# QED corrections to the thermal neutrino interaction rate

**Authors:** G. Jackson, M. Laine  
**arXiv:** [2312.07015](https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.07015)  
**Date:** 2023-12-12  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/2312.07015v1/

## Key points

- Authors investigate precision computations of neutrino decoupling at MeV temperatures
- Focus on understanding QED corrections to thermal neutrino interaction rate
- Relate corrections to electron-positron spectral function and effective $\bar{\nu}\nu\gamma$ vertex
- Emphasize accurate determination of spectral function in timelike and spacelike domains
- Incorporate NLO evaluation of spectral function and estimate $\bar{\nu}\nu\gamma$ vertex
- Employ HTL resummation techniques for scatterings mediated by soft Bose-enhanced $t$-channel photons
- Compute interaction rate as a function of neutrino momentum and flavor
- QED corrections have effects on the level of -(0...2)% compared to previous estimates
- Corrections are noticeably smaller than previously thought

## Summary

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In their paper titled "QED corrections to the thermal neutrino interaction rate," authors G. Jackson and M. Laine investigate the precision computations of neutrino decoupling at MeV temperatures. They focus on understanding the quantum electrodynamics (QED) corrections to the thermal neutrino interaction rate and how these corrections can be related to the electron-positron spectral function and an effective $\bar{\nu}\nu\gamma$ vertex. The authors emphasize the importance of accurately determining the spectral function in both timelike and spacelike domains, considering both transverse and longitudinal polarization states with respect to spatial momentum. To achieve this, they incorporate a next-to-leading order (NLO) evaluation of the spectral function and estimate the $\bar{\nu}\nu\gamma$ vertex. Additionally, they employ hard thermal loop (HTL) resummation techniques to account for scatterings mediated by soft Bose-enhanced $t$-channel photons. By considering these various factors, they are able to compute the interaction rate as a function of neutrino momentum and flavor. The results of their calculations show that the QED corrections have effects on the level of -(0...2)% compared to previous estimates of a related quantity. This finding suggests that these corrections are noticeably smaller than previously thought. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into understanding QED corrections to the thermal neutrino interaction rate at MeV temperatures. The refined analysis presented by Jackson and Laine contributes to improving our knowledge of neutrino decoupling processes in high-energy physics.