Meeting the Challenges for Relic Neutrino Detection

TL;DR

This paper explores the theoretical challenges of detecting relic neutrinos using Standard Model interactions, suggesting that positive detection would likely require non-standard neutrino interactions.

Contribution

It proposes a resonance-based model for neutrino-antineutrino annihilation and discusses the difficulties in detecting relic neutrinos with current or future experiments.

Findings

Detection with Standard Model interactions is extremely difficult.

Positive signals would imply non-standard neutrino interactions.

Resonance dominance in annihilation channels is a key theoretical insight.

Abstract

Inspired by Gounaris-Sakurai and Lee-Zumino, we postulate that the weak vector and axial vector currents are dominated by $J^{PC} = 1^{--}$ and $1^{++}$ resonances respectively in the appropriate channels of $\nu + \bar \nu$ annihilation into quark-antiquark pairs when an ultrahigh-energy incoming $\nu \ (\bar \nu)$ strikes a relic $\bar \nu \ (\nu)$. Despite this and some other ideas, it appears the detection of relic neutrinos with just the Standard Model interactions seems extremely difficult at existing or future neutrino telescopes. Thus any positive signal would be due to some non-standard interactions of neutrinos.