arXiv subjects

Yasaman Farzan

Publications and source records attributed to Yasaman Farzan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Hide-and-seek with cosmic tau neutrinos

We first revisit the possibility of preserving the original flavor ratio of high energy cosmic neutrino flux by turning on a coupling between these neutrinos and ultra-light dark matter. We discuss the bound that can be set on such a coupling from the recent $ν_τ$ observation by ICECUBE and outline the implications of the coupling for the EeV range cosmic neutrino flux to be observed by upcoming neutrino detectors. We then focus on the $3+1$ scheme when the active sterile oscillation length is of order of 1000~km for EeV range cosmic neutrinos. We show that within this scenario, the probability of survival of an active neutrino passing through the Earth can be sizable, despite the fact that the mean free path of the EeV neutrinos is much smaller than the Earth radius. This opens up the possibility to have neutrino events similar to the two anomalous events reported by ANITA.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

On the Tau flavor of the cosmic neutrino flux

Observation of high energy cosmic neutrinos by ICECUBE has ushered in a new era in exploring both cosmos and new physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). In the standard picture, although mostly $ν_μ$ and $ν_e$ are produced in the source, oscillation will produce $ν_τ$ {\it en route}. Certain beyond SM scenarios, like interaction with ultralight DM can alter this picture. Thus, the flavor composition of the cosmic neutrino flux can open up the possibility of exploring certain beyond the SM scenarios that are inaccessible otherwise. We show that the $τ$ flavor holds a special place among the neutrino flavors in elucidating new physics. Interpreting the two anomalous events observed by ANITA as $ν_τ$ events makes the tau flavor even more intriguing. We study how the detection of the two tau events by ICECUBE constrains the interaction of the neutrinos with ultralight dark matter and discuss the implications of this interaction for even higher energy cosmic neutrinos detectable by future radio telescopes such as ARA, ARIANNA and GRAND. We also revisit the $3+1$ neutrino scheme as a solution to the two anomalous ANITA events and clarify a misconception that exists in the literature about the evolution of high energy neutrinos in matter within the $3+1$ scheme with a possibility of scattering off nuclei. We show that the existing bounds on the flux of $ν_τ$ with energy of EeV rules out this solution for the ANITA events. We show that the $3+1$ solution can be saved from both this bound and from the bound on the extra relativistic degrees of freedom in the early universe by turning on the interaction of neutrinos with ultralight dark matter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Pico-charged particles explaining 511 keV line and XENON1T signal

There is a robust signal for a 511 keV photon line from the galactic center which may originate from dark matter particles with masses of a few MeV. To avoid the bounds from delayed recombination and from the absence of the line from dwarf galaxies, in 2017, we have proposed a model in which dark matter first decays into a pair of intermediate pico-charged particles $C\bar{C}$ with a lifetime much larger than the age of the universe. The galactic magnetic field accumulates the relativistic $C\bar{C}$ that eventually annihilate, producing the $e^-e^+$ pair that give rise to the 511 keV line. The relativistic pico-charged $C$ particles can scatter on the electrons inside the direct dark matter search detectors imparting a recoil energy of $E_r \sim$~keV. We show that this model can account for the electron recoil excess recently reported by the XENON1T experiment. Moreover, we show that the XENON1T electron recoil data sets the most stringent bound on the lifetime of the dark matter within this model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Discovery potential of FASER$ν$ with contained vertex and through-going events

FASER$ν$ is a newly proposed detector whose main mission is to detect the neutrino flux from the collision of the proton beams at the ATLAS Interaction Point (IP) during the run III of the LHC in 2022-2024. We show that this detector can also test certain beyond standard model scenarios, especially the ones in which the neutrino interaction with matter fields can produce new unstable particles decaying back into charged leptons. Models of this kind are motivated by the MiniBooNE anomaly. We show that, if the new physics involves multi-muon production by neutrinos scattering off matter fields, including the neutrino flux interactions in the rock before the detector in the analysis ({\it i.e.,} accounting for the through-going muon pairs) can significantly increase the effective detector mass and its sensitivity to new physics. We propose a concrete model that can give rise to such a multi-muon signal.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Unravelling the richness of dark sector by FASER$ν$

