Beacom JF, Bell NF, Hooper D, Learned JG, Pakvasa S, Weiler TJ. Pseudo-dirac neutrinos: a challenge for neutrino telescopes.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2004;
92:011101. [PMID:
14753977 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.92.011101]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Neutrinos may be pseudo-Dirac states, such that each generation is actually composed of two maximally mixed Majorana neutrinos separated by a tiny mass difference. The usual active neutrino oscillation phenomenology would be unaltered if the pseudo-Dirac splittings are deltam(2) less, similar 10(-12) eV(2); in addition, neutrinoless double beta decay would be highly suppressed. However, it may be possible to distinguish pseudo-Dirac from Dirac neutrinos using high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. By measuring flavor ratios as a function of L/E, mass-squared differences down to deltam(2) approximately 10(-18) eV(2) can be reached. We comment on the possibility of probing cosmological parameters with neutrinos.
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