arXiv subjects

Y. Y. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Y. Y. Zhang.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

A multi-cubic-kilometre neutrino telescope in the western Pacific Ocean

Next-generation neutrino telescopes with significantly improved sensitivity are required to pinpoint the sources of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux detected by IceCube and uncover the century-old puzzle of cosmic ray origins. A detector near the equator will provide a unique viewpoint of the neutrino sky, complementing IceCube and other neutrino telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere. Here we present results from an expedition to the north-eastern region of the South China Sea, in the western Pacific Ocean. A favorable neutrino telescope site was found on an abyssal plain at a depth of $\sim$ 3.5km. At depths below 3km, the sea current speed, water absorption and scattering lengths for Cherenkov light, were measured to be $v_{\mathrm{c}}<$10cm/s, $λ_{\mathrm{abs} }\simeq$ 27m and $λ_{\mathrm{sca} }\simeq$ 63m, respectively. Accounting for these measurements, we present the design and expected performance of a next-generation neutrino telescope, TRopIcal DEep-sea Neutrino Telescope (TRIDENT). With its advanced photon-detection technology and large dimensions, TRIDENT expects to observe the IceCube steady source candidate NGC 1068 with 5$σ$ significance within 1 year of operation. This level of sensitivity will open a new arena for diagnosing the origin of cosmic rays and probing fundamental physics over astronomical baselines.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Impact of the Dresden-II and COHERENT neutrino scattering data on neutrino electromagnetic properties and electroweak physics

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$ν$NS) represents a powerful tool to investigate key electroweak physics parameters and neutrino properties since its first observation in 2017 by the COHERENT experiment exploiting the spallation neutron source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In light of the recent detection of such a process with antineutrinos produced by the Dresden-II reactor scattering off a germanium detector, we revisit the limits so far set on the neutrino magnetic moments, charge radii and millicharges as well as on the weak mixing angle. In order to do so, we also include the contribution of elastic neutrino-electron scattering, whose effect becomes non negligible in some beyond the Standard Model theories. By using different hypotheses for the germanium quenching factor and the reactor antineutrino flux, we provide a measurement of the weak mixing angle at the low-energy scale of the Dresden-II reactor experiment and, thanks to a combined analysis with the latest cesium iodide and argon data set released by the COHERENT Collaboration, we deliver updated limits for the neutrino electromagnetic properties. Interestingly, we are able to set a new best upper limit on the electron neutrino charge radius and significantly improve the other CE$ν$NS-related limits on the neutrino electric charge and magnetic moment.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Probing light mediators and $(g-2)_μ$ through detection of coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering at COHERENT

We present the constraints on the parameters of several light boson mediator models obtained from the analysis of the current data of the COHERENT CE$ν$NS experiment. We consider a variety of vector boson mediator models: the so-called universal, the $B-L$ and other anomaly-free $U(1)'$ gauge models with direct couplings of the new vector boson with neutrinos and quarks, and the anomaly-free $L_e-L_μ$, $L_e-L_τ$, and $L_μ-L_τ$ gauge models where the coupling of the new vector boson with the quarks is generated by kinetic mixing with the photon at the one-loop level. We consider also a model with a new light scalar boson mediator that is assumed, for simplicity, to have universal coupling with quarks and leptons. Since the COHERENT CE$ν$NS data are well-fitted with the cross section predicted by the Standard Model, the analysis of the data yields constraints for the mass and coupling of the new boson mediator that depend on the charges of quarks and neutrinos in each model under consideration. We compare these constraints with the limits obtained in other experiments and with the values that can explain the muon $g-2$ anomaly in the models where the muon couples to the new boson mediator.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

New insights into nuclear physics and weak mixing angle using electroweak probes

Using the new results on coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering data in cesium-iodide provided by the COHERENT experiment, we determine a new measurement of the average neutron rms radius of $^{133}\text{Cs}$ and $^{127}\text{I}$. In combination with the atomic parity violation (APV) experimental result, we derive the most precise measurement of the neutron rms radii of $^{133}\text{Cs}$ and $^{127}\text{I}$, disentangling for the first time the contributions of the two nuclei. By exploiting these measurements we determine the corresponding neutron skin values for $^{133}\text{Cs}$ and $^{127}\text{I}$. These results suggest a preference for models which predict large neutron skin values, as corroborated by the only other electroweak measurements of the neutron skin of $^{208}\text{Pb}$ performed by PREX experiments. Moreover, for the first time, we obtain a data-driven APV+COHERENT measurement of the low-energy weak mixing angle with a percent uncertainty, independent of the value of the average neutron rms radius of $^{133}\text{Cs}$ and $^{127}\text{I}$, that is allowed to vary freely in the fit. The value of the low-energy weak mixing angle that we found is slightly larger than the standard model prediction.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Neutrino-4 anomaly: oscillations or fluctuations?

