Neutrino Properties and Interactions

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of neutrino physics, including the standard model background, interaction cross sections, oscillation formalism, matter effects, experimental measurements, and open questions in the field.

Contribution

It offers a detailed derivation of neutrino oscillation formalism and matter effects directly from the standard model, integrating theoretical and experimental perspectives.

Findings

Derivation of neutrino oscillation formalism from the Dirac equation

Calculation of relevant neutrino interaction cross sections

Summary of the most precise neutrino oscillation measurements

Abstract

In this chapter we present basic concepts of neutrino physics. We start with a brief introduction to the standard model electroweak sector, followed by calculations of some relevant neutrino interaction cross sections. We obtain the oscillation formalism from the Dirac equation, alongside with a self-contained derivation of matter effects from the standard model electroweak lagrangian. Some key features of neutrino oscillation phenomenology are discussed as well. We then review the most precise oscillation measurements and finalize with some broad discussion of the current open questions in neutrino physics.