Three dimensional calculation of flux of low energy atmospheric neutrinos

Results of three-dimensional Monte Carlo calculation of low energy flux of atmospheric neutrinos are presented and compared with earlier one-dimensional calculations 1,2 valid at higher neutrino energies. These low energy neutrinos are the atmospheric background in searching for neutrinos from astrophysical sources. Primary cosmic rays produce the neutrino flux peaking at near E sub=40 MeV and neutrino intensity peaking near E sub v=100 MeV. Because such neutrinos typically deviate by 20 approximately 30 from the primary cosmic ray direction, three-dimensional effects are important for the search of atmospheric neutrinos. Nevertheless, the background of these atmospheric neutrinos is negligible for the detection of solar and supernova neutrinos

Do Solar Neutrino Experiments Imply New Physics?

None of the 1000 solar models in a full Monte Carlo simulation is consistent with the results of the chlorine or the Kamiokande experiments. Even if the solar models are forced artifically to have a \b8 neutrino flux in agreeement with the Kamiokande experiment, none of the fudged models agrees with the chlorine observations. The GALLEX and SAGE experiments, which currently have large statistical uncertainties, differ from the predictions of the standard solar model by $2 \sigma$ and $3 \sigma$, respectively.Comment: 7 pages (figures not included), Institute for Advanced Study number AST 92/51. For a hard copy with the figures, write: [email protected]

Neutrino Masses within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We investigate the possibility of accommodating neutrino masses compatible with the MSW study of the Solar neutrino deficit within the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model. The ``gravity-induced'' seesaw mechanism based on an interplay of nonrenormalizable and renormalizable terms in the superpotential allows neutrino masses $m_\nu\propto m_u^2/M_I$, with $m_u$ the corresponding quark mass and $M_I\simeq 4\times10^{11}$ GeV, while at the same time ensuring the grand desert with the gauge coupling unification at $M_U\simeq 2\times10^{16}$ GeV. The proposed scenario may be realized in a class of string vacua, {\it i.e.,} large radius ($R^2/\alpha '={\cal O}(20)$) $(0,2)$ Calabi-Yau spaces. In this case $M_U^2=M_C^2/{\cal O} (2R^2/\alpha')$ and $M_I= {\cal O}(e^{-R^2/\alpha'})M_C$. Here $M_C=g\times 5.2\times 10^{17}$GeV is the scale of the tree level (genus zero) gauge coupling ($g$) unification.Comment: 14 pg. (The value of the tree level gauge coupling unification scale in string theory has been revised. In addition, the authors would like to appologize to the readers for erroneously submitting the paper to the HEPTH bulletin board instead of the HEPPH one.

Quintessence Cosmology and the Cosmic Coincidence

Within present constraints on the observed smooth energy and its equation of state parameter, it is important to find out whether the smooth energy is static (cosmological constant) or dynamic (quintessence). The most dynamical quintessence fields observationally allowed are now still fast-rolling and no longer satisfy the tracker approximation if the equation of state parameter varies moderately with cosmic scale. We are optimistic about distinguishing between a cosmological constant and appreciably dynamic quintessence, by measuring average values for the effective equation of state parameter. However, reconstructing the quintessence potential from observations of any scale dependence appears problematic in the near future. For our flat universe, at present dominated by smooth energy in the form of either a cosmological constant (LCDM) or quintessence (QCDM), we calculate the asymptotic collapsed mass fraction to be maximal at the observed smooth energy/matter ratio. Identifying this collapsed fraction as a conditional probability for habitable galaxies, we infer that the prior distribution is flat. Interpreting this prior as a distribution over theories, rather than as a distribution over unobservable subuniverses, leads us to heuristic predictions about the class of future quantum cosmology theories and the static or quasi-static nature of the smooth energy.Comment: Typos corrected, as presented at Cosmo-01 Workshop, Rovaniemi, Finland and accepted for publication in Physical Review D. 9 pages, 4 figure

