The Institute for Underground Science at SURF Overview and Update (room 132)

CETUP* Workshop Overview

TALK: Dark Radiation Isocurvature from Cosmological Phase Transitions

• Peizhi Du (Rutgers University)

Speaker: Peizhi Du (Rutgers University) Authors: Matthew Buckley, Peizhi Du, Nicolas Fernandez, Mitchell Weikert Cosmological first-order phase transitions are typically associated with physics beyond the Standard Model, and thus of great theoretical and observational interest. In this talk, I will show that a broad class of non-thermal first-order phase transitions could generate distinct large-scale isocurvature in dark radiation that can be observable in the CMB. We derive constraints on ___ from phase transitions based on CMB+BAO data, which can be much stronger than that from adiabatic initial conditions. I will also demonstrate that since perturbations of dark radiation have a non-Gaussian origin, searches for non-Gaussianity in the CMB could also place a stringent bound on ___.

Discussion, Collaborations and Lunch

TALK: Dark matter at the high mass frontier

• Joe Bramante (Queen's University)

Author: Joe Bramante A number of theories predict that dark matter is a supermassive particle or composite state. Discovering dark matter in this high mass regime requires different approaches. I will survey recent developments, including composite dark matter that produces unique signatures in underground experiments and dark matter detectable through thermonuclear reactions in Antarctic ice. I will also survey certain experiments from the 80s and 90s, which still provide the best sensitivity to many varieties of high mass dark matter.

Discussion and Collaboration

Discussions, Collaboration and Lunch

Current Challenges and Opportunities in Physics Community (open discussion)

• Barbara Szczerbinska (Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi)

Academia Research Funding Promotion and tenure Mentoring

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Dark Matter Annihilation Signals from Sagittarius Analogues

• Nassim Bozorgnia (University of Alberta)

Author: Nassim Bozorgnia Dwarf spheroidal galaxies such as Sagittarius are dark matter dominated, and therefore unique candidates for indirect dark matter searches. In order to accurately predict the dark matter annihilation signal from dwarf spheroidal galaxies, it is crucial to correctly model the phase space distribution of dark matter in them. Hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation provide important information on the dark matter distribution in dwarf spheroidal analogues. I will present the dark matter density profile and velocity distribution of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy extracted from state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations. In addition to the annihilation signals from dark matter particles bound to Sagittarius, we consider for the first time the annihilation of dark matter particles bound to the Milky Way that overlap spatially with Sagittarius. I will discuss the implications of this dark matter population for velocity-dependent dark matter annihilation models.

TALK: (Speaker: Pearl Sandick)

• Pearl Sandick

Discussions, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

Discussions and Collaboration

Shuttle Pickup at Hampton Inn, travel to Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center Room: Classroom and Gallery The workshop will be held at the visitor center all day today.

Constraining Dwarf Galaxy Dark Matter Distributions: Spherical Jeans Analyses for Line-of-Sight and 3D Velocity Data

• Isabelle Goldstein (Texas A&M University)

Room: Classroom Author: Isabelle Goldstein Co-author: Louie Strigari The stellar kinematics in dwarf galaxies can provide a wealth of information about its underlying dark matter distribution. Using line of sight velocity measurements for six classical dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way, we study whether ultralight bosonic dark matter is consistent with the gravitational potential extracted from stellar kinematics. It shows that axion-like particles with masses of order _____ eV are inconsistent with the potential distribution in classical dwarf galaxies unless the hierarchical assembly of the Milky Way did not trace the mean evolution of Milky Way size halos. We also explore the use of three dimensional velocity measurements from Gaia data in spherical Jeans analyses to further constrain dark matter distributions.

Discussions and Collaboration Room: classroom

Planting Native Plants at Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center

Travel to Ethnobotanical Garden at SURF (via shuttle)

Guest Speaker at the Ethnobotanical Gardens (Speaker: Rochelle Zens)

• Rochelle Zens (SDSTA/SURF)

Discussions and Collaboration

TALK: Analytic Results on Dark Matter Velocity Distributions

• Jason Kumar (University of Hawaii)

Author: Jason Kumar We review recent work on determining dark matter velocity distributions from analytic methods of classical mechanics, and the potential impact of these results on dark matter indirect detection strategies. In particular, we discuss velocity-dependent dark matter annihilation in subhalos and in the Galactic Center. We compare the results of these analytic methods to those obtained in large N numerical simulations, and discuss future work.

