Probing neutrino decays with the cosmic microwave background

Abstract

We investigate in detail the possibility of constraining neutrino decays with data from the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR). Two generic decays are considered ν_H -> ν_L ϕand ν_H -> ν_L ν_L_bar ν_L. We have solved the momentum dependent Boltzmann equation in order to account for possible relativistic decays. Doing this we estimate that any neutrino with mass m > 1 eV decaying before the present should be detectable with future CMBR data. Combining this result with other results on stable neutrinos, any neutrino mass of the order 1 eV should be detectable.

8 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. D

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