Toward interferometry of neutrino electromagnetism

AbstraktAbstract

The long-standing prediction of the Standard Model of elementary particles is that asymmetric neutrino environments cause rotation of linear polarization of electromagnetic wave—the birefringence. We demonstrate that this effect is strongly enhanced if additionally the photon is propagating through refractive medium, which effectively increases the photon exposure to the neutrino medium. Our estimate for an infrared laser beam in 1 m long optical fiber exposed to reactor antineutrino flux results in linear polarization rotation by the angle ∼4.6×10−39 rad. We also derive the proper dependence of the effect on the angle between the directions of photon and neutrino propagation in the laboratory frame. For that purpose, we derive the correct form of the basis of polarization four-vectors, which differs from the one widely used in literature. We also estimate the subleading optical effect of the neutrino medium due to the neutrino dipole magnetic moment, in terms of a variation of the refractive index and its angular dependence. A rough monochromatic approximation points toward the existence of a resonant enhancement of the effect.

The long-standing prediction of the Standard Model of elementary particles is that asymmetric neutrino environments cause rotation of linear polarization of electromagnetic wave—the birefringence. We demonstrate that this effect is strongly enhanced if additionally the photon is propagating through refractive medium, which effectively increases the photon exposure to the neutrino medium. Our estimate for an infrared laser beam in 1 m long optical fiber exposed to reactor antineutrino flux results in linear polarization rotation by the angle ∼4.6×10−39 rad. We also derive the proper dependence of the effect on the angle between the directions of photon and neutrino propagation in the laboratory frame. For that purpose, we derive the correct form of the basis of polarization four-vectors, which differs from the one widely used in literature. We also estimate the subleading optical effect of the neutrino medium due to the neutrino dipole magnetic moment, in terms of a variation of the refractive index and its angular dependence. A rough monochromatic approximation points toward the existence of a resonant enhancement of the effect.