Electroweak Interactions in Dense Plasmas

Abstract

Employing the relativistic kinetic equations for neutrinos interacting with dense plasmas via the weak interaction force we explore collective plasma instabilities driven by neutrinos. We examine the anomalous energy transfer between the neutrinos and the background plasma via excitation of electron plasma waves. We present the relativistic equations including the inclusion of external magnetic fields. Solutions of the dispersion equation describing the coupling between a neutrino beam and a plasma wave demonstrates the existence of two regimes a)the kinetic regime and b) the hydrodynamical regime. We demonstrate that the hydrodynamical regime has a growth rate many orders of magnitude larger than the kinetic regime.