Lepton Pair Čerenkov Radiation Emitted by Tachyonic Neutrinos: Lorentz-Covariant Approach and IceCube Data

Author

Ulrich D. Jentschura, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
Robert B. Ehrlich

Abstract

Current experiments do not exclude the possibility that one or more neutrinos are very slightly superluminal or that they have a very small tachyonic mass. Important bounds on the size of a hypothetical tachyonic neutrino mass term are set by lepton pair Čerenkov radiation (LPCR), that is, by the decay channel → e⁺ e^- , which proceeds via a virtual Z⁰ boson. Here, we use a Lorentz-invariant dispersion relation which leads to very tight constraints on the tachyonic mass of neutrinos; we also calculate decay and energy loss rates. A possible cutoff seen in the IceCube neutrino spectrum for E_v > 2 PeV, due to the potential onset of LPCR, is discussed.

Recommended Citation

U. D. Jentschura and R. B. Ehrlich, "Lepton Pair Čerenkov Radiation Emitted by Tachyonic Neutrinos: Lorentz-Covariant Approach and IceCube Data," Advances in High Energy Physics, vol. 2016, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, May 2016.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/4764981

Department(s)

Physics

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1687-7357

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2016 Hindawi Publishing Corporation, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 May 2016