Fermilab Theory Seminars

Two-neutrino forces and where to find them

by Mitrajyoti Ghosh (Cornell University)

US/Central
Curia II

Curia II

Description

Not only are neutrinos the lightest particles in the Standard Model, they also interact very weakly with ordinary matter, making their detection extremely difficult. In this talk, I shall discuss possible ways to indirectly probe properties of neutrinos without detecting them directly. In particular, I'll talk about how an exchange of two neutrinos between two fermions can mediate a long ranged force between them. This two-neutrino exchange force, which is a quantum effect, can be treated in the non-relativistic limit as a classical addition to the Coulomb potential. I will focus on the implications of such a force in atomic systems. Although this force is weak and below experimental sensitivities today, in certain situations it can indeed be enhanced, giving us hopes of discovery in the hopefully not-too-distant future.