Probing Neutrinos in Rare Decays

The student, supervised by Deppisch, will focus on probing neutrino properties in rare decays, specifically neutrinoless double beta decay and tritium beta decay.

In order for experiments to reach their full potential, i.e., reach a sensitivity only limited by experimental constraints, precise predictions are required. Specifically, radiative corrections are modifying the decay spectrums.

The student will improve existing calculations of the SM spectrum, and extend them to include polarization effects and sterile neutrinos.

Utilizing the then existing expertise in modelling decay, they will determine the impact on the sensitivity towards light neutrino masses, sterile neutrinos and exotic physics.

After initial training, the student will: make a critical assessment of theoretical corrections also under the presence of eV to keV scale sterile neutrinos, considering the expected improved experimental uncertainties (Y1); calculate improved corrections that have the highest impact, likely arising from radiating soft photons (Y2); perform a detailed analysis of the expected sensitivity to neutrino masses, keV scale sterile neutrinos and other exotic physics vis-a-vis other neutrino searches (Y3).