Electromagnetic Cascades and Cascade Nucleosynthesis in the Early Universe

We describe a calculation of electromagnetic cascading in radiation and matter in the early universe initiated by the decay of massive particles or by some other process. We have used a combination of Monte Carlo and numerical techniques which enables us to use exact cross sections, where known, for all the relevant processes. In cascades initiated after the epoch of big bang nucleosynthesis $\gamma$-rays in the cascades will photodisintegrate $^4$He, producing $^3$He and deuterium. Using the observed $^3$He and deuterium abundances we are able to place constraints on the cascade energy deposition as a function of cosmic time. In the case of the decay of massive primordial particles, we place limits on the density of massive primordial particles as a function of their mean decay time, and on the expected intensity of decay neutrinos.Comment: compressed and uuencoded postscript. We now include a comparison with previous work of the photon spectrum in the cascade and the limits we calculate for the density of massive particles. The method of calculation of photon spectra at low energies has been improved. Most figures are revised. Our conclusions are substantially unchange

A built-in scale in the initial spectrum of density perturbations: evidence from cluster and CMB data

We calculate temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) for several initial power spectra of density perturbations with a built-in scale suggested by recent optical data on the spatial distribution of rich clusters of galaxies. Using cosmological models with different values of spectral index, baryon fraction, Hubble constant and cosmological constant, we compare the calculated radiation power spectrum with the CMB temperature anisotropies measured by the Saskatoon experiment. We show that spectra with a sharp peak at 120 h^{-1} Mpc are in agreement with the Saskatoon data. The combined evidence from cluster and CMB data favours the presence of a peak and a subsequent break in the initial matter power spectrum. Such feature is similar to the prediction of an inflationary model where an inflaton field is evolving through a kink in the potential.Comment: LaTex style, 9 pages, 3 PostScript figures embedded, accepted by J. Exper. Theor. Phy

Eternal annihilations of light photinos

In a class of low-energy supersymmetry models the photino is a natural dark matter candidate. We investigate the effects of post-freeze-out photino annihilations which can generate electromognetic cascades and lead to photo-destruction of $^4$He and subsequent overproduction of D and $^3$He. We also generalize our analysis to a generic dark matter component whose relic abundance is {\it not} determined by the cross section of the self-annihilations giving rise to electromagnetic showers.Comment: 13 page LaTeX file (no figures

Three Neutrino Δm2\Delta m^2 scales and Singular Seesaw Mechanism

It is shown that the singular seesaw mechanism can simultaneously explain all the existing data supporting nonzero neutrino masses and mixing. The three mass-squared differences that are needed to accommodate the atmospheric neutrino data (through $\nu_\mu - \nu_s$ oscillation), the solar neutrino data via MSW mechanism (through $\nu_e - \nu_\tau$ oscillation), and the positive result of $\nu_\mu - \nu_e$ oscillation from LSND can be generated by this mechanism, whereas the vacuum oscillation solution to the solar neutrino problem is disfavored. We find that the electron and tau neutrino masses are of order $10^{-3}$ eV, and the muon neutrino and a sterile neutrino are almost maximally mixed to give a mass of order 1 eV. Two heavy sterile neutrinos have a mass of order 1 keV which can be obtained by the double seesaw mechanism with an intermediate mass scale $\sim 10^5$ GeV. A possible origin of such a scale is discussed.Comment: Revtex, 7 pages with 1 epsfig (uuencoded

Supernova Bounds on Resonant Active-Sterile Neutrino Conversions

We discuss the effects of resonant $\nu_e \to \nu_s$ and $\bar{\nu}_e \to \bar{\nu}_s$ ($\nu_s$ is a sterile neutrino) conversions in the dense medium of a supernova. In particular, we assume the sterile neutrino $\nu_s$ to be in the hot dark matter few eV mass range. The implications of such a scenario for the supernova shock re-heating, the detected $\bar\nu_e$ signal from SN1987A and for the r-process nucleosynthesis hypothesis are analysed in some detail. The resulting constraints on mixing and mass difference for the $\nu_e-\nu_s$ system are derived. There is also an allowed region in the neutrino parameter space for which the r-process nucleosynthesis can be enhanced.Comment: Latex file, 27 pages including 10 ps figures, uses psfig.sty. Few references added, some change in the Acknowledgements and some minor corrections in the tex