NEUTRINO SHORTCUTS IN SPACETIME

Abstract

Theories with large extra dimensions may be tested using sterile neutrinos living in the bulk. A bulk neutrino can mix with a flavor neutrino localized in the brane leading to unconventional patterns of neutrino oscillations. A resonance phenomenon, strong mixing between the flavor and the sterile neutrino, allows one to determine the radius of the large extra dimension. If our brane is curved, then the sterile neutrino can take a shortcut through the bulk, leading to an apparent superluminal neutrino speed. The amount of "superluminality" is directly connected to parameters determining the shape of the brane. On the experimental side, we suggest that a long baseline neutrino beam from CERN to NESTOR neutrino telescope will help to clarify these important issues.