04/20/23

Neutrinos in Cosmology (I)

Sergio Pastor (IFIC Valencia)Universidad de Buenos Aires

Febrero 2009

ν

Neutrinos in Cosmology

1st lecture

Introduction: neutrinos and the History of the Universe

This is a neutrino!

T~MeVt~sec

Primordial

Nucleosynthesis

Decoupled neutrinos(Cosmic Neutrino

Background or CNB)

Neutrinos coupled by weak

interactions

At least 2

species are

NR today

Relativistic neutrinos

T~

m

Neutrino cosmology is interesting because Relic neutrinos are very abundant:

• The CNB contributes to radiation at early times and to matter at late times (info on the number of neutrinos and their masses)

• Cosmological observables can be used to test non-standard neutrino properties

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Relic neutrinos influence several cosmological epochs

T < eVT ~ MeV

Formation of Large Scale Structures

LSS

Cosmic Microwave Background

CMB

Primordial

Nucleosynthesis

BBN

No flavour sensitivity Neff & mννevs νμ,τ Neff

Basics of cosmology: background evolution

Introduction: neutrinos and the History of the Universe

Relic neutrino production and decoupling

Neutrinos in Cosmology

Neutrinos and Primordial Nucleosynthesis

1st lecture

Neutrinos in Cosmology

Massive neutrinos as Dark Matter

Effects of neutrino masses on cosmological observables

Bounds on mν from CMB, LSS and other data

Bounds on the radiation content (Nν)

Future sensitivities on mν and Nν from cosmology

2nd lecture

Suggested References

BooksModern Cosmology, S. Dodelson (Academic Press, 2003)

The Early Universe, E. Kolb & M. Turner (Addison-Wesley, 1990)

Kinetic theory in the expanding Universe, Bernstein (Cambridge U., 1988)

Recent reviewsNeutrino Cosmology, A.D. Dolgov,

Phys. Rep. 370 (2002) 333-535 [hep-ph/0202122]

Massive neutrinos and cosmology, J. Lesgourgues & SP, Phys. Rep. 429 (2006) 307-379 [astro-ph/0603494]

Primordial Neutrinos, S. HannestadAnn. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 56 (2006) 137-161 [hep-ph/0602058]

Primordial Nucleosynthesis: from precision cosmology to fundamental physicsF. Iocco et al, arXiv:0809.0631

Eqs in the SM of Cosmology

22222

2

2222 sin

1θdφrdθr

kr

dra(t)dtdxdxgds νμ

μν

gGTRgRG 82

1

The FLRW Model describes the evolution of the isotropic and homogeneous expanding Universe

a(t) is the scale factor and k=-1,0,+1 the curvature

Einstein eqs

Energy-momentum tensor of a perfect fluid

pguupT )(

Eqs in the SM of Cosmology

)(3.

ppHdt

d

Eq of state p=αρ ρ = const a -3(1+α)

Radiation α=1/3 Matter α=0 Cosmological constant α=-1 ρR~1/a4 ρM~1/a3 ρΛ~const

2

2.

2

3

8)(

a

kG

a

atH

00 component

(Friedmann eq)

H(t) is the Hubble parameterρ=ρM+ρR+ρΛ

1)( 22

atH

k

ρcrit=3H2/8πG is the critical density

Ω= ρ/ρcrit

Evolution of the Universe

)3(3

4..

pG

a

a

accélération

accélération

décélération lente

décélération rqpide

accélération

accélération

décélération lente

décélération rqpide

inflation radiation matière énergie noire

acceleration

acceleration

slow deceleration

fast deceleration

inflation RD (radiation domination) MD (matter domination) dark energy domination

)3(3

4..

pG

a

a

a(t)~t1/2 a(t)~t2/3 a(t)~eHt

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Evolution of the background densities: 1 MeV → now

