Magnetic dipole (M1) excitations build not only a fundamental mode of nucleonic transitions, but they are also relevant for nuclear astrophysics applications. We have established a theory framework for description of M1 transitions based on the relativistic nuclear energy density functional. For this purpose the relativistic quasiparticle random phase approximation (RQRPA) is established using density dependent point coupling interaction DD-PC1, supplemented with the isovectorpseudovector interaction channel in order to study unnatural parity transitions. The introduced framework has been validated using the M1 sum rule for core-plus-two-nucleon systems, and employed in studies of the spin, orbital, isoscalar and isovector M1 transition strengths in magic nuclei 48 Ca and 208 Pb, and open shell nuclei 42 Ca and 50 Ti. In these systems, the isovector spin-flip M1 transition is dominant, mainly between one or two spin-orbit partner states. It is shown that pairing correlations have a significant impact on the centroid energy and major peak position of the M1 mode. The M1 excitations could provide an additional constraint to improve nuclear energy density functionals in the future studies.I.

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We introduce a hybrid method to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy by simultaneous measurements of responses of at least two detectors to antineutrino and neutrino fluxes from accretion and cooling phases of core-collapse supernovae. The (anti)neutrino-nucleus cross sections for 56 Fe and 208 Pb are calculated in the framework of the relativistic nuclear energy density functional and weak interaction Hamiltonian, while the cross sections for inelastic scattering on free protons p(νe, e + )n are obtained using heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory. The modelling of (anti)neutrino fluxes emitted from a protoneutron star in a core-collapse supernova include collective and Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effects inside the exploding star. The particle emission rates from the elementary decay modes of the daughter nuclei are calculated for normal and inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. It is shown that simultaneous use of (anti)neutrino detectors with different target material allows to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy from the ratios of νe-andνe-induced particle emissions. This hybrid method favors neutrinos from the supernova cooling phase and the implementation of detectors with heavier target nuclei ( 208 Pb) for the neutrino sector, while for antineutrinos the use of free protons in mineral oil or water is the appropriate choice.

Relativistic energy density functionals have become a standard framework for nuclear structure studies of ground-state properties and collective excitations over the entire nuclide chart. We review recent developments in modeling nuclear weak-interaction processes: charge-exchange excitations and the role of isoscalar proton-neutron pairing, charged-current neutrino-nucleus reactions relevant for supernova evolution and neutrino detectors, and calculation of β-decay rates for r-process nucleosynthesis.

We introduce a hybrid method to determine neutrino mass hierarchy by simultaneous measurements of detector responses induced by antineutrino and neutrino fluxes from accretion and cooling phase of type II supernova. The (anti)neutrino-nucleus cross sections for 12 C, 16 O, 56 Fe and 208 Pb are calculated in the framework of relativistic nuclear energy density functional and weak Hamiltonian, while the cross sections for inelastic scattering on free protons, p(νe, e + )n, are obtained using heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory. The simulations of (anti)neutrino fluxes emitted from a protoneutron star in a core-collapse supernova include collective and Mickheev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effects inside star. The emission rates of elementary decay modes of daughter nuclei are calculated for normal and inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. It is shown that simultaneous use of (anti)neutrino detectors with different target material and time dependence of the signal allow to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy from the ratios of νe/νe induced particle emissions. The hybrid method favors detectors with heavier target nuclei ( 208 Pb) for the neutrino sector, while for antineutrinos the use of free protons and light nuclei (H2O or -CH2-) represent appropriate choice.PACS numbers: 21.10. Gv,21.30.Fe,21.60.Jz,24.30.Cz Over the past years a considerable progress has been achieved in constraining the mixing parameters in neutrino oscillation framework [1,2], based on various experiments on atmospheric, solar, and terrestrial neutrinos [3]. It is now well established that neutrinos have nonvanishing rest masses and that the flavor states ν e , ν µ , and ν τ are quantum mechanical mixtures of the vacuum mass eigenstates ν 1 , ν 2 , and ν 3 [4]. However, currently existing data do not determine neutrino mass hierarchy, i.e., the sign of mass squared difference ∆m 2 31 = m 2 3 − m 2 1 . In the case of ∆m 2 31 > 0 one refers to normal mass hierarchy (NMH), while ∆m 2 31 < 0 corresponds to inverted mass hierarchy (IMH). Although a number of techniques has been proposed to resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy, to date this question still remains open and represents an important challenge in physics. Recent approaches to resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy include methods based on reactor neutrinos [5][6][7] In this Letter we introduce a hybrid method to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, based on type II supernova neutrino and antineutrino reactions with atomic nuclei, including, 12 C, 16 O, 56 Fe, 208 Pb, and free protons. The aim is to explore how ν e andν e detectors, based on various nuclei as target material, can provide a source of information that is needed to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy. Since in the case of supernova event SN1987A mainly theν e sector of the response has been detected, the role of neutrinos and their relevance for understanding their underlying fundamental properties remain vastly unknown. While most of supernova detectors based on nucleon or nuclear targets are primarily sensitive to antineutr...