TALK: Probing Neutrinophilic Dark Matter: From Colliders to Supernovae

• Douglas Tuckler (TRIUMF and Simon Fraser University)

Author: Douglas Tuckler New beyond-the-Standard Model mediators that couple predominantly to neutrinos are not yet probed by existing experimental searches. Such a neutrinophilic mediator is well motivated for addressing the origin of several neutrino-portal dark matter candidates, including thermal freeze-out and sterile-neutrino dark matter scenarios. In this talk, we explore the sensitivity to this scenario from two different approaches. In the first part of the talk we will explore the potential of the Forward Physics Facility (FPF) using the so-called “mono-neutrino signature”: neutrino charged-current scattering events associated with large missing transverse momentum, and excessive apparent tau-neutrino events. We will show that with this smoking-gun signature, the FPF has excellent sensitivity to probe this model in new regions of parameter space. the In the second part of the talk we focus on astrophysical constraints on sterile neutrino DM, namely from core-collapse supernovae. Production and emission of DM can result in excessive energy loss of the supernova, leading to additional cooling. We will show that supernova cooling can constrain new regions of parameter space that complements terrestrial and cosmological probes. The results of this work present a nice complementarity among the collider and astrophysical frontiers.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: Decoding the Mystery of Dark Matter with Celestial Objects (Speaker: Anupam Ray)

• Anupam Ray (UC, Berkeley)

Dark Matter (DM) remains mysterious. Despite decades of experimental and theoretical efforts, its microscopic identity is still unknown to us. In this talk, I will walk you through how a variety of celestial objects can be utilised as powerful DM detectors. This astrophysical probe, complementary to the terrestrial and cosmological probes, covers a significant portion of the DM parameters (DM mass and its interaction strength with nucleons) which are otherwise remains elusive.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Thermal Axion and Dark Radiation

• Fazlollah Hajkarim (University of Oklahoma)

Author: Fazlollah Hajkarim We provide a comprehensive analysis of thermal axion production in the early universe, focusing on the KSVZ and DFSZ models. We extend our calculations to incorporate multiple mass thresholds, including the QCD phase transition, and provide a continuous production rate across these regimes. Employing updated cosmological data, we refine constraints on axion mass and examine the implications for dark radiation quantified as an effective number of additional neutrino species (ΔNeff). Our rigorous approach revisits traditional approximations in axion production, highlighting the importance of precise calculations in anticipation of future CMB surveys and large scale structure observations. Also, we examine the validity of different computational approaches for the calculation of effective number of additional neutrino species.

Discussions, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: Jet-SIFTing for Dark Sector Physics in a Hidden Valley

• Joel Walker (Sam Houston State University)

Author: Joel Walker We consider a Hidden Valley model which generates showering from strong dynamics within the dark sector followed by decays back into Standard Model states. Our interest is the limit of smaller dark pion masses, which create a high multiplicity of final states. The reconstruction of dark sector masses in such a setting is obscured by a thick combinatoric background. We apply the new SIFT (Scale-Invariant Filtered Tree) jet clustering algorithm to the reconstruction of simulated events of this type. By cutting an ordered slice through possible recombinations, the SIFT algorithm may help lift backgrounds of the described variety.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: SPLENDOR: narrow-gap quantum materials for light dark matter

• Yonatan Kahn (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Author: Yonatan Kahn Low-mass direct detection experiments based on conventional semiconductors such as silicon and germanium are achieving impressive sensitivity for dark matter masses above 1 MeV. However, to probe dark matter-electron scattering via electronic excitations for even lighter dark matter masses, more exotic materials with sub-eV band gaps are required. I will give an overview of the SPLENDOR program, which aims to develop a prototype detector for keV-MeV dark matter based on narrow-gap quantum materials. This research program involves close interdisciplinary collaboration with condensed matter theorists and experimentalists, in all stages from detector material synthesis to determining the experimental sensitivity via the density response function.

Shuttle Pickup for Underground Tour - Travel to SURF Yates Admin, 2nd Floor Vault Pick up at the Middle School This shuttle is only for the CETUP* participants that are going on the underground tour. Other participants not going on the tour will be able to stay at the Middle School and continue to work and carry on discussions.

SURF Overview by Markus Horn, Research Scientist, South Dakota Science and Technology Authority/Laboratory Director, SURF Room: 2nd Floor Vault

SURF Underground Tour Safety Training, Waivers, Lunch at 11:00am, PPE, Shuttle to Ross

• Laura Baatz (SDSTA/SURF)
• Juan Molina (SDSTA/SURF)

Room: 2nd Floor Vault Only the CETUP* participants that are going on the underground tour will attend. Other participants not going on the tour will be able to stay at the Middle School and continue to work and carry on discussions.

SURF Underground Tour

Shuttle to Middle School for Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Dynamical Generation of the Baryon Asymmetry from a Scale Hierarchy

• Jae Hyeok Chang (Fermilab and UIC)

Authors: Jae Hyeok Chang, Kwang Sik Jeong, Chang Hyeon Lee, Chang Sub Shin We propose a novel baryogenesis scenario where the baryon asymmetry originates directly from a hierarchy between two fundamental mass scales: the electroweak scale and the Planck scale. Our model is based on the neutrino-portal Affleck-Dine (AD) mechanism, which generates the asymmetry of the AD sector during the radiation-dominated era and subsequently transfers it to the baryon number before the electroweak phase transition. The observed baryon asymmetry is then a natural outcome of this scenario. The model is testable as it predicts the existence of a Majoron with a keV mass and an electroweak scale decay constant. The impact of the relic Majoron on ΔNeff can be measured through near-future CMB observations.