FASER$ν$ is a newly proposed experiment which will take data in run III of the LHC during 2021-2023. It will be located in front of the FASER detector, 480~m away from the ATLAS interaction point in the forward direction. Its main goal is to detect neutrinos of all flavors produced at the interaction point with superb precision in reconstructing charged tracks. This capability makes FASER$ν$ an ideal setup for uncovering the pattern and properties of a light dark sector. We demonstrate this capability for a well-motivated class of models with a dark matter candidate of mass around a few GeV. Dark matter annihilates to a pair of intermediate neutral particles that subsequently decay into the standard model charged fermions. We show how FASER$ν$ can shed light on the structure of the dark sector by unravelling the decay chain within such models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Ultra-light scalar saving the 3+1 neutrino scheme from the cosmological bounds

The LSND and MiniBooNE results as well as the reactor and Gallium anomalies seem to indicate the presence of a sterile neutrino with a mass of $\sim 1$ eV mixed with active neutrinos. Such sterile neutrino can be produced in the early universe before the neutrino decoupling, leading to a contribution to the effective number of neutrinos ($N_{eff}$) as well as to a contribution to the sum of neutrino masses which are in tension with cosmological observations. We propose a scenario to relax this tension by a Yukawa coupling of the sterile neutrinos to ultra-light scalar particles which contribute to the dark matter in the background. The coupling induces an effective mass for $ν_s$ which prevents its production in the early universe. We discuss the implications for the upcoming KATRIN experiment and future relic neutrino search experiments such as PTOLEMY. We also briefly comment on certain non-renormalizable forms of interaction between $ν_s$ and the scalar and their consequences for the $ν_s$ production in the early universe.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

A model for lepton flavor violating non-standard neutrino interactions

We present a model for Lepton Flavor Violating (LFV) neutral current non-standard interactions of neutrinos with matter fields parameterized by $ε_{αβ}^f$ with $α\ne β$. Here, unlike the previous models, the ratios of the off-diagonal LFV elements of the effective NSI coupling to the diagonal lepton flavor conserving ones ({\it i.e.,} $(ε_{αβ}^f)^2/(ε_{αα}^f ε_{ββ}^f)$ ) are arbitrary. The model enjoys rich phenomenology, predicting invisible Higgs decay and new meson decay modes observable in upcoming experiments. The model for $ε_{μe}^f$ also predicts a $μ^-$ to $e^-$ conversion rate on nuclei accessible in the planned experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Explaining the ANITA events by a $L_e-L_τ$ gauge model

The ANITA experiment has registered two anomalous events that can be interpreted as $ν_τ$ or $\barν_τ$ with a very high energy of $\mathcal{O}(0.6)$~EeV emerging from deep inside the Earth. At such high energies, the Earth is opaque to neutrinos so the emergence of these neutrinos at such large zenith angles is a mystery. In our paper, we present a model that explains the two anomalous events through a $L_e -L_τ$ gauge interaction involving two new Weyl fermions charged under the new gauge symmetry. We find that, as a bonus of the model, the lighter Weyl fermion can be a dark matter component. We discuss how the ANITA observation can be reconciled with the IceCube and Auger upper bounds. We also demonstrate how this model can be tested in future by collider experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Secret interactions of neutrinos with light gauge boson at the DUNE near detector

Secret interactions of neutrinos with light new gauge bosons, $Z^\prime$, can lead to a rich phenomenology in supernova explosion as well as in the early Universe. This interaction can also lead to new decay modes for charged mesons, $π^+ (K^+) \to e^+ νZ'$, and subsequently to $Z'\to ν\barν$. After demonstrating that such an interaction can be accommodated within viable electroweak symmetric models, we study how the near detector (ND) of DUNE can probe this scenario. We also discuss how the DUNE ND can make it possible to reconstruct the flavor structure of the $Z^\prime$ coupling to neutrinos.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Dark Matter Decaying into Millicharged Particles as a Solution to AMS 02 Positron Excess

