Massive neutrinos and cosmology

The present experimental results on neutrino flavour oscillations provide evidence for non-zero neutrino masses, but give no hint on their absolute mass scale, which is the target of beta decay and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. Crucial complementary information on neutrino masses can be obtained from the analysis of data on cosmological observables, such as the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background or the distribution of large-scale structure. In this review we describe in detail how free-streaming massive neutrinos affect the evolution of cosmological perturbations. We summarize the current bounds on the sum of neutrino masses that can be derived from various combinations of cosmological data, including the most recent analysis by the WMAP team. We also discuss how future cosmological experiments are expected to be sensitive to neutrino masses well into the sub-eV range.     

A Note on the Cosmic Neutrino Background and the Cosmological Constant

We point out that by considering the cosmic neutrino background and the recently obtained neutrino mass, we can deduce the correct value of the cosmological constant, thus resolving the so called cosmological constant problem.     

Low reheating temperature and the visible sterile neutrino

We present here a scenario, based on a low reheating temperature T(R)<100 MeV at the end of (the last episode of) inflation, in which the coupling of sterile neutrinos to active neutrinos can be as large as experimental bounds permit (thus making this neutrino "visible" in future experiments). In previous models this coupling was forced to be very small to prevent a cosmological overabundance of sterile neutrinos. Here the abundance depends on how low the reheating temperature is. For example, the sterile neutrino required by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector result may not have any cosmological problem within our scenario.     

The νMSM,inflation, and dark matter

We show how to enlarge the νMSM (the minimal extension of the Standard Model by three right-handed neutrinos) to incorporate inflation and provide a common source for electroweak symmetry breaking and for right-handed neutrino masses. In addition to inflation, the resulting theory can explain simultaneously dark matter and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe; it is consistent with experiments on neutrino oscillations and with all astrophysical and cosmological constraints on sterile neutrino as a dark matter candidate. The mass of inflaton can be much smaller than the electroweak scale.     

Three Flavor Neutrino Mixing and Dark Energy Above GUT Scale

Neutrino mixing lead to a non zero contribution to the dark energy of the universe. We assume that the neutrino masses and mixing arise through physics at a scale intermediate between Planck Scale and the electroweak scale. The mechanism of neutrino mixing is a possible candidate to contribute the cosmological dark energy. Quantum gravitational (Planck scale) effects lead to an effective SU(2) _L ×U(1) invariant dimension-5 Lagrangian involving neutrino and Higgs fields, which gives rise to additional terms in neutrino mass matrix. There additional term can be considered to be perturbation of the GUT scale bi-maximal neutrino mass matrix. We assume that the gravitational interaction is flavor. In this paper, we discuss the three flavor neutrino mixing and cosmological dark energy contributes due to Planck scale effects.     

Cosmological implications of a relic neutrino asymmetry

We consider some cosmological consequences of a relic neutrino asymmetry. A relic neutrino degeneracy enhances the contribution of massive neutrinos to the present energy density of the Universe, and modifies the power spectrum of radiation and matter. We also show that even the smallest neutrino mass consistent with the Super—Kamiokande data is relevant for cosmological models, provided that a relic neutrino asymmetry exists.     

Experimental signatures of cosmological neutrino condensation

Superfluid condensation of neutrinos of cosmological origin at a low enough temperature can provide simple and elegant solution to the problems of neutrino oscillations and the accelerated expansion of the universe. It would give rise to a late time cosmological constant of small magnitude and also generate tiny masses for the neutrinos as observed from their flavor oscillations. We show that carefully prepared beta decay experiments in the laboratory would carry signatures of such a condensation, and thus, it would be possible to either establish or rule out neutrino condensation of cosmological scale in laboratory experiments.     