TALK: Gauged global strings

• Wei Xue (University of Florida)

Author: Wei Xue I will present the string solutions and cosmological implications of the gauge U(1)Z × global U(1)PQ model. With two hierarchical symmetry-breaking scales, the model exhibits three distinct string solutions: a conventional global string, a global string with a heavy core, and a gauge string as a bound state of the two global strings. This model reveals rich phenomenological implications in cosmology. When incorporating this model with the QCD axion framework, the heavy-core global strings emit more axion particles due to their large tension. This radiation significantly enhances the QCD axion dark matter abundance, thereby opening up the QCD axion mass window. Furthermore, in contrast to conventional gauge strings, the gauge strings in this model exhibit a distinctive behavior, radiating axions.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

Communicating with Media (Speakers: Ann Melti and Mike Ray, SDSTA/SURF)

• Mike Ray (SDSTA/SURF)
• Ann Metli (SDSTA/SURF)

Communicating with Media - 3 Minute Challenge (Ann Melti and Mike Ray - SDSTA/SURF)

• Ann Melti (SDSTA/SURF)

TALK: Cosmic Stability of Dark Matter from Pauli Blocking

• Brian Batell (University of Pittsburgh)

Why does dark matter (DM) live longer than the age of the Universe? Here we study a novel sub-eV scalar DM candidate whose stability is due to the Pauli exclusion of its fermionic decay products. We analyze the stability of the DM condensate against decays, scatterings (i.e., evaporation), and parametric resonance, delineating the viable parameter regions in which DM is cosmologically stable. In a minimal scenario in which the scalar DM decays to a pair of new exotic fermions, we find that scattering can populate an interacting thermal dark sector component to energies far above the DM mass. This self-interacting dark radiation may potentially alleviate the Hubble tensions. Furthermore, our scenario can be probed through precise measurements of the halo mass function or the masses of dwarf spheroidal galaxies since scattering prevents the DM from becoming too dense. On the other hand, if the lightest neutrino stabilizes the DM, the cosmic neutrino background can be significantly altered from the standard cosmology and thus be probed in the future by cosmic neutrino background detection experiments.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: BSM Physics with Gravitational Wave Detectors

• Kuver Sinha (University of Oklahoma)

Author: Kuver Sinha Future gravitational wave detectors probing the mHz - nHz frequency range will provide a unique opportunity for BSM physicists to study new physics. Neutron star and white dwarf mergers can serve as axion probes, while extreme mass ratio inspirals can constrain dark forces. Gravitational wave detectors will also probe early first order phase transitions. I will discuss some ongoing work and future ideas in these directions.

TALK: Cosmological Stasis and Its Realization from Dynamical Scalars

• Brooks Thomas (Lafayette College)

Author: Brooks Thomas Co-authors: Keith R. Dienes, Lucien Heurtier, Fei Huang, Timothy M. P. Tait It has recently been realized that many extensions of the Standard Model give rise to cosmological histories exhibiting extended epochs of cosmological stasis — epochs wherein the abundances of multiple energy components (such as matter, radiation, or vacuum energy) remain effectively constant despite cosmological expansion. The emergence of a stasis epoch is not a consequence of fine-tuning in cosmologies of this sort; rather, stasis turns out to be a global attractor toward which the universe naturally evolves for a broad range of initial conditions. In this talk, I shall review the general conditions under which stasis emerges in such scenarios and explore some of its potential implications for cosmological observables such as the matter power spectrum and the stochastic gravitational-wave background. I shall also discuss a particular realization of stasis involving a collection of scalar fields, each of which dynamically transitions from a period of slow roll to a period of rapid oscillation around its potential minimum as the universe expands. As I shall demonstrate, not only does cosmological stasis arise in such scenarios, but the system of dynamical scalars also exhibits novel features not seen in previous realizations of stasis, including a tracking behavior wherein the effective equation of state for the universe as a whole evolves toward the equation of state of this energy component. The emergence of such tracking behavior has potential model-building implications in the context of dark-energy and cosmic-inflation scenarios.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: Updates on the Migdal effect and hydrogen doping for dark matter detection

• Jayden Newstead (University of Melbourne)

Author: Jayden Newstead An ongoing challenge in dark matter direct detection is to improve the sensitivity to light dark matter in the MeV–GeV mass range. One proposal is to dope a liquid noble-element direct-detection experiment with a lighter element such as hydrogen. This has the advantage of enabling larger recoil energies compared to scattering on a heavy target, while leveraging existing detector technologies. Direct-detection experiments can also extend their reach to lower masses by exploiting the Migdal effect, where a nuclear recoil leads to electronic ionization or excitation. In this work, we combine these ideas to study the sensitivity of a hydrogen-doped LZ experiment (HydroX) and a future large-scale experiment such as XLZD. We find that HydroX could have sensitivity to dark matter masses below 10 MeV for both spin-independent and spin-dependent scattering, with XLZD extending that reach to lower cross sections. Notably, this technique substantially enhances the sensitivity of direct detection to spin-dependent proton scattering, well beyond the reach of any current experiments.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Dark Matter Raining on DUNE and Other Large Volume Detectors

• Joshua Berger (Colorado State University)