The positron excess observed by PAMELA and then confirmed by AMS 02 has intrigued the particle physics community since 2008. Various dark matter decay and annihilation models have been built to explain the excess. However, the bounds from isotropic gamma ray disfavor the canonical dark matter decay scenario. We propose a solution to this excess based on the decay of dark matter particles into intermediate millicharged particles which can be trapped by the galactic magnetic field. The subsequent decay of the millicharged particles to electron positron in our vicinity can explain the excess. Since these particles diffuse out of halo before decay, their contribution to the isotropic gamma ray background is expected to be much smaller than that in canonic dark matter decay scenarios. We show that the model is testable by direct dark matter search experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Activating the 4th Neutrino of the 3+1 Scheme

Non-Standard Interactions (NSI) of neutrinos with matter has received renewed interest in recent years. In particular, it has been shown that NSI can reconcile the $3+1$ solution with IceCube atmospheric data with $E_ν>500$ GeV, provided that the effective coupling of NSI is large, e.g. $\sim 6 G_F$. The main goal of the present paper is to show that contrary to intuition, it is possible to build viable models with large NSI by invoking a new $U(1)$ gauge symmetry with gauge boson of mass $\sim 10$ eV. We refer to these new constructions as $3+1+ U(1)$ models. In the framework of a $3+1$ solution to LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies, we show that this novel NSI can help to solve the tension with cosmological bounds and constraints from IceCube atmospheric data with $E_ν>500$ GeV. We then discuss the implications of the MINOS and MINOS+ results for the 3+1+$U(1)$ scenario.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Flavor of cosmic neutrinos preserved by ultralight dark matter

Within the standard propagation scenario, the flavor ratios of high-energy cosmic neutrinos at neutrino telescopes are expected to be around the democratic benchmark resulting from hadronic sources, $\left( 1 : 1 : 1 \right)_\oplus$. We show how the coupling of neutrinos to an ultralight dark matter complex scalar field would induce an effective neutrino mass that could lead to adiabatic neutrino propagation. This would result in the preservation at the detector of the production flavor composition of neutrinos at sources. This effect could lead to flavor ratios at detectors well outside the range predicted by the standard scenario of averaged oscillations. We also present an electroweak-invariant model that would lead to the required effective interaction between neutrinos and dark matter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

A Plan to Rule out Large Non-Standard Neutrino Interactions After COHERENT Data

In the presence of neutrino Non-Standard Interactions (NSI) with matter, the derivation of neutrino parameters from oscillation data must be reconsidered. In particular, along with the standard solution to neutrino oscillation, another solution known as "LMA--Dark" is compatible with global oscillation data and requires both $θ_{12}>π/4$ and a certain flavor pattern of NSI with an effective coupling comparable to $G_F$. Contrary to conventional expectations, there is a class of models based on a new $U(1)_X$ gauge symmetry with a gauge boson of mass of few MeV to few 10 MeV that can viably give rise to such large NSI. These models can in principle be tested by Coherent Elastic $ν$-Nucleus Scattering (CE$ν$NS) experiments such as COHERENT and the upcoming reactor neutrino experiment, CONUS. We analyze how the recent results from the COHERENT experiment constrain these models and forecast the discovery potential with future measurements from COHERENT and CONUS. We also derive the constraints from COHERENT on lepton flavor violating NSI.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Probing neutrino coupling to a light scalar with coherent neutrino scattering

