MSW Without Matter

Abstract

We examine the effects of a scalar field, coupled only to neutrinos, on oscillations among weak interaction current eigenstates. The existence of a real scalar field is manifested as effective masses for the neutrino mass eigenstates, the same for $\text{nbar}$ as for $\text{n}$. Under some conditions, this can lead to a vanishing of $\delta m^2$, giving rise to MSW-like effects. We present an idealized example and show that it may be possible to resolve the apparent discrepancy in spectra required by r-process nucleosynthesis in the mantles of supernovae and by Solar neutrino solutions.

Comments: 3pp. LaTeX including 2 psfigures; to appear in Proceedings, DPF96, Minneapolis, 11-15 August 1996