Authors: Javier Acevedo, Joshua Berger, Peter Denton Direct detection is a powerful means of searching for particle physics evidence of dark matter (DM) heavier than about a GeV with volume, low-threshold detectors. In many scenarios, some fraction of the DM may be boosted to large velocities enhancing and generally modifying possible detection signatures. We investigate the scenario where 100\% of the DM may be boosted at the Earth due to new attractive long-range forces. This opens up two main improvements in detection capabilities: 1) the detection signatures are stronger opening up large-volume neutrino detectors, such as DUNE, Super-K, Hyper-K, and JUNO, as possible DM detectors, and 2) the large boost allows for detectable signatures of sub-GeV DM. At lower boosts, a modified, higher-than-usual energy signal could be accessible at direct detection experiments such as LZ. In addition, the model leads to a significant anisotropy in the signal with the DM flowing dominantly vertically at the Earth's surface instead of the typical approximately isotropic DM signal. We develop the theory behind this model and also calculate realistic constraints using a detailed GENIE simulation of the signal inside detectors.

TALK: Gravitational Waves from Cosmic Superstrings and Gauge Strings

• Danny Marfatia

Author: Danny Marfatia We perform a phenomenological comparison of the gravitational wave spectrum expected from cosmic gauge string networks and superstring networks comprised of multiple string types.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: Introduction to DAMSA, A Novel Dark Matter Search Experiment at an Accelerator

• Jaehoon Yu (University of Texas at Arlington)

Dark matter is thought to make up 25% of the universe. Dark sector particles (DSP) do not interact through the known forces but could be weakly coupled to Standard Model particles through a portal or a mediator. Many searches for dark matter/dark sector particles at an accelerator thus far seem to face a ceiling that the sensitivity reach is greatly limited, beyond statistical effects. DAMSA is an extremely short baseline experiment at proposes to break through this limit, taking advantage of high beam powers available at various accelerator facilities around the world, including the PIP-II Linac under construction, an essential element in providing the necessary high flux proton beams to DUNE at Fermilab. In this talk, I will describe the DAMSA (Dump produced Aboriginal Matter Search at an Accelerator) experiment. I will also discuss current status and plan for DAMSA and its expected sensitivity reach in the search of the Axion-Like Particle as an example physics case.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Dark Matter in the Time of Gravitational Waves

• Tao Xu (The University of Oklahoma)

The observation of gravitational waves opens a new window for exploring astrophysics and cosmology. These messengers enable the concurrent measurement of their amplitudes and phases, facilitating a precise analysis of gravitational wave production and propagation. In this talk, I will demonstrate how gravitational waves can be utilized to study the properties of dark matter. Specifically, I will use wave dark matter as an example to show that gravitational waveforms, along with further multi-messenger observations involving photon signals, reveal distinctive features. These features can be probed with the ongoing LIGO and upcoming LISA missions.

TALK: Detection of cosmogenic (B)SM signals with nuclear inelastic scattering

• Doojin Kim (Texas A&M University)

Author: Doojin Kim I will discuss the detection of sub-GeV-range cosmogenic signals at large-volume neutrino detectors such as DUNE, SK/HY, and JUNO, utilizing nuclear inelastic scattering channels featuring nuclear deexcitation gamma-ray lines. I will first briefly discuss the detection of neutrino signals and point out the potential of observing the 13-MeV oxygen line at SK. I will then propose a new approach to search for light dark matter (DM) in the range of keV-GeV in the context of cosmic-ray boosted dark matter. I will show that using a hadrophilic dark-gauge-boson-portal model as a benchmark, the nuclear inelastic channels generally provide better sensitivity than the elastic scattering for a large region of light DM parameter space.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: Introduction to DAMSA, A Novel Dark Matter Search Experiment at an Accelerator

• Jaehoon Yu (University of Texas at Arlington)

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Asymptotically Free $E_6$ GUT and the Generation of Neutrino Mass

• Vasja Susič (LNF, INFN)

Author: Vasja Susič Co-authors: K.S Babu, Borut Bajc Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) represent an attractive possibility of physics beyond the Standard Model, with implications for both proton decay and neutrinos. The most studied examples are based on unified groups SU(5) and SO(10), while the exceptional case remains less understood. In an asymptotically free GUT, model building is essentially limited to the use of irreducible representations of dimension 27 and 78 (the fundamental and the adjoint). I will present ongoing work in non-supersymmetric models regarding the determination of the necessary ingredients for both GUT symmetry breaking and a realistic Yukawa sector. Special attention will be given to the peculiarities associated with neutrino mass generation in this type of models.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: TALK: Gravitational Wave Symphony from Oscillating Spectator Scalar Fields

• Yanou Cui

Spectator scalar fields can be generically present in the early Universe, and are potentially dark matter candidates. We investigate the prospect of such scalars loop as a generic source of stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) due to parametric resonance during their oscillation phase. By systematically analyzing benchmark models through lattice simulations and considering a wide range of parameters, we demonstrate that such a scenario can lead to detectable signals in GW detectors over a broad frequency range and potentially address the recent findings by Pulsar Timing Array experiments. Furthermore, we show that these models naturally yield viable ultra-light, wave-like dark matter candidates and/or dark radiation detectable by CMB observatories. We also explore the potential for realizing low-scale baryogenesis from such an oscillating scalar system and the resultant detectable SGWB signals. This study highlights an intriguing connection between the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) and terrestrial probes for low-energy new particle physics.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Probing Baryon Number Violation in Neutron Stars

• Rouzbeh Allaverdi

Author: Rouzbeh Allaverdi I start by presenting minimal extensions of the Standard Model that accommodate low-scale baryogenesis. These models involve fermion singlets with baryon-number-violating couplings to quarks. Then I briefly discuss the consequences of these models for low energy and high energy experiments. Finally, I mention how neutron stars can be used to tightly constrain such interactions for GeV scale fermions.