3 neutrino species

with different masses

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Evolution of the background densities: 1 MeV → now

photons

neutrinos

cdm

baryons

Λ

m3=0.05 eV

m2=0.009 eV

m1≈ 0 eV

Ωi= ρi/ρcrit

Equilibrium thermodynami

cs

Particles in equilibriumwhen T are high and interactions effective

T~1/a(t)

Distribution function of particle momenta in equilibrium

Thermodynamical variables

VARIABLERELATIVISTIC

NON REL.BOSE FERMI

T~MeVt~sec

Primordial

Nucleosynthesis

Neutrinos coupled by weak

interactions(in equilibrium)

1e1

T)(p,f p/T

-αα

-α

-α

βαβα

βαβα

ee

ee

νν

νν

νννν

νννν

Tν = Te = Tγ

1 MeV < T < mμ

Neutrinos in Equilibrium

Neutrino decoupling

As the Universe expands, particle densities are diluted and temperatures fall. Weak interactions become ineffective to keep neutrinos in good thermal contact with the e.m. plasma

Rate of weak processes ~ Hubble expansion rate

MeV T M

πρT G

M

πρ n , HσΓ ν

decp

RF

p

Rww 1

3

8

3

8v

252

22

Rough, but quite accurate estimate of the decoupling temperature

Since νe have both CC and NC interactions with e±

Tdec(νe) ~ 2 MeVTdec(νμ,τ) ~ 3 MeV

T~MeVt~sec

Free-streaming neutrinos

(decoupled)Cosmic Neutrino

Background

Neutrinos coupled by weak

interactions(in equilibrium)

Neutrinos keep the energy spectrum of a relativistic

fermion with eq form

1e1

T)(p,f p/T

At T~me, electron-positron pairs annihilate

heating photons but not the decoupled neutrinos

γγ -ee

Neutrino and Photon (CMB) temperatures

1e1

T)(p,fp/T

1/3

411

T

T

ν

γ

At T~me, electron-positron pairs annihilate

heating photons but not the decoupled neutrinos

γγ -ee

Neutrino and Photon (CMB) temperatures

1e1

T)(p,fp/T

1/3

411

T

T

ν

γ

Photon temp falls

slower than 1/a(t)

• Number density

• Energy density

323

3

11

3(6

11

3

2 CMBγννν Tπ

)ζn)(p,Tf

π)(

pdn

nm

T

)(p,Tfπ)(

pdmp

i

ii

CMB

νν

43/42

3

322

11

4

120

7

2

Massless

Massive mν>>T

Neutrinos decoupled at T~MeV, keeping a spectrum as that of a relativistic species 1e

1T)(p,f p/T

The Cosmic Neutrino Background

The Cosmic Neutrino Background

• Number density

• Energy density

323

3

11

3(6

11

3

2 CMBγννν Tπ

)ζn)(p,Tf

π)(

pdn

nm

T

)(p,Tfπ)(

pdmp

i

ii

CMB

νν

43/42

3

322

11

4

120

7

2

Massless

Massive

mν>>T

Neutrinos decoupled at T~MeV, keeping a spectrum as that of a relativistic species 1e

1T)(p,f p/T

At present 112 per flavour cm )( -3

Contribution to the energy density of the Universe

eV 94.1

mh Ω i

i2

ν

52 101.7h Ω ν

At T<me, the radiation content of the Universe is

Relativistic particles in the Universe

311

4

8

71

158

73

15

3/44

24

2

r TT

At T<me, the radiation content of the Universe is

Effective number of relativistic neutrino speciesTraditional parametrization of the energy densitystored in relativistic particles

Relativistic particles in the Universe

data) (LEP 008.0984.2 N# of flavour neutrinos:

• Extra radiation can be:

scalars, pseudoscalars, sterile neutrinos (totally or partially thermalized, bulk), neutrinos in very low-energy reheating scenarios, relativistic decay products of heavy particles…

• Particular case: relic neutrino asymmetries

Constraints from BBN and from CMB+LSS

Extra relativistic particles

At T<me, the radiation content of the Universe is

Effective number of relativistic neutrino speciesTraditional parametrization of the energy densitystored in relativistic particles