Impacts of gravitational-wave standard siren observations from Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer on weighing neutrinos in interacting dark energy models

Multi-messenger gravitational wave (GW) observation for binary neutron star merger events could provide a rather useful tool to explore the evolution of the Universe. In particular, for the third-generation GW detectors, i.e. the Einstein Telescope (ET) and the Cosmic Explorer (CE), proposed to be built in Europe and the U.S., respectively, lots of GW standard sirens with known redshifts could be obtained, which would exert great impacts on the cosmological parameter estimation. The total neutrino mass could be measured by cosmological observations, but such a measurement is model-dependent and currently only gives an upper limit. In this work, we wish to investigate whether the GW standard sirens observed by ET and CE could help improve the constraint on the neutrino mass, in particular in the interacting dark energy (IDE) models. We find that the GW standard siren observations from ET and CE can only slightly improve the constraint on the neutrino mass in the IDE models, compared to the current limit. The improvements in the IDE models are weaker than those in the standard cosmological model. Although the limit on neutrino mass can only be slightly updated, the constraints on other cosmological parameters can be significantly improved by using the GW observations.     

Neutrino lumps in quintessence cosmology

Neutrinos interacting with the quintessence field can trigger the accelerated expansion of the Universe. In such models with a growing neutrino mass the homogeneous cosmological solution is often unstable to perturbations. We present static, spherically symmetric solutions of the Einstein equations in the same models. They describe astrophysical objects composed of neutrinos, held together by gravity and the attractive force mediated by the quintessence field. We discuss their characteristics as a function of the present neutrino mass. We suggest that these objects are the likely outcome of the growth of cosmological perturbations.     

A search for sterile neutrinos with the latest cosmological observations

We report the result of a search for sterile neutrinos with the latest cosmological observations. Both cases of massless and massive sterile neutrinos are considered in the \(\Lambda \)CDM cosmology. The cosmological observations used in this work include the Planck 2015 temperature and polarization data, the baryon acoustic oscillation data, the Hubble constant direct measurement data, the Planck Sunyaev–Zeldovich cluster counts data, the Planck lensing data, and the cosmic shear data. We find that the current observational data give a hint of the existence of massless sterile neutrino (as dark radiation) at the 1.44\(\sigma \) level, and the consideration of an extra massless sterile neutrino can indeed relieve the tension between observations and improve the cosmological fit. For the case of massive sterile neutrino, the observations give a rather tight upper limit on the mass, which implies that actually a massless sterile neutrino is more favored. Our result is consistent with the recent result of neutrino oscillation experiment done by the Daya Bay and MINOS collaborations, as well as the recent result of cosmic ray experiment done by the IceCube collaboration.     

Late time neutrino masses, the LSND experiment, and the cosmic microwave background

Models with low-scale breaking of global symmetries in the neutrino sector provide an alternative to the seesaw mechanism for understanding why neutrinos are light. Such models can easily incorporate light sterile neutrinos required by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector experiment. Furthermore, the constraints on the sterile neutrino properties from nucleosynthesis and large-scale structure can be removed due to the nonconventional cosmological evolution of neutrino masses and densities. We present explicit, fully realistic supersymmetric models, and discuss the characteristic signatures predicted in the angular distributions of the cosmic microwave background.     

Neutrino physics from precision cosmology

Cosmology provides an excellent laboratory for testing various aspects of neutrino physics. Here, I review the current status of cosmological searches for neutrino mass, as well as other properties of neutrinos. Future cosmological probes of neutrino properties are also discussed in detail.     

On the implications of a 17 keV neutrino

We discuss the implications of the recent measurement of a 17 keV mass component in the electron neutrino sector. Such a heavy state must decay in order to be compatible with cosmology; this requires states additional to those of the standard model. The most likely candidates are either majorons, allowing the decay into massless weakly interacting scalars, or single neutrinos, allowing the decay via the Z into light neutrinos. We show that in the latter case there is a lower bound on the lifetime in conflict with the cosmological constraints on this decay channel and on the photon plus neutrino decay channel which is also present. The extensions of the standard model needed to reduce the lifetime are considered. We analyze the mass matrix, playing particular regard to the singlet neutrino case, and discuss how it might be extended to explain the solar neutrino deficit.     

