Toward Powerful Probes of Neutrino Self-Interactions in Supernovae

Po-Wen Chang; Ivan Esteban; John F Beacom; Todd A Thompson; Christopher M Hirata

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.071002

Toward Powerful Probes of Neutrino Self-Interactions in Supernovae

Phys Rev Lett. 2023 Aug 18;131(7):071002. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.071002.

Authors

Po-Wen Chang^{1

2}, Ivan Esteban^{1

2}, John F Beacom^{1

2

3}, Todd A Thompson^{1

2

3}, Christopher M Hirata^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP), Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
² Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
³ Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.

PMID: 37656847
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.071002

Abstract

Neutrinos remain mysterious. As an example, enhanced self-interactions (νSI), which would have broad implications, are allowed. At the high neutrino densities within core-collapse supernovae, νSI should be important, but robust observables have been lacking. We show that νSI make neutrinos form a tightly coupled fluid that expands under relativistic hydrodynamics. The outflow becomes either a burst or a steady-state wind; which occurs here is uncertain. Though the diffusive environment where neutrinos are produced may make a wind more likely, further work is needed to determine when each case is realized. In the burst-outflow case, νSI increase the duration of the neutrino signal, and even a simple analysis of SN 1987A data has powerful sensitivity. For the wind-outflow case, we outline several promising ideas that may lead to new observables. Combined, these results are important steps toward solving the 35-year-old puzzle of how νSI affect supernovae.