Neutrino oscillations in accelerated states

TL;DR

This paper examines how neutrino oscillations affect the inverse beta decay of accelerated protons, revealing discrepancies between different reference frames that could inform neutrino mass origins.

Contribution

It demonstrates the frame-dependent differences in decay rates due to neutrino oscillations and discusses potential experimental resolutions.

Findings

Discrepancies between laboratory and co-moving frame calculations.

Neutrino oscillations influence decay rates in accelerated systems.

Potential to gain insights into neutrino mass origins.

Abstract

We discuss the inverse $\beta$-decay of accelerated protons in the context of neutrino oscillations. The process $p\rightarrow n \ell^+ \nu_\ell$ is kinematically allowed because the accelerating field provides the rest energy difference between initial and final states. The rate of $p\to n$ conversions can be evaluated in either the laboratory frame (where the proton is accelerating) or the co-moving frame (where the proton is at rest and interacts with an effective thermal bath of $\ell$ and $\nu_\ell$ due to the Unruh effect). By explicit calculation, we show the rates in the two frames disagree when taking into account neutrino oscillations, because the weak interaction couples to charge eigenstates whereas gravity couples to neutrino mass eigenstates. The contradiction could be resolved experimentally, potentially yielding new information on the origins of neutrino masses.