Large neutrino event numbers in future experiments measuring coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering allow precision measurements of standard and new physics. We analyze the current and prospective limits of a light scalar particle coupling to neutrinos and quarks, using COHERENT and CONUS as examples. Both lepton number conserving and violating interactions are considered. It is shown that current (future) experiments can probe for scalar masses of a few MeV couplings down to the level of $10^{-4}$ $(10^{-6})$. Scalars with masses around the neutrino energy allow to determine their mass via a characteristic spectrum shape distortion. Our present and future limits are compared with constraints from supernova evolution, Big Bang nucleosynthesis and neutrinoless double beta decay. We also outline UV-complete underlying models that include a light scalar with coupling to quarks for both lepton number violating and conserving coupling to neutrinos.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Pico-charged intermediate particles rescue dark matter interpretation of 511 keV signal

Various alleged indirect dark matter search signals, such as the 511 keV line from galaxy center or the PAMELA/AMS02 signal, are often challenged by the absence of corresponding signal from dwarf galaxies and/or from the absence of an impact on CMB through delayed recombination. We propose a novel scenario that can avoid these bounds based on the decay of dark matter, X, to a pair of intermediate particles C and \bar{C} with a lifetime much greater than the age of universe. The annihilation of these intermediate particles eventually leads to a dark matter signal. The bounds from CMB can be easily avoided by the fact that at the time of recombination, not enough C particles had been accumulated. In order to keep C particles from leaving the galaxy, we assume the particles have a small electric charge so in the galactic disk, the magnetic field keeps the C particles in the vicinity of their production. However, they can escape the dwarf galaxies and the dark matter halo where the magnetic field is weak, leading to null signal from these regions. The small charge can have interesting consequences including a signal in direct dark matter searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Constraining secret gauge interactions of neutrinos by meson decays

Secret coupling of neutrinos to a new light vector boson, $Z'$, with a mass smaller than 100 MeV is motivated within a myriad of scenarios which are designed to explain various anomalies in particle physics and cosmology. Due to the longitudinal component of the massive vector boson, the rates of three-body decay of charged mesons ($M$) such as the pion and the kaon to the light lepton plus neutrino and $Z'$ ($M \to l νZ'$) are enhanced by a factor of $(m_M/m_{Z'})^2$. On the other hand, the standard two body decay $M \to l ν$ is suppressed by a factor of $(m_l/m_M)^2$ due to chirality. We show that in the case of ($M \to e νZ^\prime$), the enhancement of $m_M^4/m_e^2 m_{Z^\prime}^2\sim 10^8-10^{10}$ relative to two-body decay ($M \to e ν$) enables us to probe very small values of gauge coupling for $ν_e$. The strongest bound comes from the $R_K\equiv Br(K \to e +ν)/Br(K \to μ+ν)$ measurement in the NA62 experiment. The bound can be significantly improved by customized searches for signals of three-body charged meson decay into the positron plus missing energy in the NA62 and/or PIENU data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Viable models for large non-standard neutrino interactions

Thanks to high precision long baseline neutrino experiments such as NO$ν$A and DUNE, possible effects of Non-Standard neutrino Interactions (NSI) on neutrino oscillation data have received renewed interest in the last two years. It is however challenging to build models that can give rise to NSI with sizeable couplings discernible at neutrino oscillation experiments without violating the various existing experimental bounds. We introduce two viable models that can lead to neutral current NSI with sizable couplings. Both models are based on a new $U(1)^\prime$ gauge symmetry with $Z^\prime$ gauge boson of mass $O(10~{\rm MeV})$. We will highlight the common phenomenological features of these models and suggest ways to test them.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

CP-Violation and Non-Standard Interactions at the MOMENT

To measure the last unknown $3ν$ oscillation parameter ($δ$), several long baseline neutrino experiments have been designed or proposed. Recently it has been shown that turning on neutral current Non-Standard Interactions (NSI) of neutrinos with matter can induce degeneracies that may even hinder the proposed state-of-the-art DUNE long baseline experiment from measuring the value of $δ$. We study how the result of the proposed MOMENT experiment with a baseline of 150 km and $200~{\rm MeV}<E_ν<600~{\rm MeV}$ can help to solve the degeneracy induced by NSI and determine the true value of $δ$.

hep-ph↗