Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Open Access
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Exploring anomaly-free dark photon models through solar neutrino-electron scattering in ton-scale dark matter detectors

M. Demirci1,2,*, G. Kaz𝚤l1,3, and M. F. Mustamin1

  • *Contact author: mehmetdemirci@ktu.edu.tr

Phys. Rev. D 114, 075039 – Published 30 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dcmw-n3dc

Abstract

We study the phenomenological implications of anomaly-free dark photon models using low-energy solar neutrino-electron elastic scattering data from the ton-scale PandaX-4T and XENONnT experiments. Focusing on U(1)X gauge extensions that incorporate both kinetic and mass mixing, we derive novel exclusion limits across the parameter spaces of six benchmark models. Our analysis demonstrates that the stringency of these limits is directly correlated with the theoretical leptonic charge assignments of the respective models. Additionally, we provide model-independent limits by isolating the pure kinetic and pure mass mixing scenarios. In the sub-MeV mediator mass regime, our results meaningfully improve upon existing limits from previous neutrino-electron scattering experiments, such as CHARM-II, TEXONO, and GEMMA. Ultimately, these findings yield improved limits on low-mass dark photon models, demonstrating their complementarity with other ventures in the global search for dark portals.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (96)

  1. P. Langacker, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81, 1199 (2009).
  2. M. Fabbrichesi, E. Gabrielli, and G. Lanfranchi, The Physics of the Dark Photon: A Primer, SpringerBriefs in Physics (Springer, Cham, 2021).
  3. B. Holdom, Phys. Lett. 166B, 196 (1986).
  4. M. Pospelov, Phys. Rev. D 80, 095002 (2009).
  5. R. Foot, X. G. He, H. Lew, and R. R. Volkas, Phys. Rev. D 50, 4571 (1994).
  6. F. del Aguila, M. Masip, and M. Perez-Victoria, Nucl. Phys. B456, 531 (1995).
  7. K. S. Babu, C. F. Kolda, and J. March-Russell, Phys. Rev. D 57, 6788 (1998).
  8. P. Fayet, Phys. Lett. B 96, 83 (1980).
  9. P. Fayet, Nucl. Phys. B 347, 743 (1990).
  10. X. Chen, Z. Hu, Y. Wu, and K. Yi, Phys. Lett. B 814, 136076 (2021).
  11. K. Asai, A. Das, J. Li, T. Nomura, and O. Seto, Phys. Rev. D 106, 095033 (2022).
  12. K. Asai, A. Das, J. Li, T. Nomura, and O. Seto, Phys. Rev. D 109, 075026 (2024).
  13. S. Bilmis, I. Turan, T. M. Aliev, M. Deniz, L. Singh, and H. T. Wong, Phys. Rev. D 92, 033009 (2015).
  14. M. Lindner, F. S. Queiroz, W. Rodejohann, and X. J. Xu, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2018) 098.
  15. P. Coloma, I. Esteban, M. C. Gonzalez-Garcia, L. Larizgoitia, F. Monrabal, and S. Palomares-Ruiz, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2022) 037.
  16. M. Atzori Corona, M. Cadeddu, N. Cargioli, F. Dordei, C. Giunti, Y. F. Li, E. Picciau, C. A. Ternes, and Y. Y. Zhang, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2022) 109.
  17. A. Elpe, E. Akyumuk, T. M. Aliev, L. Selbuz, and I. Turan, Phys. Rev. D 107, 075022 (2023).
  18. V. De Romeri, O. G. Miranda, D. K. Papoulias, G. Sanchez Garcia, M. Tórtola, and J. W. F. Valle, J. High Energy Phys. 04 (2023) 035.
  19. M. Atzori Corona, M. Cadeddu, N. Cargioli, F. Dordei, C. Giunti, and R. Pavarani, Universe 11, 416 (2025).
  20. G. ’t Hooft, Phys. Lett. 37B, 195 (1971).
  21. L. Baudis, A. Ferella, A. Kish, A. Manalaysay, T. Marrodan Undagoitia, and M. Schumann, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 01 (2014) 044.
  22. J. Billard, L. Strigari, and E. Figueroa-Feliciano, Phys. Rev. D 89, 023524 (2014).