Neff is not exactly 3 for standard neutrinos

Relativistic particles in the Universe

data) (LEP 008.0984.2 N# of flavour neutrinos:

But, since Tdec(ν) is close to me, neutrinos share a small part of the entropy release

At T~me, e+e- pairs annihilate heating photonsγγ -ee

Non-instantaneous neutrino decoupling

fν=fFD(p,Tν)[1+δf(p)]

Momentum-dependent Boltzmann equation

9-dim Phase Space ProcessPi conservation

Statistical Factor

),(),( 111

tpItpfdp

dHp

dt

dcoll

+ evolution of total energy density:

νe

ν,

δf x10

1e

pp/T

2

Neff

Instantaneous decoupling

1.40102 3

SM+3ν mixing(θ13=0)

1.3978 3.046

0/TT fin

Mangano et al, NPB 729 (2005) 221

Non-instantaneous neutrino decoupling

Dolgov, Hansen & Semikoz, NPB 503 (1997) 426Mangano et al, PLB 534 (2002) 8

Changes in CNB quantities

• Contribution of neutrinos to total energy density today (3 degenerate masses)

• Present neutrino number density

c

3m0

94.12h2 eV2 2eV 20

14.93

3

h

m

n 335.7 cm-3

n 339.3 cm-3

Neff varying the neutrino decoupling temperatureNeff varying the neutrino decoupling temperature

T~MeVt~sec

Primordial

Nucleosynthesis

Decoupled neutrinos(Cosmic Neutrino

Background or CNB)

Neutrinos coupled by weak

interactions

Produced elements: D, 3He, 4He, 7Li and

small abundances of others

BBN: Creation of light

elements

Theoretical inputs:

Range of temperatures: from 0.8 to 0.01 MeV

BBN: Creation of light elements

n/p freezing and neutron decay

Phase I: 0.8-0.1 MeVn-p reactions

BBN: Creation of light elements

0.03 MeV

0.07 MeV

Phase II: 0.1-0.01 MeVFormation of light nuclei starting from D

Photodesintegrationprevents earlier formation for temperatures closer to nuclear binding energies

BBN: Measurement of Primordial abundances

Difficult task: search in astrophysical systems with chemical evolution as small as possible

Deuterium: destroyed in stars. Any observed abundance of D is a lower limit to the primordial abundance. Data from high-z, low metallicity QSO absorption line systems

Helium-3: produced and destroyed in stars (complicated evolution)Data from solar system and galaxies but not used in BBN analysis

Helium-4: primordial abundance increased by H burning in stars. Data from low metallicity, extragalatic HII regions

Lithium-7: destroyed in stars, produced in cosmic ray reactions.Data from oldest, most metal-poor stars in the Galaxy

Fields & Sarkar PDG 2006

BBN: Predictions vs Observations

after WMAP5ΩBh2=0.02265±0.00059

Effect of neutrinos on BBN 1. Neff fixes the expansion rate during BBN

(Neff)>0 4He

Burles, Nollett & Turner 1999

2p3M

8π H

3.4 3.2

3.0

2. Direct effect of electron neutrinos and antineutrinos on the n-p reactions

BBN: allowed ranges for Neff

Mangano et al, JCAP 0703 (2007) 006

Using 4He + D data (95% CL)

1.41.2 eff 3.1N

2B10

B10 h274Ω

10

/nnη

γ

Exercises: try to calculate…

• The present number density of massive/massless neutrinosn

in cm-3

• The present energy density of massive/massless neutrinos

and find the limits on the total neutrino mass from

and m

0

• The final ratio T/Tusing the conservation of entropy density before/after e± annihilations

• The decoupling temperature of relic neutrinos using

• The evolution of b,cdm)with the expansion for (3,0,0), (1,1,1) and (0.05,0.009,0) [masses in eV]

• The value of Neff if neutrinos decouple at Tdec in [5,0.2] MeV

End of 1st lecture