection volume have been accompanied by efforts to improve the speed and accuracy of SN direction reconstruction. A new, novel HEALPix-based approach (``HP-Fitter'') can calculate the SN direction from the reconstructed burst event directions in less than one second. As well, the previous maximum-likelihood direction fitter (``ML-Fitter'') was upgraded by incorporating event information from Gd neutron-capture as well as using the HP-Fitter for the initial fit parameters and from code refactoring and optimization. The improved ML-Fitter has better angular resolution but direction reconstruction time is $\mathcal{O}$(sec). Together with improvements in burst detection and event reconstruction times, SNWATCH is now able to generate an SN alert with pointing information in about 90 seconds. These upgrades have been implemented at SK and integrated into a new automated system to provide GCN notices.

astro-ph.HE

Probing the Solar $^8$B Neutrino Fog with XENONnT

We report a 3.3 $\sigma$ measurement of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering from solar $^8$B neutrinos using a 6.77 t$\times$yr exposure from the XENONnT experiment, inferring a solar $^8$B neutrino flux of $(5_{-2}^{+3})\times 10^6\,\mathrm{cm}^{-2}\mathrm{s}^{-1}$, consistent with previous measurements. In the presence of the $^8$B "neutrino fog", we find no evidence for light dark matter, and observe diminishing returns in sensitivity with increasing exposure. A 93% increase in exposure from the previous search improves the median sensitivity to the nucleon scattering cross section for a 5 GeV/$c^2$ spin-independent weakly interacting massive particle by 10%. The dataset was also used to measure the weak mixing angle at $\sim$ 0.02 GeV/$c$ momentum transfer and constrain physics beyond the Standard Model.

hep-ex

Enhancing Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Sensitivity of Liquid-Xenon Time Projection Chamber with Augmented Convolutional Neural Network

Dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC) that employs a multi-ton-scale liquid xenon (LXe) target mass is a pioneering detector technology to search for dark matter. Beyond its advantage in dark matter direct detection efforts, the natural xenon target allows it to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) process, which would violate lepton number conservation and indicate that neutrinos are Majorana particles. However, such $0\nu\beta\beta$ searches have been limited by gamma-ray backgrounds originating from the detector materials. In this work, we designed an augmented convolutional neural network (A-CNN) model to extract additional event-topology information from detector data. Using simulation and calibration data from XENONnT, a leading LXe TPC experiment, our model achieved over 60% background rejection while maintaining 90% signal acceptance. This rejection power improves XENONnT's projected sensitivity of the $^{136}$Xe $0\nu\beta\beta$ search by about 40%. The implementation of A-CNN in the data analysis of future liquid xenon observatories, such as XLZD, will further enhance their sensitivities for $0\nu\beta\beta$ with $^{136}$Xe.

physics.ins-det

Light Dark Matter Search with 7.8 Tonne-Year of Ionization-Only Data in XENONnT

We report on a blinded search for dark matter (DM) using ionization-only (S2-only) signals in XENONnT with a total exposure of $7.83\mathrm{tonne}\times\mathrm{year}$ over 579 days in three science runs. Dedicated background suppression techniques and the first complete S2-only background model in XENONnT provide sensitivity to nuclear recoils of [0.5, 5.0] $\mathrm{keV_\mathrm{nr}}$ and electronic recoils of [0.04, 0.7] $\mathrm{keV_\mathrm{ee}}$. No significant excess over the expected background is observed, and we set 90\% confidence level upper limits on spin-independent DM--nucleon and spin-dependent DM--neutron scattering for DM masses between 3 and 8 $\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, as well as on DM--electron scattering, axion-like particles, and dark photons, improving on previous constraints. For spin-independent DM--nucleon scattering, we exclude cross sections above $6.0\times10^{-45} $cm$^2$ at a DM mass of 5 $\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, pushing the XENONnT sensitivity closer to the region where coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering ($\text{CE}\nu\text{NS}$) becomes an irreducible background.

hep-ex

Constraints on Solar Reflected Dark Matter from a combined analysis of XENON1T and XENONnT data

