Sterile neutrinos as dark matter
Abstract
The simplest model that can accommodate a viable nonbaryonic dark matter candidate is the standard electroweak theory with the addition of right-handed (sterile) neutrinos. We consider a single generation of neutrinos with a Dirac mass μ and a Majorana mass M for the right-handed component. If M>>μ (standard hot dark matter corresponds to M=0), then sterile neutrinos are produced via oscillations in the early Universe with energy density independent of M. However, M is crucial in determining the large scale structure of the Universe; for M~100 eV, sterile neutrinos make an excellent warm dark matter candidate.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- January 1994
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.72.17
- arXiv:
- arXiv:hep-ph/9303287
- Bibcode:
- 1994PhRvL..72...17D
- Keywords:
-
- 98.80.Cq;
- 12.15.Ff;
- 14.60.St;
- 95.35.+d;
- Particle-theory and field-theory models of the early Universe;
- Quark and lepton masses and mixing;
- Non-standard-model neutrinos right-handed neutrinos etc.;
- Dark matter;
- High Energy Physics - Phenomenology;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 10 pages (1 figure available upon request) phyzzx, FERMILAB-Pub-93/057-A