The Earth Effect in the MSW Analysis of the Solar Neutrino Experiments

We consider the Earth effect in the MSW analysis of the Homestake, Kamiokande, GALLEX, and SAGE solar neutrino experiments. Using the time-averaged data and assuming two-flavor oscillations, the large-angle region of the combined fit extends to much smaller angles (to $\sin^22\theta \simeq 0.1$) than when the Earth effect is ignored. However, the additional constraint from the Kamiokande II day-night data excludes most of the parameter space sensitive to the Earth effect independent of astrophysical uncertainties, and leaves only a small large-angle region close to maximal mixing at 90\% C.L. The nonadiabatic solution remains unaffected by the Earth effect and is still preferred. Both theoretical and experimental uncertainties are included in the analysis.Comment: (11 pages, Revtex 3.0 (can be changed to Latex), 3 postscript figures included, UPR-0570T

Gamma Rays and the Decay of Neutrinos from SN1987A

We calculate limits to the properties of massive, unstable neutrinos using data from gamma-ray detectors on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Satellite; a massive neutrino emitted from SN1987A that decayed in flight and produced gamma rays would be detectable by this instruments. The lack of such a signal allows us to constrain the branching ratio to photons (\Bg), mass (\mnu), and radiative lifetime (\tau_\gamma = \tau/\Bg). For low mass (m) neutrinos decaying $\nu\rightarrow\nu'\gamma$, \Bg<3\times 10^{-7}, for \mt\lesssim 10^6 \keV\sec, and \Bg<6\times 10^{-14} \mt/\keV\sec for \mt\gtrsim 10^6 \keV\sec; limits for high-mass neutrinos are somewhat weaker due to Boltzmann suppression. We also calculate limits for decays that produce gamma rays through the \brem channel, $\nu\rightarrow\nu'e^+e^-\gamma$. In the case that neutrino mass states are nearly degenerate, $\delta m^2/m^2\ll1$, our limits for the mode $\nu\rightarrow\nu'\gamma$ become more stringent by a factor of $\delta m^2/m^2$, because more of the decay photons are shifted into the PVO detector energy window.Comment: 17 pages, 6 postscript figures, uses revtex, epsf.sty. Submitted to PRD. Also available at file://ftp.cita.utoronto.ca/cita/jaffe/papers/pvoflux.ps.g

Comment on ``Neutrino masses and mixing angles in a predictive theory of fermion masses''

In the extension of the Dimopoulos--Hall--Raby model of the fermion mass matrices to the neutrino sector, there is an entry in the up-quark and neutrino Dirac mass matrices which can be assumed to arise from the Yukawa coupling of a {\bf 120}, instead of a {\bf 10} or a {\bf 126}, of SO(10). Although this assumption leads to an extra undetermined complex parameter in the model, the resulting lepton mixing matrix exhibits the remarkable feature that the $\nu_{\tau}$ does not mix with the other two neutrinos. Making a reasonable assumption about the extra parameter, we are able to fit the large-mixing-angle MSW solution of the solar-neutrino problem, and we obtain $m_{\nu_{\tau}} \sim 10$ eV, the right mass range to close the Universe. Other possibilities for explaining the solar-neutrino deficit are also discussed.Comment: standard LATEX, 6 pages, 2 figures available from the authors, report No. CMU-HEP93-20 and DOE-ER/40682-4

See-saw Enhancement of Lepton Mixing

The see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation may enhance lepton mixing up to maximal even if the Dirac mass matrices of leptons have structure similar to that in the quark sector. Two sets of conditions for such an enhancement are found. The first one includes the see-saw generation of heavy Majorana masses for right-handed neutrinos and a universality of Yukawa couplings which can follow from the unification of neutrinos with new superheavy neutral leptons. The second set is related to lepton number symmetry of the Yukawa interactions in the Dirac basis of neutrinos. Models which realize these conditions have strong hierarchy or strong degeneration of Majorana masses of the right-handed neutrinos.Comment: 16 pages, plain TeX document, Institute for Advanced Study number AST 93/1