Search for reactor-produced millicharged particles with Skipper-CCDs at the CONNIE and Atucha-II experiments

• Main Authors: Aguilar-Arevalo, Alexis A, Avalos, Nicolas, Bellino, Pablo, Bertou, Xavier, Bonifazi, Carla, Botti, Ana, Cababié, Mariano, Cancelo, Gustavo, Cervantes-Vergara, Brenda A, Chavez, Claudio, Chierchie, Fernando, Delgado, David, Depaoli, Eliana, D'Olivo, Juan Carlos, Anjos, João dos, Estrada, Juan, Moroni, Guillermo Fernandez, Neto, Aldo R. Fernandes, Ford, Richard, Kilminster, Ben, Kuk, Kevin, Lathrop, Andrew, Lemos, Patrick, LimaJr, Herman P, Makler, Martin, Magnoni, Agustina, Maslova, Katherine, Marinho, Franciole, Molina, Jorge, Nasteva, Irina, Oliveira, Ana Carolina, Perez, Santiago, Paulucci, Laura, Rodrigues, Dario, Sarkis, Youssef, Sidelnik, Ivan, Haro, Miguel Sofo, Stalder, Diego, Tiffenberg, Javier, Ventura, Pedro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 25-05-2024
• Subjects: Physics - High Energy Physics - Experiment; Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2405.16316

Millicharged particles, proposed by various extensions of the standard model,
can be created in pairs by high-energy photons within nuclear reactors and can
interact electromagnetically with electrons in matter. Recently, the existence
of a plasmon peak in the interaction cross-section with silicon in the eV range
was highlighted as a promising approach to enhance low-energy sensitivities.
The CONNIE and Atucha-II reactor neutrino experiments utilize Skipper-CCD
sensors, which enable the detection of interactions in the eV range. We present
world-leading limits on the charge of millicharged particles within a mass
range spanning six orders of magnitude, derived through a comprehensive
analysis and the combination of data from both experiments.