Effect of neutrino rest mass on ionization equilibrium freeze-out

Grohs, Evan Bradley; Fuller, George M.; Kishimoto, Chad T.; Paris, Mark W.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.92.125027

Title: Effect of neutrino rest mass on ionization equilibrium freeze-out

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Abstract

We show how small neutrino rest masses can increase the expansion rate near the photon decoupling epoch in the early Universe, causing an earlier, higher temperature freeze-out for ionization equilibrium compared to the massless neutrino case. This yields a larger free-electron fraction, thereby affecting the photon diffusion length differently than the sound horizon at photon decoupling. This neutrino-mass and recombination effect depends strongly on the neutrino rest masses. Ultimately, though below current sensitivity, this effect could be probed by next-generation cosmic microwave background experiments, giving another observational handle on neutrino rest mass.

Authors:

Grohs, Evan Bradley ^[1]; Fuller, George M. ^[1]; Kishimoto, Chad T. ^[2]; Paris, Mark W. ^[3]

Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics; Univ. of San Diego, San Diego, CA (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division

Publication Date:: Wed Dec 23 00:00:00 EST 2015

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1248609

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1233889

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-14-29625
Journal ID: ISSN 1550-7998; PRVDAQ

Grant/Contract Number:: PHY-1307372; 257842; AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Physical Review. D, Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 92; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 1550-7998

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Citation Formats


                    Grohs, Evan Bradley, Fuller, George M., Kishimoto, Chad T., and Paris, Mark W. Effect of neutrino rest mass on ionization equilibrium freeze-out.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
Web.  doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.92.125027.

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                    Grohs, Evan Bradley, Fuller, George M., Kishimoto, Chad T., & Paris, Mark W. Effect of neutrino rest mass on ionization equilibrium freeze-out.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.92.125027

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                    Grohs, Evan Bradley, Fuller, George M., Kishimoto, Chad T., and Paris, Mark W. Wed .  
"Effect of neutrino rest mass on ionization equilibrium freeze-out".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.92.125027.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1248609.

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@article{osti_1248609,

  title        = {Effect of neutrino rest mass on ionization equilibrium freeze-out},

  author       = {Grohs, Evan Bradley and Fuller, George M. and Kishimoto, Chad T. and Paris, Mark W.},

  abstractNote = {We show how small neutrino rest masses can increase the expansion rate near the photon decoupling epoch in the early Universe, causing an earlier, higher temperature freeze-out for ionization equilibrium compared to the massless neutrino case. This yields a larger free-electron fraction, thereby affecting the photon diffusion length differently than the sound horizon at photon decoupling. This neutrino-mass and recombination effect depends strongly on the neutrino rest masses. Ultimately, though below current sensitivity, this effect could be probed by next-generation cosmic microwave background experiments, giving another observational handle on neutrino rest mass.},

  doi          = {10.1103/PhysRevD.92.125027},

  journal      = {Physical Review. D, Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology},

  number       = 12,

  volume       = 92,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Dec 23 00:00:00 EST 2015},

  month        = {Wed Dec 23 00:00:00 EST 2015}

}

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