Resonant neutrino scattering: An impossible experiment?

The experimental feasibility was investigated for the resonant scattering of monoenergetic neutrinos emitted in the two-body β decay. A simple general formula shows that the resonance cross section can be as large as of the order of 10−17 cm2. The Mössbauer setup using a solid crystal was examined with a focus on the electronic structure of the emitter and the absorber. Based on realistic calculations, we show that interactions of valence electrons in the solid lead to a level broadening of the atomic ground state, which considerably suppresses the resonant scattering of neutrinos.