Paper detail

Neutrino Sources and Properties

In this lecture, prepared for PhD students, basic considerations on neutrino interactions, properties and sites of production are overviewed. The detailed content is as follows: Sect. 1, Weak interactions and neutrinos: Fermi coupling; definition of neutrinos; global numbers. Sect. 2, A list of neutrino sources: Explanatory note and examples (solar pp- and supernova-neutrinos). Sect. 3, Neutrinos oscillations: Basic formalism (Pontecorvo); matter effect (Mikheev, Smirnov, Wolfenstein); status of neutrino masses and mixings. Sect. 4, Modifying the standard model to include neutrinos masses: The fermions of the standard model; one additional operator in the standard model (Weinberg); implications. One summary table and several exercises offer the students occasions to check, consolidate and extend their understanding; the brief reference list includes historical and review papers and some entry points to active research in neutrino physics.