Prospects of detection of relic antineutrinos by resonant absorption in electron capturing nuclei

Abstract

We consider the possibility of detecting relic anti-neutrinos by their resonant absorption in a nucleus, which is capable of undergoing electron capture. Ongoing and future developments in Penning Trap Mass Spectrometry and Cryogenic Micro-Calorimetry may bring this possibility closer to reality.

New targets for relic antineutrino capture

“…And 103 Pd, 127 Xe, 131 Ba, 157 Tb, 159 Dy,175 Hf, and195 Au are selected as candidates for relic antineutrino capture experiments. Notice that 157 Tb proposed by Vergados and Novikov[11] also appears as a candidate with our criteria. These candidates are shown in Fig.2in terms of Q EC and ∆Q EC .…”

“…We calculated the ratio λ ν /λ EC for most optimistic Q ECvalues which is still inside the error bars in their Q EC for a new target 243 Cm as well as the TABLE II: Results for candidate isotopes going to excited states of daughters: amounts and corresponding activities, respectively, of the candidate isotopes for relic antineutrino capture experiments to get 10 events per year. Also shown is for the 157 Tb proposed by Vergados and Novikov [11].…”

“…However, considering a recent experimental result Q EC =2833(30 stat )(15 sys ) eV [5] for 163 Ho, the ratio λ ν /λ EC becomes 1.22×10 −23 , which corresponds to 1460 kg of 163 Ho source to get 10 events per year. Recently, Vergados and Novikov claimed [11] that 157 Tb can be a better candidate than 163 Ho for the experiment with prospects of detection of relic antineutrinos by resonant absorption in EC nuclei. We calculated the ratio of the two processes using Eq.…”

“…Based on these nuclear and atomic data, we set the following criteria: (a) A nucleus should be an EC decaying nucleus. (b) We considered EC from all electron levels, K, L, M, N, [11]. Also their electron binding energy states are given.…”

Heavy Sterile Neutrino in Dark Matter Searches

“…involving the absorption of a neutrino with the simultaneous capture of a bound electron. It has already been studied [60] in connection with the detection of the standard relic neutrinos. It involves modern technological innovations like the Penning Trap Mass Spectrometry (PT-MS) and the Micro-Calorimetry (MC).…”