We present a deep study of the Neutrino-4 data aimed at finding the statistical significance of the large-mixing short-baseline neutrino oscillation signal claimed by the Neutrino-4 collaboration at more than $3σ$. We found that the results of the Neutrino-4 collaboration can be reproduced approximately only by neglecting the effects of the energy resolution of the detector. Including these effects, we found that the best fit is obtained for a mixing that is even larger, close to maximal, but the statistical significance of the short-baseline neutrino oscillation signal is only about $2.7σ$ if evaluated with the usual method based on Wilks' theorem. We show that the large Neutrino-4 mixing is in strong tension with the KATRIN, PROSPECT, STEREO, and solar $ν_{e}$ bounds. Using a more reliable Monte Carlo simulation of a large set of Neutrino-4-like data, we found that the statistical significance of the Neutrino-4 short-baseline neutrino oscillation signal decreases to about $2.2σ$. We also show that it is not unlikely to find a best-fit point that has a large mixing, even maximal, in the absence of oscillations. Therefore, we conclude that the claimed Neutrino-4 indication in favor of short-baseline neutrino oscillations with very large mixing is rather doubtful.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Constraints on light vector mediators through coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering data from COHERENT

We present new constraints on three different models, the so-called universal, $B-L$ and $L_μ-L_τ$ models, involving a yet to be observed light vector $Z'$ mediator, by exploiting the recent observation of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$ν$NS) in argon and cesium-iodide performed by the COHERENT Collaboration. We compare the results obtained from a combination of the above data sets with the limits derived from searches in fixed target, accelerator, solar neutrino and reactor CE$ν$NS experiments, and with the parameter region that could explain the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We show that for the universal and the $B-L$ models, the COHERENT data allow us to put stringent limits in the light vector mediator mass, $M_{Z'}$, and coupling, $g_{Z'}$, parameter space.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Physics results from the first COHERENT observation of CE$ν$NS in argon and their combination with cesium-iodide data

We present the results on the radius of the neutron distribution in $^{40}\text{Ar}$, on the low-energy value of the weak mixing angle, and on the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos obtained from the analysis of the coherent neutrino-nucleus elastic scattering data in argon recently published by the COHERENT collaboration, taking into account proper radiative corrections. We present also the results of the combined analysis of the COHERENT argon and cesium-iodide data for the determination of the low-energy value of the weak mixing angle and the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos. In particular, the COHERENT argon data allow us to improve significantly the only existing laboratory bounds on the electric charge $q_{μμ}$ of the muon neutrino and on the transition electric charge $q_{μτ}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

KATRIN bound on 3+1 active-sterile neutrino mixing and the reactor antineutrino anomaly

We present the bounds on 3+1 active-sterile neutrino mixing obtained from the first results of the KATRIN experiment. We show that the KATRIN data extend the Mainz and Troitsk bound to smaller values of $Δ{m}^2_{41}$ for large mixing and improves the exclusion of the large-$Δ{m}^2_{41}$ solution of the Huber-Muller reactor antineutrino anomaly. We also show that the combined bound of the Mainz, Troitsk, and KATRIN tritium experiments and the Bugey-3, NEOS, PROSPECT, and DANSS reactor spectral ratio measurements exclude most of the region in the ($\sin^2\!2\vartheta_{ee},Δ{m}^2_{41}$) plane allowed by the Huber-Muller reactor antineutrino anomaly. Considering two new calculations of the reactor neutrino fluxes, we show that one, that predicts a lower $^{235}\text{U}$ neutrino flux, is in agreement with the tritium and reactor spectral ratio measurements, whereas the other leads to a larger tension than the Huber-Muller prediction. We also show that the combined reactor spectral ratio and tritium measurements disfavor the Neutrino-4 indication of large active-sterile mixing. We finally discuss the constraints on the gallium neutrino anomaly.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Neutrino Charge Radii from COHERENT Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering is a powerful probe of neutrino properties, in particular of the neutrino charge radii. We present the bounds on the neutrino charge radii obtained from the analysis of the data of the COHERENT experiment. We show that the time information of the COHERENT data allows us to restrict the allowed ranges of the neutrino charge radii. We also obtained for the first time bounds on the neutrino transition charge radii, which are quantities beyond the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Neutrino, Electroweak and Nuclear Physics from COHERENT Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering with a New Quenching Factor

We present an updated analysis of the coherent neutrino-nucleus elastic scattering data of the COHERENT experiment taking into account the new quenching factor published recently in Phys. Rev. D100, 033003 (2019). Through a fit of the COHERENT time-integrated energy spectrum, we show that the new quenching factor leads to a better determination of the average rms radius of the neutron distributions of $^{133}\text{Cs}$ and $^{127}\text{I}$, while in combination with the atomic parity violation (APV) experimental results it allows to determine a data-driven APV measurement of the low-energy weak mixing angle in very good agreement with the Standard Model prediction. We also find a $3.7σ$ evidence of the suppression of coherence due to the nuclear structure. Neutrino properties are better constrained by considering the COHERENT time-dependent spectral data, that allow us to improve the bounds on the neutrino charge radii and magnetic moments. We also present for the first time constraints on the neutrino charges obtained with coherent neutrino-nucleus elastic scattering data. In particular, we obtain the first laboratory constraints on the diagonal charge of $ν_μ$ and the $ν_μ$-$ν_τ$ transition charge.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Average CsI neutron density distribution from COHERENT data

