Observable Consequences of a Scalar Boson Coupled only to Neutrinos

TL;DR

This paper explores the implications of a light scalar boson coupled exclusively to neutrinos, predicting early universe neutrino clustering that could affect neutrino mass measurements and cosmological structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hypothesis of a scalar boson interacting only with neutrinos, leading to unique cosmological and experimental consequences.

Findings

Neutrino clustering in the early universe due to the scalar boson.

Potential negative mass squared for electron neutrinos in beta decay.

Neutrino masses could be much larger in unified theories than measured locally.

Abstract

We have examined the consequences of assuming the existence of a light scalar boson, weakly coupled to neutrinos, and not coupled to any other light fermions. For a range of parameters, we find that this hypothesis leads to the development of neutrino clusters which form in the early Universe and which provide gravitational fluctuations on scales small compared to a parsec (i.e., the scale of solar systems). The existence of such clustering produces an effect which would appear as a negative mass squared for the electron neutrino in Tritium beta decay, without conflicting with other experiments. The neutrino masses arising in unified gauge theories would then be very much larger than the masses extracted from experiments within the solar system.