We report on a search for sub-GeV dark matter upscattered via the solar reflection mechanism in the heavy mediator scenario. Under the Standard Halo Model, keV to MeV dark matter produces nuclear recoils with energies below the detection threshold of liquid xenon time projection chambers. We enhance sensitivity to low-mass dark matter by considering dark matter-electron scattering, employing dedicated event selections to reduce the detection threshold, and exploiting the additional kinetic energy imparted to the dark matter particle by solar upscattering. Using XENON1T ionization-only and XENONnT low-energy electronic recoil datasets, we exclude previously unconstrained DM-electron scattering cross section for masses between $4.6\, \text{keV/}c^2$ and $20\, \text{keV/}c^2$, and between $0.2\, \text{MeV/}c^2$ and $2\, \text{MeV/}c^2$, reaching a minimum of $3.41\times10^{-39}\, \text{cm}^2$ for a mass of $0.3\, \text{MeV/}c^2$ at 90\% confidence level.

hep-ex

Measurement of the solar neutrino interaction rate below 3.49 MeV in Super-Kamiokande-IV

Super-Kamiokande (SK) has observed $^{8}\text{B}$ solar neutrino elastic scattering at recoil electron kinetic energies ($E_{\text{kin}}$) as low as 3.49 MeV to study neutrino flavor conversion within the Sun. At SK-observable energies, these conversions are dominated by the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) effect. An upturn in the electron neutrino survival probability in which vacuum neutrino oscillations become dominant is predicted to occur at lower energies, but radioactive background increases exponentially with decreasing energy. New machine learning approaches provide substantial background reduction below 3.49 MeV such that statistical extraction of solar neutrino interactions becomes feasible. This article presents an analysis of the solar neutrino interaction rate at $E_{\text{kin}}$ < 3.49 MeV with the full SK-IV period, using data from a wideband intelligent trigger when available and with a boosted decision tree for event selection. A solar neutrino signal is observed between 2.99 MeV < $E_{\text{kin}}$ < 3.49 MeV with $2.76\sigma$ significance and a data to unoscillated Monte Carlo ratio of $0.307^{+0.112}_{-0.111}$. These additional low-energy data have a negligible effect on the $1\sigma$ intervals of the fits to the solar neutrino energy spectrum but have a noticeable effect on the best fit when using the exponential parametrization.

hep-ex

First Associated Neutrino Search for a Failed Supernova Candidate with Super-Kamiokande

In 2024, a failed supernova candidate, M31-2014-DS1, was reported in the Andromeda galaxy (M31), located at a distance of approximately 770 kpc. In this paper, we search for neutrinos from this failed supernova using data from Super-Kamiokande (SK). Based on the estimated time of black hole formation inferred from optical and infrared observations, we define a search window for neutrino events in the SK data. Using this window, we develop a dedicated analysis method for failed supernovae and apply it to M31-2014-DS1, by conducting a cluster search using the timing and energy information of candidate events. No significant neutrino excess is observed within the search region. Consequently, we place an upper limit on the electron antineutrino luminosity from M31-2014-DS1 and discuss its implications for various failed SN models and their neutrino emission characteristics. Despite the 18 MeV threshold adopted to suppress backgrounds, the search remains sufficiently sensitive to constrain the Shen-TM1 EOS, yielding a 90% confidence level upper limit of 1.76 \times 10^{53} erg on the electron antineutrino luminosity, slightly above the expected value of 1.35 \times 10^{53} erg.

astro-ph.HE

Search for Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background with 956.2 days of Super-Kamiokande Gadolinium Dataset

We report the search result for the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB) in neutrino energies beyond 9.3~MeV in the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande (SK) detector with $22,500\times956.2$$~\rm m^3\cdot day$ exposure. %$22.5{\rm k}\times956.2$$~\rm m^3\cdot day$ exposure. Starting in the summer of 2020, SK introduced 0.01\% gadolinium (Gd) by mass into its ultra-pure water to enhance the neutron capture signal, termed the SK-VI phase. This was followed by a 0.03\% Gd-loading in 2022, a phase referred to as SK-VII. We then conducted a DSNB search using 552.2~days of SK-VI data and 404.0~days of SK-VII data through September 2023. This analysis includes several new features, such as two new machine-learning neutron detection algorithms with Gd, an improved atmospheric background reduction technique, and two parallel statistical approaches. No significant excess over background predictions was found in a DSNB spectrum-independent analysis, and 90\% C.L. upper limits on the astrophysical electron anti-neutrino flux were set. Additionally, a spectral fitting result exhibited a $\sim1.2\sigma$ disagreement with a null DSNB hypothesis, comparable to a previous result from 5823~days of all SK pure water phases.

