On the beta -decay of the accelerated proton and neutrino oscillations: a three-flavor description with CP violation

Massimo Blasone,Luciano Petruzziello,Giuseppe Gaetano Luciano,Gaetano Lambiase

doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-7658-7

Massimo Blasone, Luciano Petruzziello + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-7658-7

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Abstract

The (inverse) beta -decay of uniformly accelerated protons (prightarrow n+ e^{+}+nu _e) has been recently analyzed in the context of two-flavor neutrino mixing and oscillations. It has been shown that the decay rates as measured by an inertial and comoving observer are in agreement, provided that: (i) the thermal nature of the accelerated vacuum (Unruh effect) is taken into account; (ii) the asymptotic behavior of neutrinos is described through flavor (rather than mass) eigenstates; (iii) the Unruh radiation is made up of oscillating neutrinos. Here we extend the above considerations to a more realistic scenario including three generations of Dirac neutrinos. By following the outlined recipe, we find that the equality between the two rates still holds true, confirming that mixing is perfectly consistent with the General Covariance of Quantum Field Theory. Notably, we prove that the analysis of CP violation in neutrino oscillations provides a further solid argument for flavor states as fundamental representation of asymptotic neutrino states. Our approach is finally discussed in comparison with the other treatments appeared in literature.

Highlights

Along this line, in 1976 Unruh found out that a uniformly accelerated (Rindler) observer experiences in the inertial (Minkowski) vacuum a thermal bath of particles at temperature [2] TU = a 2π (1)where a is the magnitude of the proper acceleration
It has been shown that the decay rates as measured by an inertial and comoving observer are in agreement, provided that: (i) the thermal nature of the accelerated vacuum (Unruh effect) is taken into account; (ii) the asymptotic behavior of neutrinos is described through flavor eigenstates; (iii) the Unruh radiation is made up of oscillating neutrinos
There is no question that the Unruh effect turns out to be mandatory for Quantum Field Theory (QFT) as well as fictitious forces are for Classical Mechanics, since both of them are required to preserve the internal consistency of successfully tested theories when investigated in accelerated frames

Summary

Introduction

In 1976 Unruh found out that a uniformly accelerated (Rindler) observer experiences in the inertial (Minkowski) vacuum a thermal bath of particles at temperature [2]. Only recently it was studied in connection with neutrino flavor mixing and oscillations [20,21,22,23], with conflicting results on the very nature of asymptotic neutrino states being reached In these works, a preliminary description including only two flavors was considered. The obtained result is corroborated by very straightforward considerations on the necessity to allow for CP asymmetry in processes involving neutrino oscillations—a feature which mass eigenstates would fail to pinpoint Based on these arguments, we speculate on the possibility to have a nontrivial asymmetry between the Unruh baths experienced by the accelerated proton and antiproton, respectively.

Inverse β-decay and neutrino mixing: general considerations

Inverse β-decay in the laboratory frame

Inverse β-decay in the comoving frame

CP violation in neutrino oscillations in Unruh radiation

Discussion and conclusions