Quantum Coherence of Relic Neutrinos

TL;DR

This paper explores the quantum coherence properties of relic neutrinos, suggesting they form spatially extended superpositions that influence cosmological measurements and may be affected by spacetime curvature.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum mechanical framework for relic neutrinos, highlighting their coherence scale and potential decoherence effects due to spacetime curvature.

Findings

Relic neutrinos can be spatially extended coherent superpositions.

Quantum treatment alters cosmological neutrino mass estimates.

Coherence scale may be a significant fraction of the horizon size.

Abstract

We argue that in at least a portion of the history of the universe the relic background neutrinos are spatially-extended, coherent superpositions of mass states. We show that an appropriate quantum mechanical treatment affects the neutrino mass values derived from cosmological data. The coherence scale of these neutrino flavor wavepackets can be an appreciable fraction of the causal horizon size, raising the possibility of spacetime curvature-induced decoherence.