Search for signatures of sterile neutrinos with Double Chooz

• Main Authors: Abrahão, T. (Author), Almazan, H. (Author), dos Anjos, J. C. (Author), Appel, S. (Author), Barriere, J. C. (Author), Bekman, I. (Author), Bezerra, T. J. C. (Author), Bezrukov, L. (Author), Blucher, E. (Author), Brugière, T. (Author), Buck, C. (Author), Busenitz, J. (Author), Cabrera, A. (Author), Cerrada, M. (Author), Chauveau, E. (Author), Chimenti, P. (Author), Corpace, O. (Author), Dawson, J. V. (Author), Djurcic, Z. (Author), Etenko, A. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2022-01-24T15:16:40Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

Abstract We present a search for signatures of neutrino mixing of electron anti-neutrinos with additional hypothetical sterile neutrino flavors using the Double Chooz experiment. The search is based on data from 5 years of operation of Double Chooz, including 2 years in the two-detector configuration. The analysis is based on a profile likelihood, i.e. comparing the data to the model prediction of disappearance in a data-to-data comparison of the two respective detectors. The analysis is optimized for a model of three active and one sterile neutrino. It is sensitive in the typical mass range $${5 \times 10^{-3}}\,\mathrm{eV}^2 \lesssim \varDelta m^2_{41} \lesssim {3 \times 10^{-1}}\,\mathrm{eV}^2 $$ 5 × 10 - 3 eV 2 ≲ Δ m 41 2 ≲ 3 × 10 - 1 eV 2 for mixing angles down to $$\sin ^2 2\theta _{14} \gtrsim {0.02} $$ sin 2 2 θ 14 ≳ 0.02 . No significant disappearance additionally to the conventional disappearance related to $$\theta _{13} $$ θ 13 is observed and correspondingly exclusion bounds on the sterile mixing parameter $$\theta _{14} $$ θ 14 as a function of $$ \varDelta m^2_{41} $$ Δ m 41 2 are obtained.