First Search for Dark Sector e + e − Explanations of the MiniBooNE Anomaly at MicroBooNE
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We present MicroBooNE's first search for dark sector e^{+}e^{-} explanations of the long-standing MiniBooNE anomaly. The MiniBooNE anomaly has garnered significant attention over the past 20 years including previous MicroBooNE investigations into both anomalous electron and photon excesses, but its origin still remains unclear. In this Letter, we provide the first direct test of dark sector models in which dark neutrinos, produced through neutrino-induced scattering, decay into missing energy and visible e^{+}e^{-} pairs comprising the MiniBooNE anomaly. Many such models have recently gained traction as a viable solution to the anomaly while evading past bounds. Using an exposure of 6.87×10^{20} protons-on-target in the Booster Neutrino Beam, we implement a selection targeting forward-going, coherently produced e^{+}e^{-} events. After unblinding, we observe 95 events, which we compare with the constrained background-only prediction of 69.7±17.3. This analysis sets the world's first direct limits on these dark sector models and, at the 95% confidence level, excludes the entirety of the single dark neutrino and majority of the dual dark neutrino, parameter space that is viable as a solution to the MiniBooNE anomaly.
Source: Physical Review Letters
DOI: 10.1103/3q7x-ks7h
Authors: A. M. Abdullahi, P. Abratenko, D. Andrade Aldana, L. Arellano, J. Asaadi, A. Ashkenazi, S. Balasubramanian, B. Baller, A. Barnard, G. Barr, D. Barrow, J. Barrow, V. Basque, J. Bateman, O. Benevides Rodrigues, S. Berkman, A. Bhat, M. Bhattacharya, M. Bishai, A. Blake, B. Bogart, T. Bolton, M. B. Brunetti, L. Camilleri, D. Caratelli, F. Cavanna, G. Cerati, A. Chappell, Y. Chen, J. M. Conrad, M. Convery, L. Cooper-Troendle, J. I. Crespo-Anadón, R. Cross, M. Del Tutto, S. R. Dennis, P. Detje, R. Diurba, Z. Djurcic, K. Duffy, S. Dytman, B. Eberly, P. Englezos, A. Ereditato, J. J. Evans, C. Fang, W. Foreman, B. T. Fleming, D. Franco, A. P. Furmanski, F. Gao, D. Garcia-Gamez, S. Gardiner, G. Ge, S. Gollapinni, E. Gramellini, P. Green, H. Greenlee, L. Gu, W. Gu, R. Guenette, P. Guzowski, L. Hagaman, M. D. Handley, O. Hen, C. Hilgenberg, J. Hoefken Zink, G. A. Horton-Smith, M. Hostert, A. Hussain, B. Irwin, M. S. Ismail, C. James, X. Ji, J. H. Jo, R. A. Johnson, D. Kalra, G. Karagiorgi, W. Ketchum, M. Kirby, T. Kobilarcik, N. Lane, J.-Y. Li, Y. Li, K. Lin, B. R. Littlejohn, L. Liu, W. C. Louis, X. Luo, T. Mahmud, N. Majeed, C. Mariani, J. Marshall, N. Martinez, D. A. Martinez Caicedo, S. Martynenko, D. Massaro, A. Mastbaum, I. Mawby, N. McConkey, L. Mellet, J. Mendez, J. Micallef, A. Mogan, T. Mohayai, M. Mooney, A. F. Moor, C. D. Moore, L. Mora Lepin, M. M. Moudgalya, S. Mulleriababu, D. Naples, A. Navrer-Agasson, N. Nayak, M. Nebot-Guinot, C. Nguyen, J. Nowak, N. Oza, O. Palamara, N. Pallat, V. Paolone, A. Papadopoulou, V. Papavassiliou, S. Pascoli, H. B. Parkinson, S. F. Pate, N. Patel, Z. Pavlovic, E. Piasetzky, K. Pletcher, I. Pophale, X. Qian, J. L. Raaf, V. Radeka, A. Rafique, M. Reggiani-Guzzo, J. Rodriguez Rondon, M. Rosenberg, M. Ross-Lonergan, I. Safa, D. W. Schmitz, A. Schukraft, W. Seligman, M. H. Shaevitz, R. Sharankova, J. Shi, E. L. Snider, M. Soderberg, S. Söldner-Rembold, J. Spitz, M. Stancari, J. St. John, T. Strauss, A. M. Szelc, N. Taniuchi, K. Terao, C. Thorpe, D. Torbunov, D. Totani, M. Toups, A. Trettin, Y.-T. Tsai, J. Tyler, M. A. Uchida, T. Usher, B. Viren, J. Wang, M. Weber, H. Wei, A. J. White, S. Wolbers, T. Wongjirad, K. Wresilo, W. Wu, E. Yandel, T. Yang, L. E. Yates, H. W. Yu, G. P. Zeller, J. Zennamo, C. Zhang
Institutions: Tufts University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Manchester, Tel Aviv University, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, University of Oxford, University of Minnesota, Imperial College London, Michigan State University, University of Chicago, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lancaster University, University of Michigan, Kansas State University, University of Kansas, University of Warwick, Columbia University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, University of Cambridge, University of Bern, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Southern Maine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Universidad de Granada, National Centre for Nuclear Research, University of Bologna, Harvard University, Nankai University, University of Cincinnati, University of Edinburgh, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, European Organization for Nuclear Research, UCLouvain, Queen Mary University of London, Louisiana State University, Colorado State University, Indiana University, New Mexico State University, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bologna, Syracuse University
Language: English
Topic: Neutrino Physics Research
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,750
OpenAlex ID: W7116642689