Neutrino Oscillations in the de Sitter and the Anti-de Sitter Space-Time

General expressions of the neutrino oscillation phase in the generally static space-time with spherical symmetry are given. The effect of the gravitational field on the oscillation length is embodied in the gravitational red shift factor. We find that a blue shift of the oscillation length takes place when the neutrino travels out of the gravitational field. Then, we discuss the variation of the oscillation length influenced by the cosmological constant. In the de Sitter space-time, the positive cosmological constant prolongs the oscillation length. And, in the anti-de Sitter space-time, the negative cosmological constant shortens it as expected.     

A Supersymmetric Model for 17 KeV Neutrino

A supersymmetric model for accommodating the 17 KeV neutrino is proposed. The rank-two Majorana mass matrix for right-handed neutrinos can be obtained in a natural way. The neutrino spectrum is the same as that in the Glashow's model. The lifetime of the 17 KeV neutrino can satisfy the cosmological constraints.     

Lepton asymmetry and neutrino oscillations interplay

We discuss the interplay between lepton asymmetry L and ν oscillations in the early Universe. Neutrino oscillations may suppress or enhance previously existing L. On the other hand L is capable to suppress or enhance neutrino oscillations. The mechanism of L enhancement in MSW resonant ν oscillations in the early Universe is numerically analyzed. L cosmological effects through ν oscillations are discussed. We discuss how L may change the cosmological BBN constraints on neutrino and show that BBN model with $\nu_e \leftrightarrow \nu_s$ oscillations is extremely sensitive to L - it allows to obtain the most stringent constraints on L value. We discuss also the cosmological role of active-sterile ν mixing and L in connection with the indications about additional relativistic density in the early Universe, pointed out by BBN, CMB and LSS data and the analysis of global ν data.     

Neutrino oscillations as a probe of dark energy

We consider a class of theories in which neutrino masses depend significantly on environment, as a result of interactions with the dark sector. Such theories of mass varying neutrinos were recently introduced to explain the origin of the cosmological dark energy density and why its magnitude is apparently coincidental with that of neutrino mass splittings. In this Letter we argue that in such theories neutrinos can exhibit different masses in matter and in vacuum, dramatically affecting neutrino oscillations. As an example of modifications to the standard picture, we consider simple models that may simultaneously account for the LSND anomaly, KamLAND, K2K, and studies of solar and atmospheric neutrinos, while providing motivation to continue to search for neutrino oscillations in short baseline experiments such as BooNE.     

Cosmology and neutrino properties

A brief review for particle physicists on the cosmological impact of neutrinos and on restrictions on neutrino properties from cosmology is given. The paper includes a discussion of upper bounds on neutrino mass and possible ways to relax them, methods to observe the cosmic-neutrino background, bounds on the cosmological lepton asymmetry which are strongly improved by neutrino oscillations, cosmological effects of breaking of the spin-statistics theorem for neutrinos, bounds on mixing parameters of active and possible sterile neutrinos with account of active-neutrino oscillations, bounds on right-handed currents and neutrino magnetic moments, and some more. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Neutrino mass and cosmological baryon excess in left-right symmetric grand unified theories

In left-right symmetric grand unified theories both the smallness of the neutrino mass and a sizable cosmological baryon excess can be ascribed to a superheavy Majorana lepton. We show, taking SO(10) as the simplest model of this kind, that the largest neutrino mass is constrained to lie between 10^?3 eV and 100 eV in order to give the observed magnitude of baryon excess.     

A note concerning the gravitational indistinguishability of a neutrino field and stokesian fluids

We show that the source of the Novello-Soares cosmological model may be either a neutrino field or a stokesian fluid. We make some comments on the problem that such an arbitrariness causes for Rainich's already unified program.