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: Does the Sun Have a Dark Disk?

• Mohammadreza Zakeri (University of Kentucky)

The Sun’s oblateness has been measured using optical observations. Its gravitational quadrupole moment has been deduced through helioseismology and measurements of its gravitational effects on Mercury’s orbit. The distribution of mass within Mercury’s orbit would only impact the orbital determination, suggesting that discrepancies among various types of assessments may indicate the possible existence of a non-luminous mass. For the first time, we have developed a method to combine these differing measurements to yield new, highly sensitive constraints on the mass distribution within Mercury’s orbit. In this talk, we will show that the most precise measurements indicate the existence of a non-luminous disk within Mercury’s orbit, with a mass significantly heavier than the modeled mass for the circumsolar dust ring observed by the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) mission. This suggests a substantial dark matter contribution. Furthermore, the long-standing inconsistency between the element abundances determined from the spectroscopy of the Sun’s surface, and those inferred from its interior through helioseismology, can be reconciled if the Sun formed within a protoplanetary disk. We will discuss how our findings limit the presence of a dark disk or a spherical halo near the Sun and highlight the potential of future orbital measurements of Mercury and near-Sun asteroids to refine these constraints further.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

Independence Day Festivities in Lead

TALK: Probing self-interacting sterile neutrino dark matter with the diffuse supernova neutrino background

• Anna Suliga (UC Berkeley)

Author: Anna Suliga Co-authors: Baha Balantekin, George Fuller, Anupam Ray The neutrinos in the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) travel over cosmological distances and this provides them with an excellent opportunity to interact with dark relics. We show that a cosmologically-significant relic population of keV-mass sterile neutrinos with strong self-interactions could imprint their presence in the DSNB. The signatures of the self-interactions would be ``dips" in the otherwise smooth DSNB spectrum. Upcoming large-scale neutrino detectors, for example Hyper-Kamiokande, have a good chance of detecting the DSNB and these dips. If no dips are detected, this method serves as an independent constraint on the sterile neutrino self-interaction strength and mixing with active neutrinos. We show that relic sterile neutrino parameters that evade X-ray and structure bounds may nevertheless be testable by future detectors like TRISTAN, but may also produce dips in the DSNB which could be detectable. Such a detection would suggest the existence of a cosmologically-significant, strongly self-interacting sterile neutrino background, likely embedded in a richer dark sector.

TALK: Neutrino-nucleus interactions and the quest for new and precision physics searches in neutrino experiments

• Vishvas Pandey (Fermilab)

Current and future accelerator-based neutrino facilities utilizing intense neutrino beams and advanced neutrino detectors are focused on precisely determining neutrino oscillation properties and signals of weakly interacting Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) physics. Neutrino-nucleus interactions constitute one of the biggest systematics hurdle in these endeavors. This talk will focus on neutrinos spanning from tens of MeV to a few GeV energies, where neutrino interactions present a formidable multi-scale, multi-process challenge that traverses uncharted territories, encompassing low-energy nuclear physics to perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics without a known unified framework. The presentation will provide an encompassing overview of the field, spotlighting the inherent challenges associated with neutrino interactions in this energy range as well as highlight recent progress and present some examples of ongoing cross-community efforts tackling such a problem.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: From Neutrinos to Multimessenger Targets for Discovering New Quantum Fields

• Voloymyr Takhistov (QUP, KEK)

Discussion and Collaboration

Welcome by Mike Headley, Executive Director, South Dakota Science and Technology Authority/SURF

The Institute for Underground Science at SURF Update

TALK: CP - Violation with Neutrino Disappearance

• Peter Denton (Brookhaven National Laboratory)

The best way to probe CP violation in the lepton sector is with long-baseline accelerator neutrino experiments in the appearance mode: the appearance of $\nu_e$ in predominantly $\nu_\mu$ beams. Here we show that it is possible to discover CP violation with disappearance experiments only, by combining JUNO for electron neutrinos and DUNE or Hyper-Kamiokande for muon neutrinos. While the maximum sensitivity to discover CP is quite modest (1.6$\sigma$ with 6 years of JUNO and 13 years of DUNE), some values of $\delta$ may be disfavored by >3$\sigma$ depending on the true value of $\delta$.

