Coherent Active-Sterile Neutrino Flavor Transformation in the Early Universe
Loading...
Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Description
We solve the problem of coherent Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) resonant active-to-sterile neutrino flavor conversion driven by an initial lepton number in the early universe. We find incomplete destruction of lepton number in this process and a sterile neutrino energy distribution with a distinctive cusp and high energy tail. These features imply alteration of the non-zero lepton number primordial nucleosynthesis paradigm when there exist sterile neutrinos with rest masses ~ 1 eV. This could result in better light element probes of (constraints on) these particles.
4 pages, 3 figures, matches version printed in PRL
4 pages, 3 figures, matches version printed in PRL