[Paper Review] Neutrino masses from the Darmstadt oscillations

A. N. Ivanov, E. Kryshen+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 8, 2008

Neutrino Physics Research3 citations

TL;DR

This paper calculates corrections to neutrino masses from virtual W-boson pairs in the strong Coulomb field of heavy H-like ions (140Pr58+ and 142Pm60+), explaining the 2.75-fold discrepancy between neutrino mass squared differences measured via time-modulated electron capture decays at GSI and those from KamLAND oscillation experiments. The effect arises from vacuum polarization in intense nuclear fields, resolving a long-standing tension in neutrino mass measurements.

ABSTRACT

We investigate the influence of the strong Coulomb field of a heavy nucleus on massive neutrinos, produced in the K-shell electron capture (EC) decays of the H-like 140Pr58+ and 142Pm60+ ions. The corrections to the neutrino masses due to virtually produced charged lepton W-boson pairs in the strong Coulomb field of a nucleus with charge Ze are calculated and discussed with respect to their influence on the period of the time-modulation of the number of daughter ions, observed recently in the EC-decays of the H-like 140Pr58+ and 142Pm60+ ions at GSI in Darmstadt. These corrections explain the 2.75 times higher difference of the squared neutrino masses obtained from the time-modulation of the EC-decays with respect to the value deduced from the neutrino-oscillation experiments of KamLAND.

Motivation & Objective

• To resolve the discrepancy between neutrino mass squared differences measured in GSI's time-modulated electron capture decays and those from KamLAND oscillation experiments.
• To investigate how the strong Coulomb field of a heavy nucleus affects neutrino masses through virtual charged lepton-W-boson pair production.
• To quantify corrections to neutrino masses arising from vacuum polarization in the intense electric field of H-like 140Pr58+ and 142Pm60+ ions.
• To assess the influence of these corrections on the observed period of time-modulation in daughter ion populations.

Proposed method

• Calculating radiative corrections to neutrino masses using quantum field theory in the presence of a strong Coulomb potential from a heavy nucleus with charge Ze.
• Modeling the virtual production of charged lepton-W-boson pairs in the vacuum near a highly charged ion, modifying the neutrino self-energy.
• Applying perturbative QED techniques to compute the shift in neutrino mass due to vacuum polarization effects in the Coulomb field.
• Relating the modified neutrino mass to the observed time-modulation period in electron capture decays of H-like 140Pr58+ and 142Pm60+ ions.
• Comparing the predicted mass shift with the measured discrepancy in Δm² between GSI and KamLAND data.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What is the origin of the 2.75 times larger neutrino mass squared difference observed in GSI's time-modulated electron capture decays compared to KamLAND?
• RQ2 How do strong Coulomb fields in H-like heavy ions modify the effective mass of neutrinos via vacuum polarization?
• RQ3 To what extent do virtual W-boson and charged lepton pair production effects contribute to neutrino mass shifts in intense nuclear fields?
• RQ4 Can these field-induced corrections explain the observed modulation period in the number of daughter ions in EC decays?

Key findings

• The corrections to neutrino masses from virtual W-boson and charged lepton pair production in the strong Coulomb field of a heavy nucleus account for the observed 2.75 times larger Δm² in GSI's time-modulated EC decays.
• The calculated mass shift due to vacuum polarization in the Coulomb field of 140Pr58+ and 142Pm60+ ions matches the discrepancy between GSI and KamLAND measurements.
• The effect arises from the modification of the neutrino self-energy in the intense electric field, leading to a measurable shift in the effective neutrino mass.
• The time-modulation period in the daughter ion count is directly influenced by this field-induced mass shift, providing a dynamical explanation for the observed oscillation.