Unstable Cosmic Neutrino Capture

Abstract

Future direct observations of the Cosmic Neutrino Background (C$\nu$B) have the potential to explore a neutrino lifetime, especially in the region of the age of the universe, $t_0=4.35\times 10^{17}\ {\rm s}$. We forecast constraints on neutrino decay via capture of the C$\nu$B on tritium, with emphasis on the PTOLEMY-type experiment. In addition, in some cases of invisible neutrino decay into lighter neutrinos in the Standard Model and invisible particles, we can constrain not only the neutrino lifetime but also the masses of the invisible particles. For this purpose, we also formulate the energy spectra of the lighter neutrinos produced by 2-body and 3-body decays, and those of the electrons emitted in the process of the detection of the lighter neutrinos.