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