Long-range correlations of neutrinos in hadron reactions and neutrino diffraction II: neutrino

TL;DR

This paper explores how finite-size effects and wave diffraction influence neutrino detection probabilities in high-energy pion decays, proposing a novel method to measure absolute neutrino mass.

Contribution

It introduces a finite-time S-matrix approach revealing long-range neutrino diffraction effects dependent on neutrino mass, suggesting a new measurement technique.

Findings

Neutrino detection probability receives significant finite-size correction.

Neutrino diffraction effects are long-range and universal, depending on neutrino mass.

Proposes a new method for measuring absolute neutrino mass.

Abstract

In this II, a probability to detect the neutrino produced in a high-energy pion decay is shown to receive the large finite-size correction. The neutrino interacts extremely weakly with matters and is described with a many-body wave function together with the pion and charged lepton. This wave function slowly approaches to an asymptotic form, which is probed by the neutrino. The whole process is described by an S-matrix of a finite-time interval, which couples with states of non-conserving kinetic energy, and the final states of a broad spectrum specific to a relativistic invariant system contribute to the positive semi-definite correction similar to diffraction of waves through a hole. This diffraction component for the neutrino becomes long range and stable under changes of the pion's energy. Moreover, it has a universal form that depends on the absolute neutrino mass. Thus a new method of measuring the absolute neutrino mass is suggested.