Abstract

We study spin oscillations of massive Dirac neutrinos in background matter, electromagnetic and gravitational fields. First, using the Dirac equation for a neutrino interacting with the external fields in curved spacetime, we rederive the quasiclassical equation for the neutrino spin evolution, which was proposed previously basing on principles of the general covariance. Then, we apply this result for the description of neutrino spin oscillations in nonmoving and unpolarized matter under the influence of a constant transverse magnetic field and a gravitational wave. We derive the effective Schr\"odinger equation for neutrino oscillations in these external fields and solve it numerically. Choosing realistic parameters of external fields, we show that the parametric resonance can take place in spin oscillations of low energy neutrinos. Some astrophysical applications are briefly discussed.

Highlights

  • Astrophysical neutrinos play an important role for the evolution of stars, supernovae, and the early Universe [1]

  • We have studied the neutrino spin evolution in background matter and an external electromagnetic field in curved spacetime

  • This study was motivated by the necessity for the substantiation of the quasiclassical equation for the neutrino spin evolution, which was proposed in Ref. [9]

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Astrophysical neutrinos play an important role for the evolution of stars, supernovae, and the early Universe [1]. The equation for the quasiclassical description of the particle spin evolution in a gravitational field was proposed in Ref. The method for the description of the particle spin evolution in a gravitational field, based on the analysis of the Dirac equation in curved spacetime, was recently developed in Ref. The quasiclassical equation, accounting for the contribution of external fields to the neutrino spin evolution, was derived in Ref. This approach has to be substantiated by a more rigorous derivation It deals mainly with the contribution of background matter to the neutrino spin evolution in curved spacetime. The contributions to neutrino spin oscillations of all these external fields—namely, a background matter, a magnetic field, and a gravitational field (GW)—are accounted for in our study.

FORMALISM FOR THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NEUTRINO SPIN EVOLUTION
NEUTRINO SPIN OSCILLATIONS IN A GRAVITATIONAL WAVE
DISCUSSION
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