Probing physics beyond the standard model using sterile neutrino models

• Grant number: 16/02636-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Renata Zukanovich Funchal
• Grantee: Zahra Khajeh Tabrizi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 12/10995-7 - Particle physics phenomenology, AP.TEM

Abstract

Neutrinos are the lightest particles known in the universe with non-zero mass. They are the second most abundant particle in the universe and electrically neutral; however, they are affected by the weak force. Although the huge amount of the information collected from the solar, atmospheric, reactor and accelerator neutrino oscillation experiments are in agreement with the 3-neutrino hypothesis, there are a number of neutrino oscillation experiments whose results cannot be explained within the framework of 3-neutrino oscillations. The most popular way to explain these anomalies is assuming the existence of 1 (or more) sterile neutrino state(s), which are singlet(s) under the SM. Since such particles do not interact, they can only be detected through their mixing with the active neutrinos. Plenty of experiments have been designed to check this scenario, yet the data collected to date, present an incomplete picture of sterile neutrinos, some in favor and some against sterile hypothesis. Clarifying the existence/absence of the sterile neutrinos is one of the biggest questions in neutrino physics, and the main emphasis of this project.In this project we plan to study the neutrino sector of the standard model. Specifically, we investigate answers to some of the yet unanswered questions in this field, including the existence of sterile neutrinos, implications of the recent observation of astrophysical neutrinos by the IceCube experiment and opportu- nities to study new physics beyond the Standard Model. Our main focus will be the study of the data of the huge IceCube detector as well as the potential of the future experiments such as the DUNE experiment to probe the new physics scenarios. In addition to these we will investigate the models of cosmological relaxation and will try to connect these models to the flavor sector of the SM in an attempt to build a flavor theory. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FALKOWSKI, ADAM; DI CORTONA, GIOVANNI GRILLI; TABRIZI, ZAHRA. Future DUNE constraints on EFT. Journal of High Energy Physics, n. 4, APR 17 2018. (16/02636-8, 16/17041-0)

FALKOWSKI, ADAM; GONZALEZ-ALONSO, MARTIN; TABRIZI, ZAHRA. Reactor neutrino oscillations as constraints on effective field theory. Journal of High Energy Physics, n. 5, MAY 27 2019. (16/02636-8)

BEAUCHESNE, HUGUES; BERTUZZO, ENRICO; DI CORTONA, GIOVANNI GRILLI; TABRIZI, ZAHRA. Collider phenomenology of Hidden Valley mediators of spin 0 or 1/2 with semivisible jets. Journal of High Energy Physics, n. 8, AUG 8 2018. (16/02636-8, 15/25884-4, 16/17041-0, 16/17040-3)