Exploring quantum statistics for massive Dirac and Majorana neutrinos using spinor-helicity techniques
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Univ. of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Recently, there has been interest in the applicability of quantum statistics to distinguish Dirac from Majorana neutrinos in multineutrino final states. In particular, debate has arisen over the validity of the Dirac-Majorana confusion theorem in these processes, i.e., that any distinction between the Dirac and Majorana processes goes to zero as the neutrino mass goes to zero. Here we approach this problem equipped with spinor-helicity methods generalized for massive Dirac and Majorana fermions. We explicitly calculate all helicity amplitudes, and their squares, for the decay of a light scalar particle to two neutrinos and two oppositely charged leptons. This allows us to pinpoint the crucial steps which could lead to claims of a violation of the confusion theorem. We show that, if the correct antisymmetrization of Dirac to Majorana amplitudes is used, identification of which is clear in this framework, and all relevant contributions are appropriately summed, a scalar decay into two charged leptons and two neutrinos satisfies the Dirac-Majorana confusion theorem.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89243024CSC000002; SC0015910
- OSTI ID:
- 3015288
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 2572656
- Report Number(s):
- FERMILAB-PUB--25-0406-T
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 112; ISSN 2470-0010; ISSN 2470-0029
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English