Neutrino mass hierarchy and matter effects

Understand

Matter effects modify the mixing and the effective masses of neutrinos in a way which depends on the neutrino mass hierarchy.

• Consequently, for normal and inverted hierarchies the oscillations and flavor conversion results are different.
• Sensitivity to the mass hierarchy appears whenever the matter effects on the 1-3 mixing and mass splitting become substantial.
• This happens in supernovae in wide energy range and in the matter of the Earth.