Constraints on neutrino oscillations from big bang nucleosynthesis

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.48.2563· OSTI ID:6244625

Shi, X; Schramm, D N; Fields, B D ^[1]

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1. The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637-1433 (United States) NASA/Fermilab Astrophysics Center, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Box 500, Batavia, Illinois 60510 (United States)

We discuss in detail the effect of neutrino oscillations in Big Bang nucleosynthesis between active and sterile neutrinos as well as between active and active neutrinos. We calculate the constraints on mixings between active and sterile neutrinos from the present observation of the primordial helium abundance and discuss the potential implications on various astrophysical and cosmological problems of such oscillations. In particular, we show that large-angle sterile neutrino mixing seems to be excluded as a MSW solution to the solar neutrino situation or a solution to the atmospheric neutrino mixing hinted at in some underground experiments. We show how, with this constraint, the next generation of solar neutrino experiments should be able to determine the resolution of the solar neutrino problem. It is also shown how sterile neutrinos remain a viable dark matter candidate.

• OSTI ID: 6244625
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States) Vol. 48:6; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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