astro-ph.HE

Search for nucleon decay via $p\rightarrow\nu\pi^{+}$ and $n\rightarrow\nu\pi^{0}$ in 0.484 Mton-year of Super-Kamiokande data

We present the results of searches for nucleon decays via $p\rightarrow\nu\pi^{+}$ and $n\rightarrow\nu\pi^{0}$ using a 0.484 Mt$\cdot$yr exposure of Super-Kamiokande I-V data covering the entire pure water phase of the experiment. Various improvements on the previous 2014 nucleon decay search, which used an exposure of 0.173 Mt$\cdot$yr, are incorporated. The physics models related to pion production and nuclear interaction are refined with external data, and a more comprehensive set of systematic uncertainties, now including those associated with the atmospheric neutrino flux and pion production channels is considered. Also, the fiducial volume has been expanded by 21\%. No significant indication of a nucleon decay signal is found beyond the expected background. Lower bounds on the nucleon partial lifetimes are determined to be $3.5\times10^{32}$~yr for $p\rightarrow\nu\pi^{+}$ and $1.4\times10^{33}$~yr for $n\rightarrow\nu\pi^{0}$ at 90\% confidence level.

hep-ex

Spectral Measurement of the $^{214}$Bi beta-decay to the $^{214}$Po Ground State with XENONnT

We report the measurement of the $^{214}$Bi beta-decay spectrum to the ground state of $^{214}$Po using the XENONnT detector. This decay is classified as first-forbidden non-unique, for which theoretical predictions require detailed nuclear structure modeling. A dedicated identification algorithm isolates a high-purity sample of ground-state beta-decays, explicitly excluding events with associated gamma-rays emission. By comparing the measured spectrum, which covers energies up to 3.27 MeV, with several nuclear models, we find that the prediction based on the conserved vector current (CVC) hypothesis provides the best description of the data. Using this dataset, we additionally derive charge and light yield curves for electronic recoils, extending detector response modeling up to the MeV scale.

nucl-ex

Measurement of the branching ratio of $\mathrm{^{16}N}$, $\mathrm{^{15}C}$, $\mathrm{^{12}B}$, and $\mathrm{^{13}B}$ isotopes through the nuclear muon capture reaction in the Super-Kamiokande detector

The Super-Kamiokande detector has measured solar neutrinos for more than $25$ years. The sensitivity for solar neutrino measurement is limited by the uncertainties of energy scale and background modeling. Decays of unstable isotopes with relatively long half-lives through nuclear muon capture, such as $\mathrm{^{16}N}$, $\mathrm{^{15}C}$, $\mathrm{^{12}B}$ and $\mathrm{^{13}B}$, are detected as background events for solar neutrino observations. In this study, we developed a method to form a pair of stopping muon and decay candidate events and evaluated the production rates of such unstable isotopes. We then measured their branching ratios considering both their production rates and the estimated number of nuclear muon capture processes as $Br(\mathrm{^{16}N})=(9.0 \pm 0.1)\%$, $Br(\mathrm{^{15}C})=(0.6\pm0.1)\%$, $Br(\mathrm{^{12}B})=(0.98 \pm 0.18)\%$, $Br(\mathrm{^{13}B})=(0.14 \pm 0.12)\%$, respectively. The result for $\mathrm{^{16}N}$ has world-leading precision at present and the results for $\mathrm{^{15}C}$, $\mathrm{^{12}B}$, and $\mathrm{^{13}B}$ are the first branching ratio measurements for those isotopes.

nucl-ex

Search for neutron decay into an antineutrino and a neutral kaon in 0.401 megaton-years exposure of Super-Kamiokande

We searched for bound neutron decay via $n\to\bar{\nu}+K^0$ predicted by the Grand Unified Theories in 0.401 Mton$\cdot$years exposure of all pure water phases in the Super-Kamiokande detector. About 4.4 times more data than in the previous search have been analyzed by a new method including a spectrum fit to kaon invariant mass distributions. No significant data excess has been observed in the signal regions. As a result of this analysis, we set a lower limit of $7.8\times10^{32}$ years on the neutron lifetime at a 90% confidence level.

hep-ex