Detecting Dark Photons with Reactor Neutrino Experiments

Abstract

We propose to search for light U(1) dark photons, A&apos;, produced via kinetically mixing with ordinary photons via the Compton-like process, gamma e(-) -> A&apos;e(-), in a nuclear reactor and detected by their interactions with the material in the active volumes of reactor neutrino experiments. We derive 95% confidence-level upper limits on epsilon, the A&apos; - gamma mixing parameter, epsilon, for dark-photon masses below 1 MeV of epsilon < 1.3 x 10(-5) and epsilon < 2.1 x 10(-5), from NEOS and TEXONO experimental data, respectively. This study demonstrates the applicability of nuclear reactors as potential sources of intense fluxes of low-mass dark photons. © 2017 American Physical Society