Rates of Processes with Coherent Production of Different Particles and the GSI Time Anomaly

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that summing interaction rates over all final states is valid due to causality, refutes the neutrino mixing explanation for the GSI anomaly, and suggests quantum beats from coherent energy levels as a possible cause.

Contribution

It clarifies the calculation method for interaction rates and proposes a novel explanation for the GSI anomaly involving quantum beats from coherent energy levels.

Findings

Standard rate calculation method is correct due to causality.

Neutrino mixing does not explain the GSI anomaly.

GSI anomaly may be caused by quantum beats from two coherent energy levels.

Abstract

With the help of an analogy with a double-slit experiment, it is shown that the standard method of calculation of the rate of an interaction process by adding the rates of production of all the allowed final states, regardless of a possible coherence among them, is correct. It is a consequence of causality. The claims that the GSI time anomaly is due to the mixing of neutrinos in the final state of the electron-capture process are refuted. It is shown that the GSI time anomaly may be due to quantum beats due to the existence of two coherent energy levels of the decaying ion with an extremely small energy splitting (about 10^{-15} eV) and relative probabilities having a ratio of about 1/99.