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Heavy sterile neutrinos and supernova explosions

George M. Fuller, Alexander Kusenko, Kalliopi Petraki

TL;DR

The paper investigates heavy sterile neutrinos with $M_s \sim 0.2$ GeV and small mixing $\sin^2\theta \sim 10^{-8}-10^{-7}$ as agents that could transport energy from a core-collapse SN core to the stalled shock, potentially aiding explosion. It computes production in proto-neutron-star cores, identifies the eosphoric decay channel into photons and $\nu^{(a)}$ that yields an $\epsilon_\nu \sim 80$ MeV signature, and derives energy deposition in the envelope using 1D SN-core models, finding a total energy budget $E_s \sim 10^{51}$ erg and $\gamma_s \sim 1.5$. This decay channel could modify the explosion energetics and produce a detectable high-energy neutrino burst, offering a distinct observational signature for future galactic SN events. The work connects astrophysical SN phenomena with laboratory searches for heavy sterile neutrinos, and notes that SN1987A data are compatible within current uncertainties and core-temperature variations.

Abstract

We consider sterile neutrinos with rest masses ~0.2 GeV. Such sterile neutrinos could augment core collapse supernova shock energies by enhancing energy transport from the core to the vicinity of the shock front. The decay of these neutrinos could produce a flux of very energetic active neutrinos, detectable by future neutrino observations from a galactic supernova. The relevant range of sterile neutrino masses and mixing angles can be probed in future laboratory experiments.

Heavy sterile neutrinos and supernova explosions

TL;DR

The paper investigates heavy sterile neutrinos with GeV and small mixing as agents that could transport energy from a core-collapse SN core to the stalled shock, potentially aiding explosion. It computes production in proto-neutron-star cores, identifies the eosphoric decay channel into photons and that yields an MeV signature, and derives energy deposition in the envelope using 1D SN-core models, finding a total energy budget erg and . This decay channel could modify the explosion energetics and produce a detectable high-energy neutrino burst, offering a distinct observational signature for future galactic SN events. The work connects astrophysical SN phenomena with laboratory searches for heavy sterile neutrinos, and notes that SN1987A data are compatible within current uncertainties and core-temperature variations.

Abstract

We consider sterile neutrinos with rest masses ~0.2 GeV. Such sterile neutrinos could augment core collapse supernova shock energies by enhancing energy transport from the core to the vicinity of the shock front. The decay of these neutrinos could produce a flux of very energetic active neutrinos, detectable by future neutrino observations from a galactic supernova. The relevant range of sterile neutrino masses and mixing angles can be probed in future laboratory experiments.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 5 sections, 8 equations, 2 figures, 3 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Sterile Neutrino Production
  3. Supernova Shock Enhancement
  4. Neutrino signature
  5. Conclusions

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Energy spectrum of sterile neutrinos, of mass $M_s = 200 \: {\rm MeV}$ and mixing angle $\sin^2 \theta = 5 \times 10^{-8}$, produced in the temperature profiles shown in Fig.9 of Ref. Pons:1998mm.
  • Figure 2: Energy spectrum of sterile neutrinos, of mass $M_s = 200 \: {\rm MeV}$ and mixing angle $\sin^2 \theta = 5 \times 10^{-8}$, produced in model ${\rm s15Gio\_1d.b}$ of Ref. Buras:2005rp (shown in Fig.20 of Ref. Buras:2005rp)