Neutrino Induced Electrostatic Waves in Degenerate Electron Plasmas

Abstract

The plasma theory of electrostatic waves generated collisionlessly when neutrinos pass through degenerate electrons is developed. It is consistent with the results of calculations using quantum statistical field theory in the degenerate limit for kinetic instabilities, and using this formalism reactive instabilities may also be treated. For all neutrino distribution functions that might be appropriate to the neutrino burst during a core collapse supernova, no significant wave growth is found for non-magnetic electrostatic waves. It is speculated that this situation might be different for magnetic fields approaching the values believed to be present on magnetars.