Neutrino-photon scattering and its crossed processes in a background magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper calculates how a background magnetic field influences neutrino-photon interactions, providing results applicable to astrophysical environments with weak magnetic fields.

Contribution

It derives leading magnetic-field effects on neutrino-photon processes using Schwinger's proper-time method, valid for energies below the W boson mass.

Findings

Magnetic field effects on neutrino-photon scattering are quantified.

Results are valid for energies below the W boson mass.

Implications for astrophysical phenomena are discussed.

Abstract

We study the neutrino-photon processes such as $\gamma\gamma\to \nu\bar{\nu}$ and $\nu\gamma\to \nu\gamma$ in a background magnetic field smaller than the critical magnetic field $B_c\equiv m_e^2/e$. Using Schwinger's proper-time method, we extract leading magnetic-field contributions to the above processes. Our result is valid throughout the kinematic regime where both neutrino and photon energies are significantly smaller than $m_W$. We briefly discuss the astrophysical implications of our result.