Flavor Energy uncertainty relations for neutrino oscillations in quantum field theory

Abstract

In the context of quantum field theory, we derive flavor energy uncertainty relations for neutrino oscillations. By identifying the non conserved flavor charges with the clock observables, we arrive at the Mandelstam Tamm version of time energy uncertainty relations. In the ultrarelativistic limit these relations yield the well known condition for neutrino oscillations. Ensuing non relativistic corrections to the latter are explicitly evaluated. The analogy among flavor states and unstable particles and a novel interpretation of our uncertainty relations, based on the unitary inequivalence of Fock spaces for flavor and massive neutrinos, are also discussed.