TALK: New Constraints on Neutrino-Dark Matter Interactions

• Bhupal Dev (Washington University in St. Louis)

Author: Bhupal Dev We present a comprehensive analysis of nonstandard neutrino interactions with the dark sector in an effective field theory framework. We implement a full catalog of constraints on the parameter space of the neutrino-dark matter/mediator couplings and masses, including bounds coming from cosmology, astrophysics, as well as new laboratory constraints, such as from invisible Z decays and rare meson decays. We find that most of the benchmarks in the dark matter mass-coupling plane adopted in previous studies to get an observable effect are actually ruled out by a combination of these constraints. Finally, as an application of our results, we consider the case of galactic supernova neutrinos, identify new benchmark points for future observational prospects of the attenuation of the galactic supernova neutrino flux, compute the full set of cascade equations and sky maps for different dark matter density profiles in the Galaxy, and comment on their implications for the detection prospects in future large-volume neutrino experiments such as DUNE, Hyper-K and JUNO.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: A 17 MeV pseudoscalar and the MiniBooNE, LSND and ATOMKI anomalies

• Raj Gandhi

In the absence of any new physics signals at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), anomalous results at low energy experiments have become the subject of increased attention and scrutiny. We focus on three such results from the LSND, MiniBooNE (MB), and ATOMKI experiments. A 17 MeV pseudoscalar mediator can account for the excess events seen in 8Be and 4He pair creation transitions in ATOMKI. We incorporate this mediator in a gauge invariant extension of the Standard Model (SM) with a second Higgs doublet and three singlet (seesaw) neutrinos (Ni , i = 1, 2, 3). N1,2 participate in an interaction in MB and LSND which, with a ′ as mediator, leads to the production of e +e − pairs. The Ni also lead to mass-squared differences for SM neutrinos in agreement with global oscillation data. We first show that such a model offers a clean and natural joint solution to the MB and LSND excesses. We then examine the possibility of a common solution to all three anomalies. Using the values of the couplings to the quarks and electrons which are required to explain pair creation nuclear transition data for 8Be and 4He in ATOMKI, we show that these values lead to excellent fits for MB and LSND data as well, allowing for a common solution. We discuss the constraints and future tests of our proposal.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Charged-current (anti)neutrino-nucle on Scattering and QED Nuclear Medium

• Oleksandr Tomalak (Los Alamos National Laboratory)

Author: Oleksandr Tomalak Charged-current quasielastic neutrino scattering is the signal process in neutrino oscillation experiments and requires precise theoretical prediction for the analysis of modern and future experimental data, starting with the nucleon axial-vector form factor. In this talk, I compare a new MINERvA measurement of this form factor with lattice-QCD calculations and deuterium bubble- chamber data, provide uncertainty projections for future extractions, present recent calculations of radiative corrections to charged-current processes, and investigate the potential of neutrino scattering data on constraining nucleon- and quark-level interactions beyond the Standard Model. The exchange of photons with nuclear medium modifies (anti)neutrino and electron scattering cross sections. We study the distortion of (anti)neutrino-nucleus and charged lepton-nucleus cross sections, medium-induced bremsstrahlung, and estimate the QED-medium effects on the final- state kinematics and scattering cross sections. We find new permille-to-percent level effects, which were never accounted for in either (anti)neutrino-nucleus or electron-nucleus scattering. We quantitatively compute the effects of Glauber photon-mediated multiple re-scattering within the nuclear medium and find that the relativistic charged lepton acquires a momentum of order 10 MeV transverse to its direction of propagation inside the nucleus. This broadening sizably deflects expected electron and muon tracks and suppresses scattering cross sections. Precise extraction of the nucleon and nuclear structure by electron and muon probes should, thus, take the QED nuclear medium angular redistribution of particles into account.

TALK: A Modern Look at the Oscillation Physics Case for a Neutrino Factory

• Julia Gehrlein (Colorado State University)

Author: Julia Gehrlein The next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments, JUNO, DUNE, and HK, are under construction now and will collect data over the next decade and beyond. As there are no approved plans to follow up this program with more advanced neutrino oscillation experiments, we consider here one option that had gained considerable interest more than a decade ago: a neutrino factory. Such an experiment uses stored muons in a racetrack configuration with extremely well characterized decays reducing systematic uncertainties and providing for more oscillation channels. Such a machine could also be one step towards a high energy muon collider program. We consider a long-baseline configuration to SURF using the DUNE far detectors or modifications thereof, and compare the expected sensitivities to the three-flavor oscillation parameters to the anticipated results from DUNE and HK. We find that a neutrino factory can improve our understanding of CP violation and also aid in disentangling the complicated flavor puzzle.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: A SURF Low Background Module (SLoMo)

• Juergen Reichenbacher (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology)

With radiopurity controls and targeted design modifications a kton-scale liquid argon time projection chamber similar to DUNE could be used for enhanced low energy physics searches. This includes improved sensitivity to supernova and solar neutrinos, and other rare event searches, such as WIMP dark matter, while simultaneously serving long-baseline neutrino physics. This talk will present simulation studies to evaluate physics sensitivities of such a module. It will also discuss R&D to develop large-scale radiopurity controls necessary to construct such a detector.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Probing Heavy Neutral Lepton on Muan Collider and Beamdump Experiments

• Kunfeng Lyu (University of Minnesota)

