Weigh Them All!: Cosmological Searches for the Neutrino Mass Scale and Mass Ordering

Neutrinos are ghostly elementary particles that exist all across the Universe and have a tiny mass. This thesis explores the use of measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background and maps of millions of galaxies to go after the neutrino mass scale and mass ordering, which could teach us something about dark energy and cosmic inflation. Cosmological observations promise to reveal a great deal about these elusive particles in the coming years.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 195 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Neutrinos, ghostly elementary particles that permeate the Universe, are elusive and difficult to detect. Despite their abundance, measuring their mass has proven challenging. Recent discoveries have revealed that they possess a tiny mass, igniting a quest to understand their mass scale and mass ordering. This thesis explores the utilization of measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (the oldest light reaching us, providing a glimpse of the infant Universe) and comprehensive maps of millions of galaxies to uncover the neutrino mass scale and mass ordering. Neutrinos hold the potential to shed light on enigmatic phenomena such as dark energy, which drives the accelerated expansion of the Universe, and cosmic inflation, which laid the foundation for our existence. While perplexing, neutrinos offer an exceptionally captivating field of research, with cosmological observations poised to unravel many of their mysteries in the forthcoming years.

Weight: 355g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030535049
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020