Updated constraints on non-standard neutrino interactions from Planck

Abstract

We provide updated bounds on non-standard neutrino interactions based on data from the Planck satellite as well as auxiliary cosmological measurements. Two types of models are studied - A Fermi-like 4-point interaction and an interaction mediated by a light pseudoscalar - and we show that these two models are representative of models in which neutrinos either decouple or recouple in the early Universe. Current cosmological data constrain the effective 4-point coupling to be $G_X \leq \left(0.06 \, {\rm GeV}\right)^{-2}$, corresponding to $G_X \leq 2.5 \times 10^7 G_F$. For non-standard pseudoscalar interactions we set a limit on the diagonal elements of the dimensionless coupling matrix, $g_{ij}$, of $g_{ii} \leq 1.2 \times 10^{-7}$. For the off-diagonal elements which induce neutrino decay the bound is significantly stronger, corresponding to $g_{ij} \leq 2.3 \times 10^{-11}(m/0.05 \, {\rm eV})^{-2}$, or a lifetime constraint of $\tau \geq 1.2 \times 10^{9} \, {\rm s} \, (m/0.05 \, {\rm eV})^{3} \,$. This is currently the strongest known bound on this particular type of neutrino decay. We finally note that extremely strong neutrino self-interactions which completely suppress anisotropic stress over all of cosmic history are very highly disfavored by current data ($\Delta \chi^2 \sim 10^4$).