Constraints on millicharged particles from nuclear gamma-decays

Abstract

We consider nuclear gamma decays and $γ$-emitting reactions that can be an efficient source of hypothetical millicharged particles ($χ$). In particular, we revisit the production of millicharged particles in nuclear reactor environment, pointing out that $γ$ cascades from $^{239}$U is an overlooked yet a powerful source of $χ\barχ$ pairs. This leads to an increased flux compared to previous studies. We then apply new estimates of the flux to derive novel limits on the value of millicharge, $\varepsilon = Q_χ/e$, from the electron recoil searched for in a variety of experiments placed in proximity to the reactor cores. The derived limits on $\varepsilon$ are the strongest in the interval of masses $\sim 0.7-2$ MeV. We also derive the MCP flux from the Sun and point out potential sensitivity of the low-threshold dark matter search experiments.