Neff versus the lightest neutrino mass

Abstract

Within the framework of low-scale Type I seesaw models with two and three extra sterile neutrinos we evaluate the production of the sterile states in the Early Universe. We explore the full parameter space and find that in the model with two extra states both of them reach thermal equilibrium with the primordial plasma. In the model with three sterile neutrinos, if the lightest active neutrino mass is below O(10−3eV) one sterile neutrino might not thermalize, while the other two always reach thermalization. Applying constrains from both extra radiation at BBN and CMB, and the dark matter allowed abundance, we show that the spectra of heavier states are severely restricted in the mass range 1eV–100MeV. The possible impact of extra sterile neutrinos on neutrinoless double beta decay is also discussed.