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Main Authors: Perez-Gonzalez, Yuber F., Shergold, Jack D.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.11941
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author Perez-Gonzalez, Yuber F.
Shergold, Jack D.
author_facet Perez-Gonzalez, Yuber F.
Shergold, Jack D.
contents We investigate the sensitivity of relic neutrino detection methods within the Standard Model, extended to include right-chiral neutrino singlets with Majorana mass terms. In particular, we study neutrino capture on unstable nuclei, the Stodolsky effect, coherent scattering, and an accelerator experiment. We demonstrate that the sensitivity transitions smoothly between Dirac and Majorana regimes, depending on the scale of lepton number violation. Importantly, neutral current interactions lead to transitions between the light and heavy neutrino states, necessitating the use of a density matrix formalism for accurate sensitivity calculations. As the oldest source of neutrinos in the universe, relic neutrinos would be able to provide an ultimate constraint on the lepton number violating scale, $m_R\gtrsim 10^{-33}~{\rm eV}$, below which neutrinos would behave as Dirac fermions for all practical purposes.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_11941
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Cosmic neutrino background detection in the minimally extended Standard Model
Perez-Gonzalez, Yuber F.
Shergold, Jack D.
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
We investigate the sensitivity of relic neutrino detection methods within the Standard Model, extended to include right-chiral neutrino singlets with Majorana mass terms. In particular, we study neutrino capture on unstable nuclei, the Stodolsky effect, coherent scattering, and an accelerator experiment. We demonstrate that the sensitivity transitions smoothly between Dirac and Majorana regimes, depending on the scale of lepton number violation. Importantly, neutral current interactions lead to transitions between the light and heavy neutrino states, necessitating the use of a density matrix formalism for accurate sensitivity calculations. As the oldest source of neutrinos in the universe, relic neutrinos would be able to provide an ultimate constraint on the lepton number violating scale, $m_R\gtrsim 10^{-33}~{\rm eV}$, below which neutrinos would behave as Dirac fermions for all practical purposes.
title Cosmic neutrino background detection in the minimally extended Standard Model
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.11941