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arXiv · 2511.13515

Probing scalar-neutrino and scalar-dark-matter interactions with PandaX-4T

PandaX Collaboration·Tao Li·Zihao Bo·Wei Chen·Xun Chen·Yunhua Chen·Chen Cheng·Xiangyi Cui·Manna Deng·Yingjie Fan·Deqing Fang·Xuanye Fu·Zhixing Gao·Yujie Ge·Lisheng Geng·Karl Giboni·Xunan Guo·Xuyuan Guo·Zichao Guo·Chencheng Han·Ke Han·Changda He·Jinrong He·Houqi Huang·Junting Huang·Yule Huang·Ruquan Hou·Xiangdong Ji·Yonglin Ju·Xiaorun Lan·Chenxiang Li·Jiafu Li·Mingchuan Li·Peiyuan Li·Shuaijie Li·Yangdong Li·Zhiyuan Li·Qing Lin·Jianglai Liu·Yuanchun Liu·Congcong Lu·Xiaoying Lu·Lingyin Luo·Yunyang Luo·Yugang Ma·Yajun Mao·Yue Meng·Binyu Pang·Ningchun Qi·Zhicheng Qian·Xiangxiang Ren·Dong Shan·Xiaofeng Shang·Xiyuan Shao·Guofang Shen·Manbin Shen·Wenliang Sun·Xuyan Sun·Yi Tao·Yueqiang Tian·Yuxin Tian·Anqing Wang·Guanbo Wang·Hao Wang·Haoyu Wang·Jiamin Wang·Lei Wang·Meng Wang·Qiuhong Wang·Shaobo Wang·Shibo Wang·Siguang Wang·Wei Wang·Xu Wang·Zhou Wang·Yuehuan Wei·Weihao Wu·Yuan Wu·Mengjiao Xiao·Xiang Xiao·Yuhan Xie·Kaizhi Xiong·Jianqin Xu·Yifan Xu·Shunyu Yao·Binbin Yan·Xiyu Yan·Yong Yang·Peihua Ye·Chunxu Yu·Ying Yuan·Zhe Yuan·Youhui Yun·Xinning Zeng·Minzhen Zhang·Peng Zhang·Shibo Zhang·Siyuan Zhang·Shu Zhang·Tao Zhang
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Abstract

Scalar-mediated interactions may exist among neutrinos, dark matter particles, or between the two. Double $β$-decay experiments provide a powerful tool to probe such exotic interactions. Using $^{136}$Xe double $β$-decay data from PandaX-4T, we perform the first direct spectral search in the energy range of 20 to 2800~keV, setting the most stringent limits to date on scalar-mediated neutrino self-interactions for mediator masses below 2~MeV$/c^2$. These results place significant constraints on models invoking such interactions to alleviate the Hubble Tension. Assuming the same scalar also mediates dark matter self-interactions, constraints on the dark matter-scalar interactions can be placed in conjunction with cosmological constraints.

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PandaX Collaboration, Tao Li, Zihao Bo, Wei Chen, Xun Chen, Yunhua Chen, Chen Cheng, Xiangyi Cui, Manna Deng, Yingjie Fan, Deqing Fang, Xuanye Fu, Zhixing Gao, Yujie Ge, Lisheng Geng, Karl Giboni, Xunan Guo, Xuyuan Guo, Zichao Guo, Chencheng Han, Ke Han, Changda He, Jinrong He, Houqi Huang, Junting Huang, Yule Huang, Ruquan Hou, Xiangdong Ji, Yonglin Ju, Xiaorun Lan, Chenxiang Li, Jiafu Li, Mingchuan Li, Peiyuan Li, Shuaijie Li, Yangdong Li, Zhiyuan Li, Qing Lin, Jianglai Liu, Yuanchun Liu, Congcong Lu, Xiaoying Lu, Lingyin Luo, Yunyang Luo, Yugang Ma, Yajun Mao, Yue Meng, Binyu Pang, Ningchun Qi, Zhicheng Qian, Xiangxiang Ren, Dong Shan, Xiaofeng Shang, Xiyuan Shao, Guofang Shen, Manbin Shen, Wenliang Sun, Xuyan Sun, Yi Tao, Yueqiang Tian, Yuxin Tian, Anqing Wang, Guanbo Wang, Hao Wang, Haoyu Wang, Jiamin Wang, Lei Wang, Meng Wang, Qiuhong Wang, Shaobo Wang, Shibo Wang, Siguang Wang, Wei Wang, Xu Wang, Zhou Wang, Yuehuan Wei, Weihao Wu, Yuan Wu, Mengjiao Xiao, Xiang Xiao, Yuhan Xie, Kaizhi Xiong, Jianqin Xu, Yifan Xu, Shunyu Yao, Binbin Yan, Xiyu Yan, Yong Yang, Peihua Ye, Chunxu Yu, Ying Yuan, Zhe Yuan, Youhui Yun, Xinning Zeng, Minzhen Zhang, Peng Zhang, Shibo Zhang, Siyuan Zhang, Shu Zhang, Tao Zhang. 2026-05-21. Probing scalar-neutrino and scalar-dark-matter interactions with PandaX-4T. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.13515

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