arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S. Esposito.
We construct an explicit covariant Majorana formulation of Maxwell electromagnetism which does not make use of vector 4-potential. This allows to write a ``Dirac'' equation for the photon containing all the known properties of it. In particular, the spin and (intrinsic) boost matrices are derived and the helicity properties of the photon are studied.
The distortions in the thermal energy spectra for neutrinos produced in a supernova when a resonant oscillation, MSW effect, occurs are determined. In order to show this effect for some relevant and representative examples of unified gauge models, we have chosen $SO(10)$, and $SU(5)_{SUSY}$, $SO(10)_{SUSY}$ with a particular scheme for fermion masses (DHR model). The analysis has been performed for two choices of neutrinos parameters, predicted by the above models, and capable to explain the solar neutrino problem. In both cases one observes a strong distortion in the electron neutrino energy spectrum. This effect, computed for a wide range of $SO(10)_{SUSY}$ models has produced the same results of the previous supersymmetric ones.
We propose a very simple but general method to construct solutions of Maxwell equations propagating with a group velocity $v_{gr} \neq c$. Applications to wave guides and a possible description of the known experimental evidences on photonic tunneling are discussed.
We study, in the framework of the Standard Model, the propagation of (pure) Majorana neutrinos in a typical stellar medium and show that Majorana neutrino matter oscillations are completely indistinguishable from Dirac ones, even if in the case of no family mixing Majorana neutrinos can be distinguished from Dirac ones in the non-relativistic limit. Moreover, if CP violation is present, an effective phase arises in the effective mixing matrix but, due to a symmetry of the Majorana fields, this cannot be univocally determined
We study the properties of neutrinos propagating in an isotropic magnetized medium in the two physical approximations of degenerate Fermi gas and classical plasma. The dispersion relation shows that, for peculiar configurations of the magnetic field, neutrinos can propagate freely as in vacuum, also for very large density; this result can be very important in the study of supernova evolution. For mixed neutrinos, the presence of a magnetic field can alter significatively MSW oscillations, and for particular configurations of the field the resonance condition no longer occurs. Furthermore, on the contrary to that happens in non-magnetized media, spatial dispersion arises and neutrino trajectory can be in principle deviated; however a simple estimate shows that this deviation is not detectable.