Cosmological and astrophysical bounds on a heavy sterile neutrino and the KARMEN anomaly

2000/02/27 by A.D. Dolgov, A. D. Dolgov, S. H. Hansen +4 · 7 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Anomaly (physics) #Big Bang nucleosynthesis #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Interpretation (philosophy) #Neutrino #Neutrino Physics Research #Nucleosynthesis #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Sterile neutrino #astro-ph #hep-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/s0550-3213(00)00203-0

published as Nucl.Phys. B580 (2000) 331-351 · Figure 7 changed. (30 pages, 7 ps-figures, 2 tables. Subm to NPB)

arxiv created 2000/02/27 · openalex publication_date 2000/07/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Constraints on the lifetime of the heavy sterile neutrino, that was proposed as a possible interpretation of the KARMEN anomaly, are derived from primordial nucleosynthesis and SN 1987A. Together with the recent experimental bounds on the nu_s lifetime, SN 1987A completely excludes this interpretation. Nucleosynthesis arguments permit a narrow window for the lifetime in the interval 0.1-0.2 sec. If nu_s possesses an anomalous interaction with nucleons, the SN bounds may not apply, while the nucleosynthesis ones would remain valid.

Citations

• Impact of massive tau-neutrinos on primordial nucleosynthesis. Exact calculations

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