On the Possibilities of Distinguishing Dirac from Majorana Neutrinos

The problem if existing neutrinos are Dirac or Majorana particles is considered in a very pedagogical way. After a few historical remarks we recall the theoretical description of neutral spin 1/2 particles, emphasizing the difference between chirality and helicity which is important in our discussion. Next we describe the properties of neutrinos in the cases when their interactions are given by the standard model and by its extensions (massive neutrinos, right-handed currents, electromagnetic neutrino interaction, interaction with scalar particles). Various processes where the different nature of neutrinos could in principle be visible are reviewed. We clear up misunderstandings which have appeared in last suggestions how to distinguish both types of neutrinos.Comment: 38 pages, Latex, epsfig, 10 poscript files Presented at the XXI Silesian School of Theoretical Physics on "Recent Progress in Theory and Phenomenology of Fundamental Interactions", Ustron, September 199

Quantization and renormalization of the manifest left-right symmetric model of electroweak interactions

Quantization and renormalization of the left-right symmetric model is the main purpose of the paper. First the model at tree level with a Higgs sector containing one bidoublet and two triplets is precisely discussed. Then the canonical quantization and Faddeev-Popov Lagrangian are carried out ('t Hooft gauge). The BRST symmetry is discussed. Subsequently the on mass shell renormalization is performed and, as a test of consistency, the renormalization of the ZNiNj vertex is analyzed.Comment: 74 pages, 65 Postscript figures, submitted to Annals of Physic

Light neutrino propagation in matter without heavy neutrino decoupling

We review the propagation of light neutrinos in matter assuming that their mixing with heavy neutrinos is close to present experimental limits. The phenomenological implications of the non-unitarity of the light neutrino mixing matrix for neutrino oscillations are discussed. In particular we show that the resonance effect in neutrino propagation in matter persists, but for slightly modified values of the parameters and with the maximum reduced by a small amount proportional to the mixing between light and heavy neutrinos squared.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, contribution to Stefan Pokorski 60th birthda

From kaons to neutrinos: quantum mechanics of particle oscillations

The problem of particle oscillation is considered in a pedagogical and comprehensive way. Examples from K, B and neutrino physics are given. Conceptual difficulties of the traditional approach to particle oscillation are discussed. It is shown how the probability current density and the wave packet treatments of particle oscillations resolve some problems. It is also shown that only full field theoretical approach is free from conceptual difficulties. The possibility of oscillation of particles produced together with kaons or neutrinos is considered in full wave packet quantum mechanics language. Precise definition of the oscillation of particles which recoil against mixed states is given. The general amplitude which describes the oscillation of two particles in the final states is found. Using this EPR-type amplitude the problem of oscillation of particles recoiling against kaons or neutrinos is resolved. The relativistic EPR correlations on distances of the order of coherence lengths are considered.Comment: revtex, epsfig, 4 figures, 28 pages. Presented at the XXXVIII Cracow School of Theoretical Physics, Zakopane, June 1-10, 1998, to appear in Acta Phys. Po

The Minimal Extension of the SM and the Neutrino Oscillation Data

We study the simplest Standard Model estension with only one extra right-handed neutrino. In this case there are two massless $m_{1,2}$ and two massive $m_{3,4}$ neutrinos, and in principle both solar and atmospheric anomalies can be described in two different scenarios, $m_3 << m_4$ (scheme I) and $m_3 \simeq m_4$ (scheme II). However, neither bi-maximal mixing nor the dark matter problem are explained in this minimal extension. Only scheme II can accommodate simultaneously maximal mixing for atmospheric neutrinos and the small mixing angle MSW solution for the solar anomaly. This scenario can be tested in the BOREXINO experiment.Comment: 9 pages, Presented by J. Gluza at the XXIII School of Theoretical Physics, Ustron'99, Poland, September 15-22, 199