Missing matter in galaxies as a neutrino mixing effect

Abstract

We show that, in the framework of quantum field theory in curved spacetime, the semiclassical energy–momentum tensor of the neutrino flavor vacuum fulfills the equation of state of dust and cold dark matter. We consider spherically symmetric spacetimes, and we demonstrate that, within the weak field approximation, the flavor vacuum contributes as a Yukawa correction to the Newtonian potential. This corrected potential may account for the flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies. In this perspective, neutrino mixing could contribute to dark matter.