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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.02382 |
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| _version_ | 1866912938798874624 |
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| author | Airoldi, Lua F. T. Alves, Gustavo F. S. Machado, Pedro A. N. Griend, Peter Vander |
| author_facet | Airoldi, Lua F. T. Alves, Gustavo F. S. Machado, Pedro A. N. Griend, Peter Vander |
| contents | We examine decoherence in neutrino oscillations induced by an ultralight scalar field coupled to neutrinos. The scalar induces time- and position-dependent shifts in the neutrino mass matrix. Neutrinos sample different field configurations throughout an experimental data-taking period, which leads to damping effects in the oscillation pattern in the form of decoherence. By recasting the neutrino-scalar dynamics within the open quantum systems framework, we establish a mapping between a complete model and phenomenological decoherence approaches. We find that the parameter driving decoherence scales as $L^2/E^2$, where $L$ is the baseline and $E$ is the neutrino energy, as opposed to $L/E$ typically assumed in phenomenological studies of open system approaches to neutrino oscillations. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_02382 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Open system approach to neutrinos propagating in an ultralight scalar background Airoldi, Lua F. T. Alves, Gustavo F. S. Machado, Pedro A. N. Griend, Peter Vander High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Experiment We examine decoherence in neutrino oscillations induced by an ultralight scalar field coupled to neutrinos. The scalar induces time- and position-dependent shifts in the neutrino mass matrix. Neutrinos sample different field configurations throughout an experimental data-taking period, which leads to damping effects in the oscillation pattern in the form of decoherence. By recasting the neutrino-scalar dynamics within the open quantum systems framework, we establish a mapping between a complete model and phenomenological decoherence approaches. We find that the parameter driving decoherence scales as $L^2/E^2$, where $L$ is the baseline and $E$ is the neutrino energy, as opposed to $L/E$ typically assumed in phenomenological studies of open system approaches to neutrino oscillations. |
| title | Open system approach to neutrinos propagating in an ultralight scalar background |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Experiment |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.02382 |