Updated parameters for the decaying neutrino theory and EURD observations of the diffuse UV background
Abstract
Various recent observational developments are here used to make a more critical analysis of the parameter space of the decaying neutrino theory for the ionisation of the interstellar medium. These developments involve phenomena inside our Galaxy, outside the Galaxy but at essentially zero red shift, and at large red shifts. This new analysis leads to a viable theory with a decay lifetime of 2{+/-}1x 10(23) sec, a decay photon energy of 13.7{+/-}0.1 eV, and a mass for the decaying neutrino of 27.4 {+/-}0.2 eV. These parameters, when combined with some known astronomical quantities, lead to predictions for the intensity, the wavelength and the width of the decay line produced by neutrinos lying within one optical depth of the sun ({ ~ }{1/2} pc). One finds an intensity in the line of 350(+350}_{-117) photons cm(-2) sec (-1) , a wavelength of 905+/-7 Angstroms, and a width ~ 1 Angstroms. These predictions are relevant for the observations about to be made by the EURD ultra-violet detector which is currently in Earth orbit on board the Spanish MINISAT 01 satellite.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- July 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998A&A...335...12S
- Keywords:
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- ELEMENTARY PARTICLES;
- QUASARS: ABSORPTION LINES;
- COSMOLOGY: DARK MATTER;
- COSMOLOGY: DIFFUSE RADIATION