Author: Kunfeng Lyu Broad classes of solutions to the neutrino puzzles can be best tested by seeking the partners of SM light neutrinos, dubbed as heavy neutral leptons (HNLs). It can be parameterized by the HNL mass m_N and the mixing angle U_l with the SM neutrino. In this talk, I will mainly discuss about probing two parameter space regime. One is for HNL mass larger than O(100) GeV which can be tested at future high energy muon collider. Alternatively, if the HNL is lighter than the muon, it can be produced by the decays of muons and pions. The LSND experiment and the future beam dump experiment such as PIP2-BD can be exploited to improve the sensitivity.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

Shuttle to Ethnobotanical Garden

Guest Speaker at Ethnobotanical Garden - Rochelle Zens

• Rochelle Zens (SDSTA/SURF)

Shuttle to Middle School

TALK: Neutrino and light dark matter physics with directional detectors

• Diego Aristizabal (USM)

Author: Diego Aristizabal In this talk I will review a few aspects of Coherent Elastic neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS) and light dark matter (LDM) production in meson decays. In particular, I will focus on potential measurements using neutrino beams at FNAL. I will show that, combined with directional detectors, these beams offer an avenue for CEvNS measurements as well as for LDM detection. Such measurements will provide complementary information to that coming from other CEvNS facilities as well as from other non-directional detectors looking for LDM.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Neutron Stars as probe of cosmic neutrino background

• Garv Chauhan (Virginia Tech)

Cosmic neutrino background is one of the earliest relics from time around the big bang. Its detection in terrestrial experiments remains challenging. In this talk, we will discuss the effect of CNB interacting with a neutron star and comment on possible ways to leverage this for any future detection.

TALK: The Scotos Side of Neutrinos

• Shreyashi Chakdar (College of the Holy Cross)

Authors: Kaladi Babu, Shreyashi Chakdar, Vishnu Padmanabhan Kovilakam We carry out a systematic investigation for minimal Scotogenic models based on a dark gauge symmetry, in which the neutrino masses are induced at the one-loop level and include a chiral dark matter (DM) candidate. Assuming this gauge symmetry is broken by only one Higgs singlet scalar that also generates masses to all dark fermions, we analyze the stability of the DM candidate which is ensured by a residual symmetry of gauge symmetry. There can be different DM scenarios explored in this framework and we investigate the associated scalar and fermonic DM phenomenology of one of the minimal models.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

REMINDER NOTE ONLY: please make sure to bring a brown bag lunch for today

Career Panel

Scientist Mentor/Student Speed Match Up and Shadow

Discussion and Collaboration; Mentor/Student Shadow

TALK: Quasi (pseudo)-Dirac Neutrinos

• Chee Sheng Fong (Universidade Federal do ABC)

Author: Chee Sheng Fong Here we will consider quasi (pseudo)-Dirac neutrinos

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: E6 Unification: Intermediate Symmetries, Fermion Masses and Proton Decay

• Borut Bajc

Authors: Kaladi Babu, Borut Bajc, Vasja Susič I will present a non-supersymmetric E6 GUT with the scalar sector consisting of 650 + 351′ + 27 dimensional representations. The intermediate symmetries which turn out to be realistic under the extended survival hypothesis (with minimal fine-tuning) are trinification symmetry SU(3)C × SU(3)L × SU(3)R with either LR or CR parity, and SU(6)CR × SU(2)L. This means among others that they can reproduce correctly the light charged fermion and neutrino masses as well as the CKM and PMNS mixing matrices. Although the successful cases give a large range for proton lifetime estimates, all of them include regions consistent with current experimental bounds and within reach of forthcoming experiments.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

Road Scholar Group - CETUP* Guest Speaker (Mary Hall Reno)

• Mary Hall Reno (University of Iowa)

Room: classroom Mary Hall Reno will be presenting to the Road Scholar group at 2:00 p.m. During this time other CETUP* participants are welcome to continue with discussions and collaborations. Road Scholars is an educational tour group that comes to the visitor center to listen to a featured speaker on a science related topic and Q&A.

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Nuclear Reactors as the Gateway to Potential Discoveries

• Vedran Brdar (Oklahoma State University)

Author: Vedran Brdar I will discuss a recently proposed novel experimental setup for axion-like particle (ALP) searches. Nuclear reactors produce a copious number of photons, a fraction of which could convert into ALPs via the Primakoff process in the reactor core. The generated flux of ALPs leaves the nuclear power plant, and its passage through a region with a strong magnetic field results in efficient conversion to photons, which can be detected. Such a magnetic field is the key component of axion haloscope experiments. I will discuss existing setups featuring an adjacent nuclear reactor and axion haloscope and I will demonstrate that the obtained sensitivity projections complement constraints from existing laboratory experiments, e.g., light-shining-through-walls.

