Physics – High Energy Physics – High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Scientific paper
2011-09-15
Physics
High Energy Physics
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
17 pages, 9 figures
Scientific paper
keV sterile neutrinos are important as extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics and as serious keV dark matter (DM) candidates (Warm DM) in agreement with both cosmological and galaxy observations. We study the possible detection of a keV sterile neutrino through its mixing with a light active neutrino in the Rhenium 187 and Tritium beta decays. The electron low energy beta spectrum 0 keV < T_e < (Q_{beta} - m_s)keV is the region where a sterile neutrino could be detected and its mass m_s measured, (m_s being expected 1 to 10 keV from cosmological and galactic observations and theoretical analysis). This region is away from the near end-point Q_{beta} region suitable to measure the mass of the light active neutrino. In order to analyze the sterile neutrino effect, we introduce the dimensionless ratio R of the sterile neutrino to the active neutrino contribution: R exhibits a constant plateau that starts at momentum p_e = 0 and sharply drops for p_e near its maximum value; R increases with the mixing angle and decreases for increasing sterile neutrino mass m_s. The Kurie function is expressed in terms of R and reflects its properties. For Re 187 the p-wave electrons dominate the decay by a factor 10^4 over the s-wave electrons while the Tritium decays exclusively through the s-wave electrons. Two very important experiments are running at present: MARE and KATRIN for Rhenium 187 and Tritium beta decays respectively; (KATRIN concentrates on the end-point electron region but if appropriately modified could look for the keV sterile neutrino as well). The carefully computed decay rates and spectra support that the largest realistic ratio R is about 10^{-8} for current sterile neutrino models, and the number of sterile neutrino events [for typical 10 years of MARE data acquisition] is about 10^{5}-10^{7}, which is not negligible.
de Guerra Moya E.
de Vega Hector J.
Medrano Marina Ramon
Moreno Oscar
Sánchez Nadia
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