STANDARD AND NONSTANDARD PLASMA NEUTRINO EMISSION REVISITED

On the basis of Braaten & Segel's representation of the electromagnetic dispersion relations in a QED plasma, we check the numerical accuracy of several published analytic approximations to the plasma neutrino emission rates. As we find none of them satisfactory, we derive a new analytic approximation which is accurate to within 4% where the plasma process dominates. The correct emission rates in the parameter regime relevant for the red giant branch in globular clusters are larger by about 10%-20% than those of previous stellar evolution calculations. Therefore, the core mass of red giants at the He flash is larger by about 0.005 M., or 1%, than previously thought. Our bounds on neutrino magnetic dipole moments remain virtually unchanged.