Implications of Recent KATRIN Results for Lower-Limits on Neutrino Masses

Abstract

Recently announced results from the KATRIN collaboration imply an upper bound on the effective electron anti-neutrino mass $m_{{\nu }_e}$, $m_{{\nu }_e}<0.8\mathrm{eV}/c^2$. Here we explore the implications of combining the KATRIN upper bound using a previously inferred lower bound on the smallest neutrino mass state, $m_{i,\min }\gtrsim 0.4\mathrm{eV}/c^2$ implied by the stability of white dwarfs and neutron stars in the presence of long-range many-body neutrino-exchange forces. By combining a revised lower bound estimate with the expected final upper bound from KATRIN, we find that the available parameter space for $m_{{\nu }_e}$ may be closed completely within the next few years. We then extend the argument when a single light sterile neutrino flavor is present to set a lower mass limit on sterile neutrinos.

Comments: 5 pages, 6 figures, Revtex