Flavor-dependent radiative corrections in coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering

We calculate coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections on spin-0 nuclei (e.g. Ar-40 and Si-28) at energies below 100 MeV within the Standard Model and account for all effects of permille size. We provide a complete error budget including uncertainties at nuclear, nucleon, hadronic, and quark levels separately as well as perturbative error. Our calculation starts from the four-fermion effective field theory to explicitly separate heavy-particle mediated corrections (which are absorbed by Wilson coefficients) from light-particle contributions. Electrons and muons running in loops introduce a non- trivial dependence on the momentum transfer due to their relatively light masses. These same loops, and those mediated by tau leptons, break the flavor universality because of mass-dependent electromagnetic radiative corrections. Nuclear physics uncertainties significantly cancel in flavor asymmetries resulting in subpercent relative errors. We find that for low neutrino energies, the cross section can be predicted with a relative precision that is competitive with neutrino-electron scattering. We highlight potentially useful applications of such a precise cross section prediction ranging from precision tests of the Standard Model, to searches for new physics and to the monitoring of nuclear reactors.

Automated summary

This study calculates the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections on spin-0 nuclei at energies below 100 MeV within the Standard Model, considering various effects and providing a complete error budget. It finds that the cross section can be predict with competitive precision for low neutrino energies. The research highlights potential applications for the precise cross section prediction, ranging from precision tests of the Standard Model to monitoring nuclear reactors.