Hybrid method to resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy by supernova (anti)neutrino induced reactions

Abstract

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.

Magnetic dipole excitations based on the relativistic nuclear energy density functional

“…The aim of this work is to describe the properties of M1 excitations from a different perspective, by implementing a novel theory framework derived from the relativistic nuclear energy density functional. This framework has been in the past successfully employed in description of a variety of nuclear properties and astrophysically relevant processes [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57]. In open shell nuclei, the pairing correlations make unnegligible contributions to the properties of M1 transitions [28,58], thus they are also included in model calculations.…”

Evolution of magnetic dipole strength in Sn100−140 isotope chain and the quenching of nucleon g factors

“…The M1 transitions from 0 + ground state (GS) to 1 + excited states are studied in the framework of relativis-tic nuclear energy density functional (RNEDF), assuming the spherical symmetry. Various implementations of the RNEDF have been successful in the description of nuclear excitation properties [62][63][64][65][66][67], astrophysically relevant weak interaction processes [68][69][70][71][72], and nuclear equation of state [73][74][75]. Here we give a brief overview of the theory framework extended for the study of M1 transitions; for more details also see Refs.…”

What can be learned from a future supernova neutrino detection?

“…The time dependence of the matter effects (the moving shock wave and the turbulence) also distinguishes the mass ordering [251,252,254,248,306,250,369]. The matter effects appear in the neutrinos if the ordering is normal and in the antineutrinos if the ordering is inverted and can be distinguished from self-interaction effects by the sweep from low energy to high.…”