Probing the Cosmic Neutrino Background through Parametric Fluorescence.

Area of Science:

• Astrophysics
• Particle Physics
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• The cosmic neutrino background (CNB) consists of relic neutrinos left over from the Big Bang.
• Direct detection of the CNB is extremely challenging due to the low interaction cross-section of neutrinos.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel method for detecting the cosmic neutrino background.
• To explore the potential of parametric fluorescence in atomic or molecular systems for neutrino detection.

Main Methods:

• Investigating the coherent scattering of relic neutrinos with molecular energy levels.
• Analyzing the process where a neutrino decays into a lighter neutrino and an infrared photon.
• Calculating the signal rate enhancement due to coherent scattering and resonance conditions.

Main Results:

• Relic neutrinos can induce parametric fluorescence, leading to the emission of infrared photons.
• The signal rate is coherently enhanced, proportional to the squared density of ambient dipoles.
• Near resonance, the rate scales with the square of the ensemble coherence time (Tc), reaching promising levels for detection.

Conclusions:

• Parametric fluorescence offers a novel and promising pathway for discovering the cosmic neutrino background.
• The proposed method's sensitivity can be further enhanced by utilizing solid-state systems with longer coherence times.