Eur. Phys. J. C (2015) 75: 91
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-015-3310-3

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Proposal for resonant detection of relic massive neutrinos

Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

^* e-mail: jeremey.birrell@gmail.com
^** e-mail: jbirrell@email.arizona.edu

Received: 24 November 2014
Accepted: 8 February 2015
Published online: 24 February 2015

Abstract

We present a novel method for detecting the relic neutrino background that takes advantage of structured quantum degeneracy to amplify the drag force from neutrinos scattering off a detector. Developing this idea, we present a characterization of the present day relic neutrino distribution in an arbitrary frame, including the influence of neutrino mass and neutrino reheating by annihilation. We present explicitly the neutrino velocity and de Broglie wavelength distributions for the case of an Earthbound observer. Considering that relic neutrinos could exhibit quantum liquid features at the present day temperature and density, we discuss the impact of neutrino fluid correlations on the possibility of resonant detection.