Constraints on neutrino physics from DESI DR2 BAO and DR1 full shape

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Collaboration has obtained robust measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations in the redshift range <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <a:mn>0.1</a:mn> <a:mo><</a:mo> <a:mi>z</a:mi> <a:mo><</a:mo> <a:mn>4.2</a:mn> </a:math> , based on the Lyman- <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <c:mi>α</c:mi> </c:math> forest and galaxies from data release 2. We combine these measurements with cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope to place our tightest constraints yet on the sum of neutrino masses. Assuming the cosmological <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <e:mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</e:mi> <e:mi>CDM</e:mi> </e:math> model and three degenerate neutrino states, we find <h:math xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <h:mo>∑</h:mo> <h:msub> <h:mi>m</h:mi> <h:mi>ν</h:mi> </h:msub> <h:mo><</h:mo> <h:mn>0.0642</h:mn> <h:mtext> </h:mtext> <h:mtext> </h:mtext> <h:mi>eV</h:mi> </h:math> (95%) with a marginalized error of <j:math xmlns:j="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <j:mi>σ</j:mi> <j:mo stretchy="false">(</j:mo> <j:mo>∑</j:mo> <j:msub> <j:mi>m</j:mi> <j:mi>ν</j:mi> </j:msub> <j:mo stretchy="false">)</j:mo> <j:mo>=</j:mo> <j:mn>0.020</j:mn> <j:mtext> </j:mtext> <j:mtext> </j:mtext> <j:mi>eV</j:mi> </j:math> . We also constrain the effective number of neutrino species, finding <n:math xmlns:n="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <n:msub> <n:mi>N</n:mi> <n:mi>eff</n:mi> </n:msub> <n:mo>=</n:mo> <n:mn>3.2</n:mn> <n:msubsup> <n:mn>3</n:mn> <n:mrow> <n:mo>−</n:mo> <n:mn>0.34</n:mn> </n:mrow> <n:mrow> <n:mo>+</n:mo> <n:mn>0.35</n:mn> </n:mrow> </n:msubsup> </n:math> (95%), in line with the Standard Model prediction. When accounting for neutrino oscillation constraints, we find a preference for the normal mass ordering and an upper limit on the lightest neutrino mass of <p:math xmlns:p="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <p:msub> <p:mi>m</p:mi> <p:mi>l</p:mi> </p:msub> <p:mo><</p:mo> <p:mn>0.023</p:mn> <p:mtext> </p:mtext> <p:mtext> </p:mtext> <p:mi>eV</p:mi> </p:math> (95%). However, we determine using frequentist and Bayesian methods that our constraints are in tension with the lower limits derived from neutrino oscillations. Correcting for the physical boundary at zero mass, we report a 95% Feldman-Cousins upper limit of <r:math xmlns:r="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <r:mo>∑</r:mo> <r:msub> <r:mi>m</r:mi> <r:mi>ν</r:mi> </r:msub> <r:mo><</r:mo> <r:mn>0.053</r:mn> <r:mtext> </r:mtext> <r:mtext> </r:mtext> <r:mi>eV</r:mi> </r:math> , breaching the lower limit from neutrino oscillations. Considering a more general Bayesian analysis with an effective cosmological neutrino mass parameter, <t:math xmlns:t="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <t:mo>∑</t:mo> <t:msub> <t:mi>m</t:mi> <t:mrow> <t:mi>ν</t:mi> <t:mo>,</t:mo> <t:mi>eff</t:mi> </t:mrow> </t:msub> </t:math> , that allows for negative energy densities and removes unsatisfactory prior weight effects, we derive constraints that are in <v:math xmlns:v="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <v:mn>3</v:mn> <v:mi>σ</v:mi> </v:math> tension with the same oscillation limit, while the error rises to <x:math xmlns:x="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <x:mi>σ</x:mi> <x:mo stretchy="false">(</x:mo> <x:mo>∑</x:mo> <x:msub> <x:mi>m</x:mi> <x:mrow> <x:mi>ν</x:mi> <x:mo>,</x:mo> <x:mi>eff</x:mi> </x:mrow> </x:msub> <x:mo stretchy="false">)</x:mo> <x:mo>=</x:mo> <x:mn>0.053</x:mn> <x:mtext> </x:mtext> <x:mtext> </x:mtext> <x:mi>eV</x:mi> </x:math> . In the absence of unknown systematics, this finding could be interpreted as a hint of new physics not necessarily related to neutrinos. The preference of DESI and CMB data for an evolving dark energy model offers one possible solution. In the <bb:math xmlns:bb="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <bb:msub> <bb:mi>w</bb:mi> <bb:mn>0</bb:mn> </bb:msub> <bb:msub> <bb:mi>w</bb:mi> <bb:mi>a</bb:mi> </bb:msub> <bb:mi>CDM</bb:mi> </bb:math> model, we find <db:math xmlns:db="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <db:mo>∑</db:mo> <db:msub> <db:mi>m</db:mi> <db:mi>ν</db:mi> </db:msub> <db:mo><</db:mo> <db:mn>0.163</db:mn> <db:mtext> </db:mtext> <db:mtext> </db:mtext> <db:mi>eV</db:mi> </db:math> (95%), relaxing the neutrino tension. These constraints all rely on the effects of neutrinos on the cosmic expansion history. Using full-shape power spectrum measurements of data release 1 galaxies, we place complementary constraints that rely on neutrino free streaming. Our strongest such limit in <fb:math xmlns:fb="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <fb:mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</fb:mi> <fb:mi>CDM</fb:mi> </fb:math> , using selected CMB priors, is <ib:math xmlns:ib="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <ib:mo>∑</ib:mo> <ib:msub> <ib:mi>m</ib:mi> <ib:mi>ν</ib:mi> </ib:msub> <ib:mo><</ib:mo> <ib:mn>0.193</ib:mn> <ib:mtext> </ib:mtext> <ib:mtext> </ib:mtext> <ib:mi>eV</ib:mi> </ib:math> (95%).