Sunday 23 March 2025
The quest for new physics beyond the Standard Model has led scientists to explore uncharted territories, and one of the most promising avenues is the neutrino magnetic moment portal. This theoretical concept proposes that sterile neutrinos, hypothetical particles that don’t interact with matter via any fundamental force except gravity, can decay into active neutrinos through a transition magnetic moment.
Researchers have been scrutinizing the prospects for detecting this phenomenon at future lepton colliders, such as CEPC, FCC-ee, CLIC, and the muon collider. These machines will accelerate electrons or their antimatter counterparts to incredible energies, allowing scientists to recreate the conditions that existed in the early universe. By studying the interactions between these particles and sterile neutrinos, physicists hope to uncover evidence of new physics beyond the Standard Model.
To achieve this goal, researchers have developed a comprehensive simulation framework that incorporates various theoretical models and experimental constraints. The analysis focuses on the production of sterile neutrinos at lepton colliders and their subsequent decay into active neutrinos. By examining different channels and final states, scientists can constrain the magnitude of the transition magnetic moment and identify potential signals.
One of the most promising approaches involves the use of collider experiments to produce sterile neutrinos that promptly decay into visible particles, such as muons or electrons. This strategy leverages the high-energy capabilities of future lepton colliders to create an environment where sterile neutrinos can be produced and detected with unprecedented precision.
The authors of this study have conducted a thorough analysis of the expected sensitivity for detecting the transition magnetic moment at various lepton colliders. Their results indicate that the expected sensitivity can reach a remarkable level, with some channels potentially probing values as low as 10^-7 GeV-1. This is an order of magnitude improvement over previous estimates, making it possible to test the neutrino magnetic moment portal in the near future.
To further refine their predictions, researchers have implemented a range of cuts and selection criteria to reject background events and enhance signal sensitivity. These cuts are designed to take advantage of the unique characteristics of each collider experiment, such as the energy reach and detector capabilities. By carefully tuning these parameters, scientists can optimize their search for evidence of new physics.
The prospect of discovering sterile neutrinos or constraining the transition magnetic moment is not only significant for particle physics but also has far-reaching implications for our understanding of the universe.
Cite this article: “Hunting Sterile Neutrinos with Future Lepton Colliders”, The Science Archive, 2025.
Neutrino Magnetic Moment, Sterile Neutrinos, Lepton Colliders, Cepc, Fcc-Ee, Clic, Muon Collider, Standard Model, Particle Physics, New Physics.
