Neutrino Physics

Abstract

These lectures describe some aspects of the physics of massive neutrinos. After a brief introduction of neutrinos in the Standard Model, I discuss possible patterns for their masses. In particular, I show how the presence of a large Majorana mass term for the right-handed neutrinos can engender tiny neutrino masses for the observed neutrinos. If neutrinos have mass, different flavors of neutrinos can oscillate into one another. To analyze this phenomena, I develop the relevant formalism for neutrino oscillations, both in vacuum and in matter. After reviewing the existing (negative) evidence for neutrino masses coming from direct searches, I discuss evidence for, and hints of, neutrino oscillations in the atmosphere, the sun, and at accelerators. Some of the theoretical implications of these results are emphasized. I close these lectures by briefly outlining future experiments which will shed further light on atmospheric, accelerator and solar neutrino oscillations. A pedagogical discussion of Dirac and Majorana masses is contained in an appendix.