Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe
We examine the cosmological impacts of a light resonantly produced sterile neutrino in the early universe. Such a neutrino could be produced through lepton number-driven Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein conversion of active neutrinos, resulting in a non-thermal spectrum of both sterile and active neutr...
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ndltd-CALTECH-oai-thesis.library.caltech.edu-106272019-10-05T03:05:01Z Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe Gilbert, Lauren Ann We examine the cosmological impacts of a light resonantly produced sterile neutrino in the early universe. Such a neutrino could be produced through lepton number-driven Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein conversion of active neutrinos, resulting in a non-thermal spectrum of both sterile and active neutrinos. If this process occurs during weak decoupling and big bang nucleosynthesis, it would affect the electron neutrino flux and therefore the n/p ratio. This allows us to use observations of primordial helium (Y<sub>p</sub>), primordial deuterium (D/H), and N<sub>eff</sub> to place limits on this process. 2016 Thesis NonPeerReviewed https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:01102018-100325254 Gilbert, Lauren Ann (2016) Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe. Senior thesis (Major), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/BKTV-8H10. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:01102018-100325254 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:01102018-100325254> https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/10627/ |
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We examine the cosmological impacts of a light resonantly produced sterile neutrino in the early universe. Such a neutrino could be produced through lepton number-driven Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein conversion of active neutrinos, resulting in a non-thermal spectrum of both sterile
and active neutrinos. If this process occurs during weak decoupling and big bang nucleosynthesis, it would affect the electron neutrino flux and therefore the n/p ratio. This allows us to use observations of primordial helium (Y<sub>p</sub>), primordial deuterium (D/H), and N<sub>eff</sub> to place limits on
this process. |
| author |
Gilbert, Lauren Ann |
| spellingShingle |
Gilbert, Lauren Ann Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe |
| author_facet |
Gilbert, Lauren Ann |
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Gilbert, Lauren Ann |
| title |
Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe |
| title_short |
Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe |
| title_full |
Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe |
| title_fullStr |
Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe |
| title_sort |
resonant production of sterile neutrinos in the early universe |
| publishDate |
2016 |
| url |
Gilbert, Lauren Ann (2016) Resonant Production of Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe. Senior thesis (Major), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/BKTV-8H10. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:01102018-100325254 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:01102018-100325254> |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT gilbertlaurenann resonantproductionofsterileneutrinosintheearlyuniverse |
| _version_ |
1719261334985506816 |