Quasi-classical gravity effect on neutrino oscillations in a gravitational field of a heavy astrophysical object

DOI10.1155/2015/381569MaRDI QIDQ2363930zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Jonathan Miller, Roman Pasechnik

Publication date 17 July 2017

Published in Advances in High Energy Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1305.4430

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Open systems, reduced dynamics, master equations, decoherence (81S22) Weak interaction in quantum theory (81V15) Quantization of the gravitational field (83C45)

Abstract: In the framework of quantum field theory, a graviton interacts locally with a quantum state having definite mass, i.e. the gravitational mass eigenstate, while a weak boson interacts with a state having definite flavor, i.e. the flavor eigenstate. An interaction of a neutrino with an energetic graviton may trigger the collapse of the neutrino to a definite mass eigenstate with probability expressed in terms of PMNS mixing matrix elements. Thus, gravitons would induce quantum decoherence of a coherent neutrino flavor state similarly to how weak bosons induce quantum decoherence of a neutrino in a definite mass state. We demonstrate that such an essentially quantum gravity effect may have strong consequences for neutrino oscillation phenomena in astrophysics due to relatively large scattering cross sections of relativistic neutrinos undergoing large-angle radiation of energetic gravitons in gravitational field of a classical massive source (i.e. the quasi-classical case of gravitational Bethe-Heitler scattering). This graviton-induced {it decoherence} is compared to {it decoherence} due to propagation in the presence of the Earth matter effect. Based on this study, we propose a new technique for the indirect detection of energetic gravitons by measuring the flavor composition of astrophysical neutrinos.

Review text

Summary: In the framework of quantum field theory, a graviton interacts locally with a quantum state having definite mass, that is, the gravitational mass eigenstate, while a weak boson interacts with a state having definite flavor, that is, the flavor eigenstate. An interaction of a neutrino with an energetic graviton may trigger the collapse of the neutrino to a definite mass eigenstate with probability expressed in terms of PMNS mixing matrix elements. Thus, gravitons would induce quantum decoherence of a coherent neutrino flavor state similarly to how weak bosons induce quantum decoherence of a neutrino in a definite mass state. We demonstrate that such an essentially quantum gravity effect may have strong consequences for neutrino oscillation phenomena in astrophysics due to relatively large scattering cross sections of relativistic neutrinos undergoing large angle radiation of energetic gravitons in gravitational field of a classical massive source (i.e., the quasi-classical case of gravitational Bethe-Heitler scattering). This graviton-induced \textit{decoherence} is compared to \textit{decoherence} due to propagation in the presence of the Earth matter effect. Based on this study, we propose a new technique for the indirect detection of energetic gravitons by measuring the flavor composition of astrophysical neutrinos.

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Cited in

(8)

• Meaningful details: the value of adding baseline dependence to the neutrino-dark matter effect
• Neutrino decoherence in presence of strong gravitational fields
• Quantum gravity effect on neutrino oscillation
• 'Evaporation' of a flavor-mixed particle from a gravitational potential
• Flavor ratios of astrophysical neutrinos interacting with stochastic gravitational waves having arbitrary spectra
• Stability of event horizons against neutrino flux: the classical picture
• Effects of gravitational lensing by Kaluza-Klein black holes on neutrino oscillations
• Comment on: ``Neutrino decoherence in presence of strong gravitational fields

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