Coupling between Ion-Acoustic Waves and Neutrino Oscillations

Abstract

The work investigates the coupling between ion-acoustic waves and neutrino flavor oscillations in a non-relativistic electron-ion plasma under the influence of a mixed neutrino beam. Neutrino oscillations are mediated by the flavor polarization vector dynamics in a material medium. The linear dispersion relation around homogeneous static equilibria is developed. When resonant with the ion-acoustic mode, the neutrino flavor oscillations can transfer energy to the plasma exciting a new fast unstable mode in extreme astrophysical scenarios. The growth rate and the unstable wavelengths are determined in typical type II supernovae parameters. The predictions can be useful for a new indirect probe on neutrino oscillations in nature.