Possible Neutrino-Antineutrino Production during Gamma Ray e−e+ Pair Production: Monte Carlo Simulation Study

Abstract

An alternative Feynman diagram for electron-positron pair production, in which neutrino and antineutrino are also produced on the same pathway, is introduced here. In the proposed pair production process, a portion of the momentum is carried by neutrinos and antineutrinos, allowing the rest of the momentum for the electron-positron pair. Simulations to inspect the proposed pair production process were conducted in this research using the EGS5 code system while modifying its subroutine “PAIR”. Liquid Xenon detector was then positioned in the path of various mono-energetic photon beams ranging from 2.6 to 12 MeV. These simulations were intended to inspect the detectability of the alternative pair production effects on radiation measurements in order to assess the detection conditions. Simulation results provided a comparison between the original pair production process and the proposed pair production process. Spectral results showed that changes in the region around 1 - 2 MeV and in the photopeak region were remarkable, therefore detectable. Further experimental research is recommended based on simulation findings. The alternative pair production process, firstly introduced in this paper, led to production of a larger flux of neutrinos from gamma radiation. This additional neutrino production and its contribution to non-baryonic dark matter are discussed.