Abstract
We propose new searches for n′, a dark baryon that can mix with the Standard Model neutron. We show that IsoDAR, a proposal to place an intense cyclotron near a large-volume neutrino detector deep underground, can look for n→n′→n transitions with much lower backgrounds than surface experiments. This opportune neutron-shining-through-a-wall search would be possible without any modifications to the primary goals of the experiment and would provide the strongest laboratory constraints on the n-n′ mixing for a wide range of mass splitting. We also consider dark neutrons as dark matter and show that their nuclear absorption at deep-underground detectors such as SNO and Borexino places some of the strongest limits in parameter space. Finally, we describe other n′ signatures, such as neutrons shining through walls at spallation sources, reactors, and the disappearance of ultracold neutrons.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 075034 |
Journal | Physical Review D |
Volume | 107 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 1 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We gratefully acknowledge fruitful discussion with Adriana Bangau, Janet Conrad, Shmuel Nussinov, Joshua Spitz, and Sandra Zavatarelli. We thank Bernhard Lauss for correcting our scaling of UCN bounds in a previous version of this manuscript, and the anonymous referee for helpful suggestions including an estimate of the IBAR-2 sensitivity. The work of D. M. (N. R.) is (was) supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. TRIUMF receives federal funding via a contribution agreement with the National Research Council Canada. M. P. is supported in part by U.S. Department of Energy Grant No. DESC0011842. The research of M. H. was supported in part by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Research at Perimeter Institute is supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and by the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.