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arXiv · 1311.5347

New limits on heavy sterile neutrino mixing in ${^{8}\rm{B}}$-decay obtained with the Borexino detector

Borexino collaboration·G. Bellini·J. Benziger·D. Bick·G. Bonfini·D. Bravo·M. Buizza Avanzini·B. Caccianiga·L. Cadonati·F. Calaprice·P. Cavalcante·A. Chavarria·A. Chepurnov·D. DAngelo·S. Davini·A. Derbin·I. Drachnev·A. Empl·A. Etenko·K. Fomenko·D. Franco·C. Galbiati·S. Gazzana·C. Ghiano·M. Giammarchi·M. Goger-Neff·A. Goretti·L. Grandi·C. Hagner·E. Hungerford·Aldo Ianni·Andrea Ianni·V. Kobychev·D. Korablev·G. Korga·D. Kryn·M. Laubenstein·T. Lewke·E. Litvinovich·B. Loer·F. Lombardi·P. Lombardi·L. Ludhova·G. Lukyanchenko·I. Machulin·S. Manecki·W. Maneschg·G. Manuzio·Q. Meindl·E. Meroni·L. Miramonti·M. Misiaszek·P. Mosteiro·V. Muratova·L. Oberauer·M. Obolensky·F. Ortica·K. Otis·M. Pallavicini·L. Papp·L. Perasso·S. Perasso·A. Pocar·G. Ranucci·A. Razeto·A. Re·A. Romani·N. Rossi·R. Saldanha·C. Salvo·S. Schonert·H. Simgen·M. Skorokhvatov·O. Smirnov·A. Sotnikov·S. Sukhotin·Y. Suvorov·R. Tartaglia·G. Testera·D. Vignaud·R. B. Vogelaar·F. von Feilitzsch·J. Winter·M. Wojcik·A. Wright·M. Wurm·J. Xu·O. Zaimidoroga·S. Zavatarelli·G. Zuzel
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Abstract

If heavy neutrinos with mass $m_{\nu_{H}}\geq$2$ m_e $ are produced in the Sun via the decay ${^8\rm{B}} \rightarrow {^8\rm{Be}} + e^+ + \nu_H$ in a side branch of pp-chain, they would undergo the observable decay into an electron, a positron and a light neutrino $\nu_{H}\rightarrow\nu_{L}+e^++e^-$. In the present work Borexino data are used to set a bound on the existence of such decays. We constrain the mixing of a heavy neutrino with mass 1.5 MeV $\leq m_{\nu_{H}} \le$ 14 MeV to be $|U_{eH}|^2\leq (10^{-3}-4\times10^{-6})$ respectively. These are tighter limits on the mixing parameters than obtained in previous experiments at nuclear reactors and accelerators.

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Borexino collaboration, G. Bellini, J. Benziger, D. Bick, G. Bonfini, D. Bravo, M. Buizza Avanzini, B. Caccianiga, L. Cadonati, F. Calaprice, P. Cavalcante, A. Chavarria, A. Chepurnov, D. DAngelo, S. Davini, A. Derbin, I. Drachnev, A. Empl, A. Etenko, K. Fomenko, D. Franco, C. Galbiati, S. Gazzana, C. Ghiano, M. Giammarchi, M. Goger-Neff, A. Goretti, L. Grandi, C. Hagner, E. Hungerford, Aldo Ianni, Andrea Ianni, V. Kobychev, D. Korablev, G. Korga, D. Kryn, M. Laubenstein, T. Lewke, E. Litvinovich, B. Loer, F. Lombardi, P. Lombardi, L. Ludhova, G. Lukyanchenko, I. Machulin, S. Manecki, W. Maneschg, G. Manuzio, Q. Meindl, E. Meroni, L. Miramonti, M. Misiaszek, P. Mosteiro, V. Muratova, L. Oberauer, M. Obolensky, F. Ortica, K. Otis, M. Pallavicini, L. Papp, L. Perasso, S. Perasso, A. Pocar, G. Ranucci, A. Razeto, A. Re, A. Romani, N. Rossi, R. Saldanha, C. Salvo, S. Schonert, H. Simgen, M. Skorokhvatov, O. Smirnov, A. Sotnikov, S. Sukhotin, Y. Suvorov, R. Tartaglia, G. Testera, D. Vignaud, R. B. Vogelaar, F. von Feilitzsch, J. Winter, M. Wojcik, A. Wright, M. Wurm, J. Xu, O. Zaimidoroga, S. Zavatarelli, G. Zuzel. 2013-11-21. New limits on heavy sterile neutrino mixing in ${^{8}\rm{B}}$-decay obtained with the Borexino detector. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.88.072010

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