No abstract

Ordinary-sterile neutrino oscillations can generate a significant lepton number asymmetry in the early Universe. We study this phenomenon in detail. We show that the dynamics of ordinary-sterile neutrino oscillations in the early Universe can be approximately described by a single integrodifferential equation which we derive from both the density matrix and Hamiltonian formalisms. This equation reduces to a relatively simple ordinary first-order differential equation if the system is sufficiently smooth ͑static limit͒. We study the conditions for which the static limit is an acceptable approximation. We also study the effect of the thermal distribution of neutrino momenta on the generation of lepton number. We apply these results to show that it is possible to evade ͑by many orders of magnitude͒ the big bang nucleosynthesis ͑BBN͒ bounds on the mixing parameters ␦m 2 and sin 2 2 0 describing ordinary-sterile neutrino oscillations. We show that the large angle or maximal vacuum oscillation solution to the solar neutrino problem does not significantly modify BBN for most of the parameter space of interest, provided that the and/or neutrinos have masses greater than about 1 eV. We also show that the large angle or maximal ordinary-sterile neutrino oscillation solution to the atmospheric neutrino anomaly does not significantly modify BBN for a range of parameters.

We re-examine neutrino oscillations in the early universe. Contrary to previous studies, we show that large neutrino asymmetries can arise due to oscillations between ordinary neutrinos and sterile neutrinos. This means that the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) bounds on the mass and mixing of ordinary neutrinos with sterile neutrinos can be evaded. Also, it is possible that the neutrino asymmetries can be large (i.e. > ∼ 10%), and hence have a significant effect on BBN through nuclear reaction rates.

Evidence forν µ →ν e oscillations has been reported at LAMPF using the LSND detector. Further evidence for neutrino mixing comes from the solar neutrino deficit and the atmospheric neutrino anomaly. All of these anomalies require new physics. We show that all of these anomalies can be explained if the standard model is enlarged so that an unbroken parity symmetry can be defined. This explanation holds independently of the actual model for neutrino masses. Thus, we argue that parity symmetry is not only a beautiful candidate for a symmetry beyond the standard model, but it can also explain the known neutrino physics anomalies.

A simple way to accommodate dark matter is to postulate the existence of a hidden sector. That is, a set of new particles and forces interacting with the known particles predominantly via gravity. In general this leads to a large set of unknown parameters, however if the hidden sector is an exact copy of the standard model sector, then an enhanced symmetry arises. This symmetry, which can be interpreted as space-time parity, connects each ordinary particle ($e, \ \nu, \ p, \ n, \ \gamma, ....)$ with a mirror partner ($e', \ \nu', \ p', \ n', \ \gamma', ...)$. If this symmetry is completely unbroken, then the mirror particles are degenerate with their ordinary particle counterparts, and would interact amongst themselves with exactly the same dynamics that govern ordinary particle interactions. The only new interaction postulated is photon - mirror photon kinetic mixing, whose strength $\epsilon$, is the sole new fundamental (Lagrangian) parameter relevant for astrophysics and cosmology. It turns out that such a theory, with suitably chosen initial conditions effective in the very early Universe, can provide an adequate description of dark matter phenomena provided that $\epsilon \sim 10^{-9}$. This review focuses on three main developments of this mirror dark matter theory during the last decade: Early universe cosmology, galaxy structure and the application to direct detection experiments.Comment: 130 page

A simple way of explaining dark matter without modifying known Standard Model physics is to require the existence of a hidden (dark) sector, which interacts with the visible one predominantly via gravity. We consider a hidden sector containing two stable particles charged under an unbroken U (1) gauge symmetry, hence featuring dissipative interactions. The massless gauge field associated with this symmetry, the dark photon, can interact via kinetic mixing with the ordinary photon. In fact, such an interaction of strength ∼ 10 −9 appears to be necessary in order to explain galactic structure. We calculate the effect of this new physics on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and its contribution to the relativistic energy density at Hydrogen recombination. We then examine the process of dark recombination, during which neutral dark states are formed, which is important for large-scale structure formation. Galactic structure is considered next, focussing on spiral and irregular galaxies. For these galaxies we modelled the dark matter halo (at the current epoch) as a dissipative plasma of dark matter particles, where the energy lost due to dissipation is compensated by the energy produced from ordinary supernovae (the corecollapse energy is transferred to the hidden sector via kinetic mixing induced processes in the supernova core). We find that such a dynamical halo model can reproduce several observed features of disk galaxies, including the cored density profile and the Tully-Fisher relation. We also discuss how elliptical and dwarf spheroidal galaxies could fit into this picture. Finally, these analyses are combined to set bounds on the parameter space of our model, which can serve as a guideline for future experimental searches.