Neutrino Masses in Cosmological Phenomena
Summary
Neutrinos, originally invoked to explain beta-decay spectra, permeate the cosmos as relics from the Big Bang. The discovery that they possess non-zero mass has profound implications for cosmology, as the sum of their masses and their mass hierarchy influence the expansion rate of the universe and the growth of cosmic structures. Massive neutrinos suppress the clustering of matter on small scales, leaving imprints in the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and the distribution of galaxies; these signatures provide complementary constraints to terrestrial experiments. Recent advances in observational precision from baryon acoustic oscillations, weak-lensing surveys and intensity mapping promise to refine limits on the neutrino mass sum, shed light on the normal or inverted ordering and probe potential interactions with dark matter or exotic bosons. These developments underscore the critical role of neutrinos in shaping cosmological phenomena and testing fundamental physics.
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Neutrino Masses in Cosmological Phenomena publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in neutrino masses in cosmological phenomena across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Neutrino mass ordering: Sequence of neutrino mass states, distinguishing whether the lightest or heaviest state is separated by the smallest mass difference.
Baryon acoustic oscillations: Periodic fluctuations in matter density from early-universe sound waves, used as a cosmic distance scale.
Cosmic microwave background (CMB): Relic radiation from the early universe that encodes information on primordial conditions and neutrino properties.
Large-scale structure: The distribution of galaxies and matter on scales of millions of light years, sensitive to neutrino mass effects.
21-cm intensity mapping: Observation technique mapping the aggregate emission from neutral hydrogen to trace cosmic structure and neutrino impacts.
References
- Neutrino cosmology after DESI: tightest mass upper limits, preference for the normal ordering, and tension with terrestrial observations. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (2025).
- Imprints of dark matter–massive neutrino interaction in upcoming post-reionization and galaxy surveys. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2023).
- Precision CMB constraints on eV-scale bosons coupled to neutrinos. European Physical Journal C (2023).
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