TALK: Decoding the Flavor Evolution of Supernova Neutrinos: Shedding Light on Neutrino Electromagnetic Properties and Supernova Dynamics

• Yago Porto (ABC Federal University)

Author: Yago Porto Two of the most important questions in neutrino astrophysics are: A) How can the extreme supernova environments, through which neutrinos propagate, be used to shed light on the new physics behind neutrino masses and mixing? B) What is the flavor evolution of supernova neutrinos in the latest stages of core collapse? In this talk, I will summarize our recent developments in these directions, emphasizing how the unique magnetic fields of supernova progenitors can modify neutrino evolution in the presence of both Dirac and Majorana neutrino magnetic moments during the first few tens of milliseconds of neutrino emission. For the rest of the neutrino emission (roughly 10 seconds), I will describe how standard matter effects can define the main features of the neutrino signal in terrestrial detectors despite the exotic neutrino-neutrino refraction that dominates in the supernova core.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

Communicating with Media - Ann Melti and Mike Ray (SDSTA/SURF)

• Mike Ray
• Ann Metli (SDSTA/SURF)

TALK: Unleashing the Power of EFT in Neutrino–Nucleus Scattering

• Zahra Tabrizi (Northwestern University)

Author: Zahra Tabrizi Neutrino physics is advancing into a precision era with the construction of new experiments, particularly in the few GeV energy range. Within this energy range, neutrinos exhibit diverse interactions with nucleons and nuclei. This talk delves in particular into neutrino–nucleus quasi-elastic cross sections, taking into account both standard and, for the first time, non-standard interactions, all within the framework of effective field theory (EFT). The main uncertainties in these cross sections stem from uncertainties in the nucleon-level form factors, and from the approximations necessary to solve the nuclear many-body problem. In this talk I explore how these uncertainties influence the potential of neutrino experiments to probe new physics introduced by left-handed, right-handed, scalar, pseudoscalar, and tensor interactions. For some of these interactions the cross section is enhanced, making long-baseline experiments an excellent place to search for them. The results, including tabulated cross sections for all interaction types and all neutrino flavors, can serve as the foundation for such searches.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: Probing SUSY at Gravitational Wave Observations

• Shaikh Saad

Author: Shaikh Saad Under the assumption that the recent pulsar timing array evidence for a stochastic gravitational wave (GW) background at nanohertz frequencies is generated by metastable cosmic strings, we analyze the potential of present and future GW observatories for probing the change of particle degrees of freedom caused, e.g., by a supersymmetric (SUSY) extension of the Standard Model (SM). We find that signs of the characteristic doubling of degrees of freedom predicted by SUSY could be detected at Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer even if the masses of the SUSY partner particles are as high as about TeV, far above the reach of any currently envisioned particle collider. We also discuss the detection prospects for the case that some entropy production, e.g. from a late decaying modulus field inducing a temporary matter domination phase in the evolution of the universe, somewhat dilutes the GW spectrum, delaying discovery of the stochastic GW background at LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA. In our analysis we focus on SUSY, but any theory beyond the SM predicting a significant increase of particle degrees of freedom could be probed this way.

TALK: Embedding the Universal See-Saw Mechanism in Pati-Salam Model

• Sumit Biswas (Oklahoma State University)

Authors: Kaladi S. Babu, Sumit Biswas Here we explore the integration of universal see-saw mechanism within the parity-symmetric Pati-Salam framework to address fermion mass generation. Incorporating vector-like fermions and a simple Higgs sector helps realize the hierarchical mass for all generations in this unified quark-lepton model. The neutrino sector seems pretty intriguing with the lightest neutrino acquiring mass through one-loop radiative corrections. With softly broken parity, we also see the possibility of addressing the strong CP problem in this setup.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: eV Sterile Neutrino Paradox

• Sudip Jana

Authors: Sudip Jana, Lucas Puetter, Alexei Yu. Smirnov Light sterile neutrinos are frequently featured in various theories, particularly to explain short-baseline anomalies or as candidates for dark matter. These scenarios necessitate non-zero mixing with active neutrinos, often disregarding the contributions to the active neutrino mass matrix. We demonstrate that this mixing induces contributions to the active neutrino mass matrix, thereby affecting neutrino oscillation results. We conduct a rigorous analysis and present stringent bounds on these induced masses for each entry of a active neutrino mass matrix. Furthermore, we examine whether the induced matrix can elucidate the distinctive pattern of lepton mixing and the neutrino mass spectrum, while discussing the various phenomenological implications.

Discussion and Collaboration

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

Shuttle Pickup at HOTEL, Travel to E&O Building Hampton Inn Lead hotel

SURF Overview by Jaret Heise, Science Director, South Dakota Science and Technology Authority Room: E&O Conference Room

SURF Underground Tour Safety, Waivers, Lunch at 11:00 w/ Cultural Awareness Committee, PPE and Shuttle to Ross

• Juan Molina (SDSTA/SURF)

Room: E&O Conference Room Only the CETUP* participants that are going on the underground tour will attend. Other participants not going on the tour will be able to stay at the Middle School and continue to work and carry on discussions.

Shuttle, Travel to Ross

Shuttle, PPE, Return to Hampton Inn

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

TALK: Skimming tau neutrinos and optical Cherenkov signals

• Mary Hall Reno (University of Iowa)

Author: Mary Hall Reno Optical Cherenkov signals from up-going air showers show promise for detection of skimming tau neutrinos. We review the theoretical inputs to evaluating the sensitivities to transient neutrino sources of orbital and sub-orbital Cherenkov telescopes.

Discussion, Collaboration, and Lunch

TALK: TBD (open slot available)

Discussion and Collaboration