Searching for Hidden Neutrons with a Reactor Neutrino Experiment: Constraints from the STEREO Experiment

H. Almazán, L Bernard, A. Blanchet, A. Bonhomme, C. Buck, P. del Amo Sanchez, I. El Atmani, L. Labit, A. Letourneau, Jacob Lamblin, D. Lhuillier, M. Licciardi, M. Lindner, T. Materna, Olivier Méplan, Henri Pessard, Guillaume Pignol, J. -S. Réal, J. -S. Ricol, C. RocaR. Rogly, Thomas Salagnac, Michael SARRAZIN, V. Savu, Stefan Schoppmann, Torsten Soldner, Anne Stutz, Mathieu Vialat

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Different extensions of the standard model of particle physics, such as braneworld or mirror matter models, predict the existence of a neutron sterile state, possibly as a dark matter candidate. This Letter reports a new experimental constraint on the probability p for neutron conversion into a hidden neutron, set by the STEREO experiment at the high flux reactor of the Institut Laue-Langevin. The limit is p<3.1×10-11 at 95% C.L. improving the previous limit by a factor of 13. This result demonstrates that short-baseline neutrino experiments can be used as competitive passing-through-walls neutron experiments to search for hidden neutrons.

Original languageEnglish
Article number061801
Number of pages6
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume128
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Feb 2022

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