The link between CP violation and neutrino oscillations?

In summary, CP violation can cause differences in the probabilities of observing neutrino flavor changes and antineutrino flavor changes, as well as differences in the probabilities of observing different flavor changes in neutrinos. This is due to the fact that the pmns matrix, which relates to CP violation, has complex elements that affect the oscillation transition rates for neutrinos and antineutrinos. If the pmns matrix were to be real, CP violation would not occur.
  • #1
jeebs
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I'm trying to understand a bit about CP violation and how it relates to neutrino oscillation. I have a book, "Introduction to High Energy Physics" (Donald Perkins) which says that the probability of observing no change in the flavour of a neutrino is equal to that of an antineutrino of the same flavour, ie. [itex]P(\nu_{\alpha} → \nu_{\alpha}) = P(\overline{\nu_{\alpha}} → \overline{\nu_{\alpha}}) [/itex].
However, the probability of seeing a change in flavour of neutrinos is apparently not equal to the probability of seeing the change in antineutrinos, ie. [itex]P(\nu_{\alpha} → \nu_{\beta}) ≠ P(\overline{\nu_{\alpha}} → \overline{\nu_{\beta}}) [/itex]. Also it says that the probability of a neutrino changing flavour is not equal to the probability of the opposite process, ie. [itex]P(\nu_{\alpha} → \nu_{\beta}) ≠ P(\nu_{\beta} → \nu_{\alpha}) [/itex].

The book then says that these relations would be equalities if CP symmetry was obeyed, but the weak interaction can violate it. I have been trawling the net looking for some paper or web page that can explain this but I've not found anything that explains to me why CP violation causes this.

* I am aware that the PMNS matrix has some terms in it that relate to CP violation, and I'd like to understand where they come from (actually, understanding the PMNS matrix is my ultimate goal here) but so far I'm struggling to tie all these things together.
Can anyone help me out here?
 
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  • #2
The pmns matrix is complex, then when you write down the oscillation transition rate for neutrino and antineutrino, which depends on the real and imaginary part of the pmns matrix elements, you will find the difference.

The key is CP violation vanishes if the pmns matrix is real.
 

Related to The link between CP violation and neutrino oscillations?

1. What is CP violation?

CP violation refers to the violation of charge-parity symmetry, which states that the laws of physics should remain the same if particles are replaced with their antiparticles and left and right are flipped. It was first observed in the decay of neutral kaons and has since been observed in other particles.

2. What are neutrino oscillations?

Neutrino oscillations, also known as neutrino flavor oscillations, refer to the phenomenon in which neutrinos change from one type (or flavor) to another as they travel through space. This is possible because neutrinos have mass, which was only recently discovered.

3. How are CP violation and neutrino oscillations linked?

The link between CP violation and neutrino oscillations lies in the fact that the oscillation process is inherently related to the difference in behavior between matter and antimatter. CP violation plays a crucial role in the oscillation process and can potentially help explain why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe.

4. Why is the link between CP violation and neutrino oscillations important?

The link between CP violation and neutrino oscillations is important because it provides insight into the fundamental nature of the universe and could potentially help solve the mystery of why there is more matter than antimatter. Additionally, it has implications for understanding the behavior of neutrinos and their role in astrophysics and cosmology.

5. How is the link between CP violation and neutrino oscillations being studied?

The link between CP violation and neutrino oscillations is being studied through experiments such as the Tokai-to-Kamioka (T2K) experiment in Japan and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) in the United States. These experiments involve studying the behavior of neutrinos and antineutrinos in order to better understand their properties and potential connection to CP violation.

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