  23. J. N. Bahcall, Neutrino Astrophysics (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 989).
  24. J. N. Bahcall, M. Kamionkowski, and A. Sirlin, Phys. Rev. D 51, 6146 (1995).
  25. J. N. Bahcall, M. H. Pinsonneault, and S. Basu, Astrophys. J. 555, 990 (2001).
  26. J. N. Bahcall, A. M. Serenelli, and S. Basu, Astrophys. J. Lett. 621, L85 (2005).
  27. J. N. Bahcall and A. M. Serenelli, Astrophys. J 626, 530 (2005).
  28. N. Vinyoles, A. M. Serenelli, F. L. Villante, S. Basu, J. Bergström, M. C. Gonzalez-Garcia, M. Maltoni, C. Peña-Garay, and N. Song, Astrophys. J. 835, 202 (2017).
  29. X. Cao et al. (PandaX Collaboration), Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 57, 1476 (2014).
  30. X. Cui et al. (PandaX-II Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 181302 (2017).
  31. H. Zhang et al. (PandaX Collaboration), Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 62, 31011 (2019).
  32. D. Zhang et al. (PandaX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 161804 (2022).
  33. Y. Luo et al. (PandaX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 110, 023029 (2024).
  34. X. Zeng et al. (PandaX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 041001 (2025).
  35. J. Angle et al. (XENON Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 021303 (2008).
  36. E. Aprile et al. (XENON Collaboration), J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 04 (2016) 027.
  37. E. Aprile et al. (XENON Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 181301 (2017).
  38. E. Aprile et al. (XENON Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 251801 (2019).
  39. E. Aprile et al. (XENON Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 102, 072004 (2020).
  40. E. Aprile et al. (XENON Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 161805 (2022).
  41. G. Li, C. Q. Song, F. J. Tang, and J. H. Yu, Phys. Rev. D 111, 035002 (2025).
  42. D. W. P. Amaral, D. Cerdeno, A. Cheek, and P. Foldenauer, J. High Energy Phys. 07 (2023) 071.
  43. J. M. Celestino-Ramírez, F. J. Escrihuela, L. J. Flores, O. G. Miranda, and R. Sánchez-Vélez, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2026) 071.
  44. R. Harnik, J. Kopp, and P. A. N. Machado, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2012) 026.
  45. D. G. Cerdeño, M. Fairbairn, T. Jubb, P. A. N. Machado, A. C. Vincent, and C. Bœhm, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2016) 118; 09 (2016) 048(E).
  46. M. Demirci and M. F. Mustamin, Phys. Rev. D 109, 015021 (2024).
  47. V. De Romeri, D. K. Papoulias, and C. A. Ternes, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2024) 165.
  48. M. Demirci and M. F. Mustamin, Phys. Rev. D 111, 055032 (2025).
  49. A. N. Khan, Phys. Lett. B 837, 137650 (2023).
  50. C. Giunti and C. A. Ternes, Phys. Rev. D 108, 095044 (2023).
  51. M. Demirci, H. I. Sezer, M. F. Mustamin, and A. B. Balantekin, Phys. Rev. D 112, 095035 (2025).
  52. M. D. Campos, D. Cogollo, M. Lindner, T. Melo, F. S. Queiroz, and W. Rodejohann, J. High Energy Phys. 08 (2017) 092.
  53. P. Ilten, Y. Soreq, M. Williams, and W. Xue, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2018) 004.
  54. M. Bauer, P. Foldenauer, and J. Jaeckel, J. High Energy Phys. 07 (2018) 094.
  55. M. Redi and A. Tesi, J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2022) 167.
  56. A. Caputo, J. Park, and S. Yun, Phys. Rev. D 113, 075001 (2026).
  57. J. A. Formaggio and G. P. Zeller, Rev. Mod. Phys. 84, 1307 (2012).
  58. P. Vilain et al. (CHARM-II Collaboration), Phys. Lett. B 302, 351 (1993).
  59. P. Vilain et al. (CHARM-II Collaboration), Phys. Lett. B 335, 246 (1994).
