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Neutrino quantum decoherence in a fluctuating ALPs field

Alexey Lichkunov, Konstantin Stankevich, Alexander Studenikin

TL;DR

This paper develops a Redfield-type framework for neutrino evolution in a fluctuating classical ALP field, revealing a dissipative mechanism that induces quantum decoherence in neutrino oscillations. By decomposing the ALP field into mean and fluctuating parts and averaging over Rayleigh-distributed fluctuations, it derives a dissipator with nonzero off-diagonal elements and expresses the interaction in terms of AU(3) generators, yielding a relativistic leading term $J_{ij}\approx i\frac{m_i^2-m_j^2}{2E_\nu F}(C_V^{ij}-C_A^{ij})$. Using reactor neutrino decoherence limits and KamLAND constraints, it provides conservative bounds on the ALP–neutrino coupling scale $F$ for ALP masses in the range $10^{-22}$ eV to 10 eV, including a strictest bound formula involving the correlation time $\tau$ and energy scales. The work shows that ALP fluctuations can produce measurable decoherence effects in neutrino oscillations, with implications for dark matter models and beyond-Standard-Model neutrino physics. The obtained results also emphasize the importance of off-diagonal dissipative terms, which can influence CP-violating and CPT-violating aspects in certain scenarios.

Abstract

The evolution of neutrinos in a fluctuating classical axion-like particles (ALPs) field is investigated. The equation for the neutrino density matrix is obtained in the Redfield form, and the corresponding dissipative matrix is derived. Estimates on the correlation time of the ALPs field fluctuations and on the ALP-neutrino coupling constants are obtained using the limits on the decoherence parameter determined from the analysis of reactor neutrino experiments data.

Neutrino quantum decoherence in a fluctuating ALPs field

TL;DR

This paper develops a Redfield-type framework for neutrino evolution in a fluctuating classical ALP field, revealing a dissipative mechanism that induces quantum decoherence in neutrino oscillations. By decomposing the ALP field into mean and fluctuating parts and averaging over Rayleigh-distributed fluctuations, it derives a dissipator with nonzero off-diagonal elements and expresses the interaction in terms of AU(3) generators, yielding a relativistic leading term . Using reactor neutrino decoherence limits and KamLAND constraints, it provides conservative bounds on the ALP–neutrino coupling scale for ALP masses in the range eV to 10 eV, including a strictest bound formula involving the correlation time and energy scales. The work shows that ALP fluctuations can produce measurable decoherence effects in neutrino oscillations, with implications for dark matter models and beyond-Standard-Model neutrino physics. The obtained results also emphasize the importance of off-diagonal dissipative terms, which can influence CP-violating and CPT-violating aspects in certain scenarios.

Abstract

The evolution of neutrinos in a fluctuating classical axion-like particles (ALPs) field is investigated. The equation for the neutrino density matrix is obtained in the Redfield form, and the corresponding dissipative matrix is derived. Estimates on the correlation time of the ALPs field fluctuations and on the ALP-neutrino coupling constants are obtained using the limits on the decoherence parameter determined from the analysis of reactor neutrino experiments data.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 5 sections, 50 equations, 3 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The developed formalism
  3. Conditions of applicability
  4. Estimation of neutrino coupling constants with axionlike particles
  5. Conclusion

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Dependence of the coupling constant of neutrino interaction with axionlike particles $F_{21}$ on the ALPs mass. The blue line corresponds to \ref{['ALPs-neutrino_est']}, the orange line to \ref{['F_cond']}. The blue area describes allowed range of the coupling constants.
  • Figure 2: Dependence of the coupling constant of neutrino interaction with axionlike particles $F_{31}$ on the ALPs mass. The blue line corresponds to \ref{['ALPs-neutrino_est']}, the orange line to \ref{['F_cond']}. The blue area describes allowed range of the coupling constants.
  • Figure 3: Dependence of the coupling constant of neutrino interaction with axionlike particles $F_{32}$ on the ALPs mass. The blue line corresponds to \ref{['ALPs-neutrino_est']}, the orange line to \ref{['F_cond']}. The blue area describes allowed range of the coupling constants.