Neutrino oscillations in matter of varying density

We consider two-family neutrino oscillations in a medium of continuously-varying density as a limit of the process in a series of constant-density layers. We construct analytic expressions for the conversion amplitude at high energies within a medium with a density profile that is piecewise linear. We compare some cases to understand the type of effects that depend on the order of the material traversed by a neutrino beam.Comment: 10 page

On Neutrinos and Fermionic Mass Patterns

Recent data on neutrino mass differences are consistent with a hierarchical neutrino mass structure strikingly similar to what is observed for the other fermionic masses.Comment: 8pages, 2figure

Neutrino propagation in matter and CP violation

We point out that the dependence on the order of the matter through which neutrinos pass can provide a window into CP violation in the neutrino sector. This allows for study of CP in the neutrino sector without the necessity of making a comparison between the behavior of neutrinos and that of antineutrinos.Comment: 10 pp, including three figures; added references, fixed typo

Neutrino oscillations in structured matter

A layered material structure in a monochromatic neutrino beam produces interference effects that could be used for the measurement of features of the neutrino mass matrix. The phenomenon would be most useful at high energies.Comment: 18 pp of which two figure

On neutrino masses and leptonic mixing

Using recent data on neutrino oscillations, we argue that a hierarchical solution for neutrino masses in a three-family context is possible, and that the masses of the tau and mu neutrinos are very nearly determined within that possibility. We also examine the predictions of a model that determines neutrino and charged lepton mass matrices as well as its consistency with data.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, technical change to pdf, figures include

Probing university students’ understanding of electromotive force in electricity

The goal of this study is to identify students’ difficulties with learning the concepts of electromotive force (emf) and potential difference in the context of transitory currents and resistive direct-current circuits. To investigate these difficulties, we developed a questionnaire based on an analysis of the theoretical and epistemological framework of physics, which was then administered to first-year engineering and physics students at universities in Spain, Colombia, and Belgium. The results of the study show that student difficulties seem to be strongly linked to the absence of an analysis of the energy balance within the circuit and that most university students do not clearly understand the usefulness of and the difference between the concepts of potential difference and emf