Department of Physics

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Author: search.filters.author.Chauhan, BhaveshSubject: search.filters.subject.High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)

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    Using supernova neutrinos to probe strange spin of proton with JUNO and THEIA
    (2022-11) Chauhan, Bhavesh
    The strange quark contribution to proton's spin (Δs) is a fundamental quantity that is poorly determined from current experiments. Neutrino-proton elastic scattering (pES) is a promising channel to measure this quantity, and requires an intense source of low-energy neutrinos and a low-threshold detector with excellent resolution. In this paper, we propose that neutrinos from a galactic supernova and their interactions with protons in large-volume scintillation detectors can be utilized to determine Δs. The spectra of all flavors of supernova neutrinos can be independently determined using a combination of DUNE and Super-(Hyper-)Kamiokande. This allows us to predict pES event rates in JUNO and THEIA, and estimate Δs by comparing with detected events. We find that the projected sensitivity for a supernova at 1 kpc (10 kpc), is approximately ±0.01 (±0.15). Interestingly, the limits from a nearby supernova would be comparable to the results from lattice QCD, and better than polarized deep-inelastic scattering experiments. Using supernova neutrinos provides a true Q2→0 measurement, and thus an axial-mass independent determination of Δs.
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    Large Energy Singles at JUNO from Atmospheric Neutrinos and Dark Matter
    (American Physical Society, 2021-11) Chauhan, Bhavesh
    Large liquid scintillator detectors, such as JUNO, present a new opportunity to study neutral current events from the low-energy end of the atmospheric neutrinos, and possible new physics signals due to light dark matter. We carefully study the possibility of detecting ``Large Energy Singles'' (LES), i.e., events with visible scintillation energy >15\,MeV, but no other associated tags. For an effective exposure of 20 kton-yr and considering only Standard Model physics, we expect the LES sample to contain ∼40 events from scattering on free protons and ∼108 events from interaction with carbon, from neutral-current interactions of atmospheric neutrinos. Backgrounds, largely due to β-decays of cosmogenic isotopes, are shown to be significant only below 15 MeV visible energy. The LES sample at JUNO can competitively probe a variety of new physics scenarios, such as boosted dark matter and annihilation of galactic dark matter to sterile neutrinos.