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Phys. Rev. D 53, 5365–5376 (1996)

Possible violation of the equivalence principle by neutrinos

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A. Halprin and C. N. Leung
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716

J. Pantaleone
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska 99508

Received 4 December 1995; published in the issue dated 15 May 1996

We consider the effect of a long-range, flavor-changing tensor interaction of possible gravitational origin. Neutrino-mixing experiments provide the most sensitive probe to date for such forces—testing the equivalence principle at levels below 10-20. Here we justify and generalize a formalism for describing such effects. The constraints from neutrino-mixing experiments on gravitationally induced mixing are calculated. Our detailed analysis of the atmospheric neutrino data confirms a remarkable result: the atmospheric neutrino data imply the same size violation of the equivalence principle as do the solar neutrino data. Additional tests of this suggestive result are discussed.

© 1996 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevD.53.5365
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevD.53.5365
PACS:
04.80.Cc, 14.60.Pq