Using the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering data of the COHERENT experiment, we determine for the first time the average neutron rms radius of $^{133}\text{Cs}$ and $^{127}\text{I}$. We obtain the practically model-independent value $ R_{n} = 5.5 {}^{+0.9}_{-1.1} \, \text{fm} $ using the symmetrized Fermi and Helm form factors. We also point out that the COHERENT data show a $2.3σ$ evidence of the nuclear structure suppression of the full coherence.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Effect of Covalent Functionalisation on Thermal Transport Across Graphene-Polymer Interfaces

This paper is concerned with the interfacial thermal resistance for polymer composites reinforced by various covalently functionalised graphene. By using molecular dynamics simulations, the obtained results show that the covalent functionalisation in graphene plays a significant role in reducing the graphene-paraffin interfacial thermal resistance. This reduction is dependent on the coverage and type of functional groups. Among the various functional groups, butyl is found to be the most effective in reducing the interfacial thermal resistance, followed by methyl, phenyl and formyl. The other functional groups under consideration such as carboxyl, hydroxyl and amines are found to produce negligible reduction in the interfacial thermal resistance. For multilayer graphene with a layer number up to four, the interfacial thermal resistance is insensitive to the layer number. The effects of the different functional groups and the layer number on the interfacial thermal resistance are also elaborated using the vibrational density of states of the graphene and the paraffin matrix. The present findings provide useful guidelines in the application of functionalised graphene for practical thermal management.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

Effect of disorder with long-range correlation on transport in graphene nanoribbon

Transport in disordered armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGR) with long-range correlation between quantum wire contact is investigated by transfer matrix combined with Landauer's formula. Metal-insulator transition is induced by disorder in neutral AGR. Thereinto, the conductance is one conductance quantum for metallic phase and exponentially decays otherwise when the length of AGR is infinity and far longer than its width. Similar to the case of long-range disorder, the conductance of neutral AGR first increases and then decreases while the conductance of doped AGR monotonically decreases, as the disorder strength increases. In the presence of strong disorder, the conductivity depends monotonically and non-monotonically on the aspect ratio for heavily doped and slightly doped AGR respectively.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2009

A Weak Lensing Study of X-ray Groups in the COSMOS survey: Form and Evolution of the Mass-Luminosity Relation

Measurements of X-ray scaling laws are critical for improving cosmological constraints derived with the halo mass function and for understanding the physical processes that govern the heating and cooling of the intracluster medium. In this paper, we use a sample of 206 X-ray selected galaxy groups to investigate the scaling relation between X-ray luminosity (Lx) and halo mass (M00) where M200 is derived via stacked weak gravitational lensing. This work draws upon a broad array of multi-wavelength COSMOS observations including 1.64 square degrees of contiguous imaging with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and deep XMM-Newton/Chandra imaging. The combined depth of these two data-sets allows us to probe the lensing signals of X-ray detected structures at both higher redshifts and lower masses than previously explored. Weak lensing profiles and halo masses are derived for nine sub-samples, narrowly binned in luminosity and redshift. The COSMOS data alone are well fit by a power law, M200 ~ Lx^a, with a slope of a=0.66+-0.14. These results significantly extend the dynamic range for which the halo masses of X-ray selected structures have been measured with weak gravitational lensing. As a result, tight constraints are obtained for the slope of the M-Lx relation. The combination of our group data with previously published cluster data demonstrates that the M-Lx relation is well described by a single power law, a=0.64+-0.03, over two decades in mass, 10^13.5-10^15.5 h72^-1 Msun. These results are inconsistent at the 3.7 level with the self-similar prediction of a=0.75. We examine the redshift dependence of the M-Lx relation and find little evidence for evolution beyond the rate predicted by self-similarity from z ~ 0.25 to z ~ 0.8.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2008

XMM-Newton studies of a massive cluster of galaxies: RXCJ2228.6+2036

We present the X-ray properties of a massive cluster of galaxies (RXCJ2228.6+2036 at $z=0.421$) using {\it XMM-Newton} data. The X-ray mass modeling is based on the temperature and density distributions of the intracluster medium derived using a deprojection method. We found that RXCJ2228.6+2036 is a hot cluster ($T_{500}=8.92^{+1.78}_{-1.32}$ keV) showing a cooling flow rate of $12.0^{+56.0}_{-12.0}$ M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$ based on spectral fitting within the cooling flow radius ($r_{cool}=147\pm10$ kpc). The total cluster mass is $M_{500}=(1.19\pm0.35)\times10^{15}$ M$_{\odot}$ and the mean gas mass fraction is $f_{gas}=0.165\pm0.045$ at $r_{500}=1.61\pm0.16$ Mpc. We discussed the PSF-correction effect on the spectral analysis and found that for the annular width we chose the PSF-corrected temperatures are consistent with those without PSF-correction. We observed a remarkable agreement between X-ray and SZ results, which is of prime importance for the future SZ survey. RXCJ2228.6+2036 obeys the empirical scaling relations found in general massive galaxy clusters (e.g. $S$--$T$, $M$--$T$, $L$--$T$ and $M$--$Y$) after accounting for self-similar evolution.

astro-ph↗