Is the observability of sterile neutrino masses consistent with $\nu-$oscillations?

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the assumptions behind a 1980 proposal to detect heavy sterile neutrinos via lepton energy measurements, questioning its consistency with neutrino oscillation observability.

Contribution

It challenges the validity of a historical sterile neutrino detection method and discusses its potential incompatibility with neutrino oscillation phenomena.

Findings

The 1980 detection method relies on questionable assumptions.

Sterile neutrino detection may be incompatible with neutrino oscillation observations.

The paper questions the feasibility of certain sterile neutrino searches.

Abstract

It is shown that a 1980 proposal to search for heavy sterile neutrinos by observing the energy of the associated lepton in weak decays rests on an questionable assumption, and that the possibility of such a detection might be inconsistent with the observability of neutrino oscillations.