Topic: Neutrino Forces: An Example of How Forces Are Generated by Quantum Fluctuations
Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Xun-Jie Xu
Coordinates: PCFT C1124, 16:00, Thursday, November 14
Abstract: Neutrinos, as almost massless particles, could mediate long-range forces known as neutrino forces. Neutrino forces are essentially caused by quantum fluctuations of light fermionic fields and thus can be viewed as a fermionic Casimir effect. In this talk, I will introduce some theoretical aspects of neutrino forces, including why the potential of a neutrino force has the 1/r^5 form and how it may vary under different circumstances, such as in dense and energetic neutrino backgrounds. Experimental probes and possible implications for cosmology will also be briefly discussed.