  60. L. B. Auerbach et al. (LSND Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 63, 112001 (2001).
  61. M. Deniz et al. (TEXONO Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 81, 072001 (2010).
  62. K. S. Hirata et al. (Kamiokande-II Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 16 (1989).
  63. S. Fukuda et al. (Super-Kamiokande Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 5651 (2001).
  64. Q. R. Ahmad et al. (SNO Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 011301 (2002).
  65. S. N. Ahmed et al. (SNO Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 181301 (2004).
  66. C. Arpesella et al. (Borexino Collaboration), Phys. Lett. B 658, 101 (2008).
  67. M. Agostini et al. (Borexino Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 100, 082004 (2019).
  68. S. Navas et al. (Particle Data Group), Phys. Rev. D 110, 030001 (2024).
  69. J. W. Chen, H. C. Chi, C. P. Liu, and C. P. Wu, Phys. Lett. B 774, 656 (2017).
  70. A. Thompson et al., X-ray data booklet (2009), https://xdb.lbl.gov/.
  71. K. A. Kouzakov and A. I. Studenikin, Phys. Rev. D 95, 055013 (2017); 96, 099904(E) (2017).
  72. C. C. Hsieh, L. Singh, C. P. Wu, J. W. Chen, H. C. Chi, C. P. Liu, M. K. Pandey, and H. T. Wong, Phys. Rev. D 100, 073001 (2019).
  73. I. Esteban, M. C. Gonzalez-Garcia, M. Maltoni, I. Martinez-Soler, J. P. Pinheiro, and T. Schwetz, J. High Energy Phys. 12 (2024) 216.
  74. S. Baker and R. D. Cousins, Nucl. Instrum. Methods 221, 437 (1984).
  75. G. L. Fogli, E. Lisi, A. Marrone, D. Montanino, and A. Palazzo, Phys. Rev. D 66, 053010 (2002).
  76. H. T. Wong, Mod. Phys. Lett. A 19, 1207 (2004).
  77. A. G. Beda, E. V. Demidova, A. S. Starostin, V. B. Brudanin, V. G. Egorov, D. V. Medvedev, M. V. Shirchenko, and T. Vylov, Phys. Part. Nucl. Lett. 7, 406 (2010).
  78. A. G. Beda, V. B. Brudanin, V. G. Egorov, D. V. Medvedev, V. S. Pogosov, M. V. Shirchenko, and A. S. Starostin, Adv. High Energy Phys. 2012, 350150 (2012).
  79. E. M. Riordan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 755 (1987).
  80. J. D. Bjorken, R. Essig, P. Schuster, and N. Toro, Phys. Rev. D 80, 075018 (2009).
  81. J. Blumlein and J. Brunner, Phys. Lett. B 701, 155 (2011).
  82. J. Blümlein and J. Brunner, Phys. Lett. B 731, 320 (2014).
  83. D. Banerjee et al. (NA64 Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 121801 (2019).
  84. Y. M. Andreev et al. (NA64 Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 161801 (2022).
  85. J. P. Lees et al. (BABAR Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 201801 (2014).
  86. J. P. Lees et al. (BABAR Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 131804 (2017).
  87. R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 061801 (2018).
  88. R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 041801 (2020).
  89. R. H. Parker, C. Yu, W. Zhong, B. Estey, and H. Müller, Science 360, 191 (2018).
  90. L. Morel, Z. Yao, P. Cladé, and S. Guellati-Khélifa, Nature (London) 588, 61 (2020).
  91. Y. D. Tsai, P. deNiverville, and M. X. Liu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 181801 (2021).
  92. B. Abi et al. (Muon g-2 Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 141801 (2021).
  93. D. F. Bartlett and S. Loegl, Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 2285 (1988).
  94. J. Jaeckel and S. Roy, Phys. Rev. D 82, 125020 (2010).
  95. Shao-Ping Li and Xun-Jie Xu, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 09 (2023) 009.
  96. P. Coloma, M. C. Gonzalez-Garcia, M. Maltoni, J. P. Pinheiro, and S. Urrea, J. High Energy Phys. 07 (2022) 138.

Outline

Information

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation