Search for Fractionally Charged Particles with CUORE
D Q Adams1, C Alduino1, K Alfonso2
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|January 3, 2025
Summary
The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) searched for exotic fractionally charged particles (FCPs) using a tonne of data. No FCPs were found, setting new leading limits on their underground flux.
Area of Science:
- Particle Physics
- Cosmic Ray Physics
- Experimental Physics
Background:
- The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a large cryogenic detector searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay.
- Its unique size and low-temperature environment make it suitable for detecting exotic particles.
- Fractionally charged particles (FCPs) are predicted by some extensions to the Standard Model of particle physics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To search for fractionally charged particles (FCPs) using the first tonne-year exposure of the CUORE detector.
- To set new limits on the flux of FCPs in the underground environment.
- To demonstrate the sensitivity of tonne-scale cryogenic detectors to new physics signatures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the CUORE detector's 988 TeO2 crystals operating below 20 mK.
- Analyzed one tonne-year of data for candidate FCP tracks.
- Searched for FCPs with charges ranging from e/24 to e/2.
Main Results:
- No excess of FCP candidate tracks was observed above the expected background.
- Established leading 90% confidence level limits on the underground FCP flux for charges e/24 to e/5.
- Demonstrated the capability of subkelvin, tonne-scale detectors to probe diverse new physics signals.
Conclusions:
- The CUORE experiment places stringent constraints on the existence of FCPs in the analyzed mass and charge range.
- The results highlight the potential of large cryogenic detectors for exploring physics beyond the Standard Model.
- CUORE's low-background environment and segmented design are valuable for future rare event searches.
Related Concept Videos
03:37Subatomic Particles
89.1K
Dalton was only partially correct about the particles that make up matter. All matter is composed of atoms, and atoms are composed of three smaller subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. These three particles account for the mass and the charge of an atom.
89.1K
01:09Electron Behavior
7.6K
Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles attracted to and orbit around the positively-charged nucleus of an atom. They reside in spaces associated with energy levels called shells and are further organized into subshells and orbitals within each shell.
Electrons Orbit the Nucleus
Electrons are found in specific locations outside of the nucleus. The shell in which an electron resides indicates the general energy level of the electron: those closer to the nucleus have less energy,...
Electrons Orbit the Nucleus
Electrons are found in specific locations outside of the nucleus. The shell in which an electron resides indicates the general energy level of the electron: those closer to the nucleus have less energy,...
7.6K
03:08Atomic Radii and Effective Nuclear Charge
50.6K
The elements in groups of the periodic table exhibit similar chemical behavior. This similarity occurs because the members of a group have the same number and distribution of electrons in their valence shells.
50.6K
01:15Sources and Properties of Electric Charge
9.7K
All objects we see around us consist of atoms, which combine to form molecules. The lightest element in the universe is hydrogen, and a hydrogen atom consists of a positively charged proton and a negatively charged electron. The magnitude of charge that a proton and an electron carry are the same, and it is the fundamental unit of charge. In SI units, it is 1.602 times 10-19 coulomb.
Most atoms additionally constitute another fundamental particle, the neutron. It carries no electrical charge. A...
Most atoms additionally constitute another fundamental particle, the neutron. It carries no electrical charge. A...
9.7K
01:22Motion Of A Charged Particle In A Magnetic Field
4.3K
A charged particle experiences a force when moving through a magnetic field. Consider the field to be uniform and the charged particle to move perpendicular to it. If the field is in a vacuum, the magnetic field is the dominant factor determining the motion. Since the magnetic force is perpendicular to the direction of motion, a charged particle follows a curved path. The particle continues to follow this curved path until it forms a complete circle. Another way to look at this is that the...
4.3K
01:21Energy Associated With a Charge Distribution
1.4K
The work done to bring a charge through a distance r is given by the potential difference between the initial and the final position. To assemble a collection of point charges, the total work done can be expressed in terms of the product of each pair of charges divided by their separation distance, defined with respect to a suitable origin. Solving this expression gives the energy stored in a point charge distribution.
1.4K